Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool did what title-chasing sides are expected to do at Anfield. They took their chances and punished mistakes. Brighton left Merseyside feeling frustrated, but the Premier League rarely rewards good spells without end product. The visitors were not overrun. They stayed in the game. They had periods where Liverpool were pushed back. However, small moments decided the contest. An early goal changed the tone. A set-piece later finished it.
From a Liverpool point of view, the result showed maturity. The Reds did not panic when Brighton created openings. They stayed organised. They waited for the next chance. In this league, control matters more than dominance. Liverpool showed that again.
After the 2-0 defeat, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler gave an honest assessment of where it went wrong. He believed his side deserved more from the match. “We deserved more, maybe even a win because we created so many chances,” Hurzeler said. “We didn’t have the best start to the game but I thought we reacted well and then had a set-piece against us for their second goal which we didn’t defend that well.”
Hurzeler pointed to inconsistency as the key issue over the full match. “Overall, though, we had a lot of good moments but at the end of the day it’s about doing it consistently for 90 minutes-plus, not just in some phases of the game and that’s why we lost,” he said. He also accepted responsibility for the missed opportunities. “We have to take responsibility. It was a game there for us to win and the performance was there, but that’s football,” Hurzeler added. “There are some days when you create chance after chance and don’t score. We are all disappointed but we will try to be positive, analyse the game and do better next time.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot played down claims of a perfect defensive display. “This is what people now say if you win 2-0 and then all of a sudden we were solid,” Slot said. “But now all of a sudden it’s solid because we won the game.” Slot pointed to progress, adding, “From the last five games we’ve played, we kept three clean sheets and that is something to build on.”
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