Mohamed Salah’s family were present for what the forward had claimed could be his goodbye to Liverpool. Recalled to the squad and reintroduced to the team after 26 minutes by Arne Slot, there were few clues in that regard from the Egypt international but the mood inside Anfield was clear. Say it ain’t so, Mo.
There were tears in Salah’s eyes as he applauded the Kop after the final whistle of a deserved victory over Brighton but otherwise only signs that Liverpool, Slot and the player himself have it in them to move on from an unedifying episode. Hugo Ekitiké would ordinarily grab the headlines after scoring twice against Fabian Hürzeler’s toothless visitors. Slot will also take great encouragement from Liverpool keeping back-to-back clean sheets for only the third time this season.
But after Friday’s compromise between the Liverpool head coach and one of the greatest players in the club’s history this was all about Salah’s response. It could not be faulted, apart from missing a gilt-edged chance from Federico Chiesa’s gift and failing to put Andy Robertson through on goal late on, and there is clearly more to give. A resolution needs to be found before Salah returns from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool made the perfect start in numerous respects for Slot. His team had previously won 11 of 13 games when scoring first this season and lost nine of 11 when conceding the opening goal. The fastest goal in the Premier League this season, timed at 46 seconds, was therefore the ideal platform for a team gradually rebuilding stability. But, of course, the benefits of Ekitiké’s emphatic early strike exceeded the mere pattern of a game.
Given the pre-match attention on Salah and the varying plot-lines that could unfold with or without the Egypt international it was important for Liverpool to shift the focus back on to the pitch. A hungry start combined with a costly error by Yankuba Minteh enabled them to do so.
Minteh appeared to have extinguished Liverpool’s first attack when taking the ball off Curtis Jones, who was making his 200th appearance for his boyhood club. With time and space, the Brighton winger swept an inexplicable clearance across his own penalty area to Joe Gomez, whose brave first-time header dropped between the visitors’ central defenders to Ekitiké. The France striker controlled and did well to keep a thunderous shot just under Bart Verbruggen’s crossbar.
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• Mo Salah (above left, congratulating Hugo Ekitiké on scoring from his corner) has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League (188 goals, 89 assists) – the outright record by a player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney’s 276 for Manchester United (183 goals, 93 assists).
• Salah also has 151 goal involvements in 155 Premier League appearances at Anfield (107 goals, 44 assists) – the joint-most by any player at a single stadium, level with Thierry Henry at Highbury (114 goals, 37 assists) and Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford (101 goals, 50 assists).
• Virgil van Dijk made his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool in this – all of which have been as a starter. He is one of only two outfielders to play 250+ times for a side in the competition without any appearances as a substitute, along with Des Walker for Sheffield Wednesday (264).
Minteh was not spared the wrath of his teammates but, in fairness to the Gambia international, he did more than anyone else in a Brighton shirt to produce a first-half equaliser. The winger cut inside Milos Kerkez and beat Alisson with a daisy-cutter that sailed just wide of the far post. He also put Diego Gómez through on goal with a superb pass but Alisson read the danger perfectly and was out quickly to block the forward’s shot.
Brighton had plenty of joy playing through Liverpool’s packed midfield – Alexis Mac Allister played off Ekitiké with Alexander Isak on the bench – but the hosts carved out the clearer openings. Gomez and Florian Wirtz, a vibrant presence throughout, set up Ekitiké for shots he sent over and wide.
When the unfortunate Gomez went down injured in the 25th minute Slot turned to his bench and instructed Salah to strip off. It was no surprise whatsoever to see Salah named among the Liverpool substitutes again following his recall – results had improved without him – but an early introduction gave all parties a chance to move on before he departs to Afcon on Monday.
Salah entered to a rapturous reception and responded with an energetic and unselfish display. He almost created a second goal for Mac Allister with his first touch and claimed a third Premier League assist of the season to quell Brighton’s attempted comeback in the second half. Salah won a corner when Verbruggen spilled his shot from the edge of the penalty area. The 33-year-old took it too and, while the Kop were still singing Salah’s name, Ekitiké rose completely unmarked at the back post to head home. Salah pointed to the Kop when jogging over to join the celebrations.
The visitors should have been level prior to Ekitiké’s second goal of the game. Mats Wieffer presented Gómez with a glorious chance when leading a break down the left but the forward struck the woodwork when connecting with his low cross at the back post. Brajan Gruda and the substitute Kaoru Mitoma also went close for Brighton.
