Leandro Trossard’s hat-trick earned Brighton a deserved 3-3 draw as Liverpool endured one other damaging defensive efficiency.
he Belgian had given new supervisor Roberto De Zerbi a dream debut by scoring twice inside the primary 17 minutes in opposition to some ragged defending, just for Roberto Firmino’s double both aspect of half-time and Adam Webster’s personal aim to show issues round for the hosts.
However Trossard was to not be denied his second within the highlight as he grew to become solely the third opposition participant to attain a treble at Anfield within the Premier League, following Coventry’s Peter Ndlovu (1995) and Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin (2009) into the historical past books with an 83rd-minute strike which poses but extra questions for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
Solely a month in the past his aspect was conceding 4 to Napoli in a shambolic efficiency. And whereas this was not on that scale, the convenience by which they have been opened up by a workforce with a brand new supervisor who had not performed since September 4 doesn’t bode effectively, with a visit to league leaders Arsenal to return subsequent weekend after the midweek Champions League go to of Rangers.
All the eye pre-match had been on the type of Trent Alexander-Arnold and his England exclusion, however the opening 20 minutes weren’t the best endorsement of his supervisor’s impassioned defence of his full-back as Brighton uncovered a lack of know-how throughout the again line.
Alexander-Arnold’s fourth-minute header solely reached the sting of the world, and when Jordan Henderson – again within the workforce after a month out with damage – and Fabinho didn’t take care of it, Danny Welbeck produced a intelligent backheel.
The sight of the Liverpool right-back falling to the turf after slipping as Trossard side-stepped him to fireside throughout Alisson was not a great one.
Welbeck would have doubled the lead had it not been for the outstretched leg of the Liverpool goalkeeper after Thiago Alcantara gave the ball away exterior the penalty space, as Brighton swarmed throughout opponents giving the impression the latest worldwide break had been two months and never a fortnight.
However classes weren’t discovered and Alexander-Arnold was once more concerned within the concession of a second aim when, after controlling a cross-field go on his chest, he was robbed by Welbeck.
He was then at a direct drawback attempting to get throughout to Pervis Estupinan, with the ball shortly transferred to Welbeck and Solly March for Trossard to fireside dwelling his second from an analogous place to his first.
The Belgian was the primary visiting Premier League participant to attain two first-half targets at Anfield since Wigan’s Amr Zaki in October 2008, and the lack of Graham Potter to Chelsea final month already appeared a distant reminiscence.
Klopp instantly summoned Virgil van Dijk to the touchline for a mini disaster assembly, and no matter was mentioned produced an instantaneous enchancment as Alexander-Arnold began to return into his personal within the closing third.
His low cross was turned behind by Joel Veltman beneath stress from Fabio Carvalho, earlier than Sanchez turned Salah’s close-range shot on to the publish.
With Alexander-Arnold successfully working as an inside-forward, sometimes popping up within the quantity 10 place, Liverpool started to create some stress and the breakthrough got here within the thirty third minute.
The offside flag went up when Firmino clipped the ball over Robert Sanchez from Mohamed Salah’s go, however after a VAR evaluation the aim was allowed to face.
Alexander-Arnold’s excellent go out from the again couldn’t, for as soon as, be matched by the contact of Salah, who misplaced management contained in the penalty space, however the introduction of Luis Diaz for the second half made a direct affect.
The Colombia worldwide laid on the ultimate go from a 53rd-minute counter-attack involving Henderson and Thiago for Firmino to side-step his marker and rating.
He ought to have had a hat-trick moments later, solely to be let down by a weak header from one other cross from Alexander-Arnold, who couldn’t be stored out of the sport as he equipped the nook which noticed Webster flip the ball into his personal internet.
Nonetheless, Brighton have been removed from cowed and when substitute Kaoru Mitoma’s cross from Liverpool’s proper aspect ran via to the far publish, Trossard was readily available to fireside dwelling within the 83rd minute.
