Brighton 2-1 Liverpool (Mar 21, 2026) Game Analysis
Brighton ahead Danny Welbeck struck twice as Liverpool’s hopes of Champions League qualification have been dealt an extra blow by a 2-1 Premier League defeat on the Amex Stadium.
Arne Slot’s Reds arrived in Sussex with out injured pair Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah and bidding to bounce again from drawing at residence to relegation-threatened Tottenham and dropping at backside membership Wolves.
Welbeck headed the Seagulls into an early lead earlier than benefiting from the tightest of offside calls to assert his twelfth top-flight aim of the season after Milos Kerkez had capitalized on a mistake from Lewis Dunk to equalize.
A fourth victory in 5 video games lifts Albion again into the highest half of the desk, whereas one other disappointing outing for the reigning champions was compounded by high scorer Hugo Ekitike struggling an early harm.
Liverpool cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night due to a 4-1 mixture win over Galatasaray however they’ve work to do to safe a spot within the competitors subsequent season resulting from their patchy league kind.
Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and Cody Gakpo changed key duo Alisson and Salah, whereas Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler caught with the crew which began final weekend’s 1-0 win at SunderlandEdit.
After kick-off was delayed by quarter-hour resulting from a street site visitors accident on the A27, Liverpool suffered an extra setback when 17-goal ahead Ekitike limped off inside eight minutes following a collision with James Milnerto get replaced by Curtis Jones.
The guests contributed to their very own undoing as Brighton snatched a 14th-minute opener.
Ibrahima Konaté gifted Albion a throw-in deep in Liverpool territory by miscontrolling a cross from Mamardashvili and, following Ferdi Kadioglu’s deep cross from the left, Diego Gomez agreed again throughout aim for former Manchester United ahead Welbeck to go residence after which taunt the touring followers.
Brighton have been much more beneficiant for Liverpool’s Thirtieth-minute leveller.
Mamardashvili’s lengthy ball ahead offered little hazard, however Seagulls skipper Dunk headed the ball backwards with out wanting, permitting Liverpool left-back Kerkez to nip in and instinctively lob stranded keeper Bart Verbruggen.
Kadioglu threatened to revive Brighton’s lead early within the second half earlier than Welbeck doubled his tally within the 56th minute.
Yankuba Minteh’s inviting cross from the left was turned again throughout the six-yard field by Jack Hinshelwood for the unmarked Welbeck to faucet residence after which leapfrog Dunk in celebration after a tense VAR evaluation.
Mamardashvili turned away a thunderous free-kick from Gomez as Brighton sought to double their benefit and later denied Minteh, both facet of Verbruggen saving nicely from Jones on the different finish.
Seeking a second equalizer, Reds boss Slot despatched on Andrew Robertson and Federico Chiesa with slightly below quarter-hour to go.
The away facet’s struggles to create continued, though Gakpo stung the palms of Verbruggen 5 minutes from time.
Brighton substitute Yasin Ayari had a goal-bound effort blocked by Jones earlier than the hosts held on for seven minutes of added time to ship Liverpool into the worldwide break on a three-match winless league run.