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A minute after injury time, Liverpool appeared to have done enough to return from the south coast with parts sagging, hinges creaking, but three points still saved safely. An empty Amex Stadium on a sunny November lunch may seem like one of the friendliest off dates in football, but Jürgen Klopp’s team pushed themselves to the limit in this 1-1 draw, ultimately being denied by a penalty awarded. by the VAR.
Klopp’s suspicion that the planets are set against him at this point will have been confirmed during the course of this game. Liverpool scored three goals, had two scored in chalk and was held back by a video intervention and a penalty scored by Pascal Gross.
On the other hand, Brighton was cheerful, lively and bold in their attacking game. Neal Maupay missed a penalty in the first half. The champions showed courage and deep reserves, and Diogo Jota again scored a vital goal. But the season is slow at the moment. The victories will be squeezed in blood and vibrant muscles, points will be lost.
Much had been done in accumulating the heavy workload of the England Champions League teams. Here Liverpool played a game away from home on Saturday lunchtime after one at home on Wednesday night, hardly ideal, but not terminal either. An early start would also offer more recovery space for Tuesday’s Champions League game. The problem here is structural: too much football, too little time.
There is no doubt that a few hours here and there make a huge difference for players. For those outside the soccer bubble, it is still difficult to understand the urgent nature of this problem. Welcome to our shared pain, a place where jobs are lost, health is in jeopardy, regulations are thrown away, and very few have a weekly national television platform from which to broadcast their work problems due to the pandemic. One thing seems certain. Going back to this topic, making it a cause, constructing it as a source of personal pain, it is unlikely to help Klopp players.
Here both managers selected a gentleman with the appearance of starting XI. Graham Potter added Joël Veltman as a right-back in a team with three forwards, and Maupay filled in between Aaron Connolly and Danny Welbeck. Klopp gave Takumi Minamino a start, one of four spinning front players, with Mo Salah often the furthest point.
Amex Stadium was a lovely sight to start with, the empty bleachers splashed with radiant sunshine, the mist curving over the hills, the blue and red shapes pleasantly sharp against the green.
Like Liverpool in the early stages, Andy Robertson and Salah combined markedly. But it was Brighton who had the first clear chance of the game. With nine minutes to go, a simple pass from Maupay midway was all it took to send Connolly into goal, with the red jerseys chasing him. He had time. Too. The ending was somewhat casual, Connolly opened his body and threw a shot beyond the post when he needed to be ruthless.
At that moment, the seams on this Liverpool defensive unit getting fixed and repaired suddenly became visible. Four members of the midfield and the first-choice defense were absent here. And despite its position in the league, Brighton will always have a threat in the future.
As they did in the 19th minute when Neco Williams went to tackle with his left foot, catching up with Connolly as he ran towards goal. It was a clear foul. But Maupay’s kick was poor too, skipping the post as Alisson lunged the other way.
Maupay was replaced by Leandro Trossard five minutes later. And for the remainder of the half, Brighton went head-to-head with the champions, the forwards upsetting Liverpool’s attempts to get the ball from behind by marking everyone but Nat Phillips, who is a defender above all. Cruel, but effective.
Liverpool had a goal disallowed for a VAR marginal offside, Salah ran to Roberto Firmino’s excellent pass, but missed a few millimeters past the last man as the ball was played. It was, once again, so close that it seemed moot and too punitive. Disallowing a goal seems like a harsh punishment for something so small. But Salah was also to blame. He doesn’t need to be that close to the line, such is his speed, and at the time he was just wandering backwards.
Brighton continued to pass the ball fluently and defend in midfield, where Liverpool lacked the drive and severity of their best days. It’s understandable that this is the case, with a starting right-back, a central midfielder and a central midfielder who are currently not up to the standard that this team has set. Minamino, in particular, seemed out of place starting in central midfield for the club world champions.
Klopp had seen enough. Jordan Henderson entered at halftime, with James Milner moving to right back, thus strengthening both departments. There was a bit more speed on Liverpool’s pass, with Gigi Wijnaldum throwing some darts forward.
And just before time they scored. It came from a nice, quick passing move, and another expert finish from Jota. Oberton hit the ball down the left and channeled the ball to Salah, who passed to Jota. He feinted past a defender, took another step, then took a low shot to the corner, the precision of the shot outstripping Mat Ryan.
The goal was Jota’s eighth in eight games for Liverpool. What a signing has he turned out to be, a close game winner whose lead has been sharper at the exact moment of Liverpool’s season. Once again at the Amex it was the clarity of Jota’s movement that stood out. He is always in or moving toward space, often with the slightest change in position.
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Adam Lallana came in and came out again eight minutes later. For Liverpool, Milner limped off to be replaced by Curtis Jones as they fielded a third right-back in the space of 73 minutes. Brighton continued to attack energetically, Yves Bissouma, a dominant figure in midfield.
Phillips produced an outstanding punt in front of his own goal. Sadio Mané headed for a free-kick but the VAR canceled it offside. And in death, Robertson connected with Welbeck trying to clear the ball, the kind of incident that television replays would always consider a foul. Brighton deserved a point. But Klopp will still see two lost.
