Liverpool 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: 4 hits and flops from the game
Liverpool hosted Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield in the Premier League this weekend. The League leaders hoped to win the game and extend their lead to 11 points after Manchester City drew their game against Newcastle United earlier in the day.
The Reds made two changes from their Champions League game against Napoli, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Trent Alexander-Arnold replacing Fabinho and Joe Gomez respectively.
Liverpool started the first half with intensity, pressed the visitors high and tried to disrupt their play. However, Brighton had other ideas and played through Liverpool's press with their crisp passing.
Liverpool then scored two goals in five minutes courtesy Virgil van Dijk, with Trent Alexander-Arnold assisting twice. Brighton took control of the game from there onwards, giving Liverpool very less of the ball. Lewis Dunk had a chance to get Brighton back into the game, but he missed a sitter after the Seagulls won a second ball from an unsuccessful corner kick.
The second half of the game was a mixed bag of emotions for both sets of fans. First 30 minutes of the second half were largely dominated by the hosts, whereas Brighton were a constant threat with their long balls.
However, Alisson Becker had a horror moment in the game where he handled the ball outside the box and was shown a red card for the offence. Brighton scored from that free-kick, thanks to Lewis Dunk. The away side managed to give the European Champions a scare but the Reds held on and got all three points.
Also Read - 3 Reasons why Liverpool defeated Brighton
Now, let's take a look at 4 players who were hits and flops in the game:
#4 Hit: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold started the game after being rested for the midweek Champions League fixture against Napoli. The right-back had to defend largely throughout the game, as Brighton attacked the Reds for majority of the match.
Furthermore, the youngster had a match-winning impact on the game as he provided two assists, both of which were for Virgil van Dijk. The Ballon D'or nominee is now third in the Premier League with 5 assists in 14 games.
Defensively, the right-back had joint highest tackles, tied with Lewis Dunk with 3 tackles in the game. He also made 3 clearances in the game, only Virgil van Dijk made more clearances than the right-back. All in all, he had a great game and would be hoping to be consistent in the upcoming festive period.