Liverpool beatBrighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday, thanks to a brace from Hugo Ekitike.
The big talking point before the match was Mohamed Salah's status in the squad, he began on the bench, but all those thoughts were brushed aside 47 seconds into the match. A curious clearance from Yankuba Minteh was pounced upon by Joe Gomez who won a header high up in Brighton territory, and it turned out to be a superb pass to Ekitike in the area, he took the ball on his chest and lashed a finish past Bart Verbruggen to give Liverpool the lead.
Ekitike had a couple of more chances in the first half, but couldn't take them, and Brighton had one of their own through Diego Gomez, who was brilliantly denied by Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal. Gomez ended the half with a stroke of a luck, as a high studs up challenge on Florian Wirtz's chest was only deemed worthy of a yellow card, even after a VAR check.
Gomez had another big chance in the second half to put Brighton level, but he missed an open goal sliding in at the back-post to meet Mats Wieffer's low cross from the right.
Salah, who had come on in the 25th minute to replace the injured Joe Gomez, set up Ekitike's second, with a perfectly whipped corner to the back-post, where Ekitike was unmarked and free to fire a bullet header past Verbruggen.
Liverpool had their chances to add to their lead, especially through Salah, who had two breakaway opportunities in injury time, but he put one over the bar from Federico Chiesa's pass, and then overhit a pass towards Andy Robertson.
However, in the end, Ekitike's two goals were enough for Liverpool's first win in four games at Anfield, and only their third Premier League win in the last 11 games.
