Liverpool settle nerves as Ekitike double sinks Brighton at Anfield | OneFootball

Liverpool steady course as Brighton fail to land blow at Anfield

Liverpool’s season has rarely moved in a straight line, but this felt like a step towards calmer waters. A 2-0 win over Brighton, shaped by a Hugo Ekitike double and a Mohamed Salah assist, lifted Arne Slot’s side to sixth and extended an unbeaten run that has quietly gathered momentum.

The storyline was inevitably dominated by Salah’s return. Left out in midweek after an emotionally charged episode at Leeds, the Egyptian began on the bench before being introduced early due to Joe Gomez’s injury. Yet the result itself spoke of something broader, a team learning to manage noise, disruption, and expectation.

Early strike sets tone

Liverpool barely allowed the afternoon to settle before taking control. Inside the opening minute, Gomez’s header dropped invitingly for Ekitike, who adjusted his body and volleyed past Bart Verbruggen. It was a goal of instinct rather than flourish, but it established the rhythm Liverpool wanted.

Brighton, lively without being ruthless, offered space and opportunity in equal measure. Alisson denied Diego Gomez when clean through, while further openings came and went. Each miss felt increasingly costly, especially as Liverpool began to find composure in midfield, even with Dominik Szoboszlai filling in at right back.

Ekitike emerging focal point

Ekitike’s afternoon went well beyond his goals. He stretched Brighton’s back line, found pockets between defenders, and repeatedly offered angles for Florian Wirtz and Salah to exploit. He might have had more, blazing over from close range and firing wide after clever build up play.

His second goal on the hour arrived from a familiar Liverpool source. Salah’s corner drifted to the back post, where Ekitike stood unmarked to head home his 10th of the season. It underlined a growing trust, both in set pieces and in Ekitike as a central figure under Slot.

Salah return adds edge

Salah’s contribution was measured but meaningful. His assist took him to 277 Premier League goal involvements for Liverpool, a new competition record for a single club. Beyond the numbers, his presence sharpened Liverpool’s transitions and lifted the tempo in the final third.

There was a late chance to crown the comeback with a goal, but Salah blazed wide after Federico Chiesa’s clever pass. Even so, his applause of all four sides of Anfield felt significant, arriving before another looming absence with the Africa Cup of Nations.

Brighton leave with regrets

Brighton will view this as an afternoon squandered. Thirteen attempts, an expected goals figure of 1.91, and repeated access to Liverpool’s penalty area produced nothing tangible. Wastefulness, not ambition, defined their display.

Errors played their part too, particularly in the build up to Liverpool’s opener, while key moments from Diego Gomez and Brajan Gruda slipped away. By full time, the pattern was familiar, attractive play undone by a lack of incision.

Liverpool move on with back to back wins and clean sheets, Brighton slide to ninth, and the gap between performance and outcome feels wider for one side than the other.