Liverpool, Nov 2 (IANS): Liverpool reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield. Arne Slot’s side moved up thanks to Manchester City’s shocking 1-2 loss against Bournemouth.
The Reds trailed for much of Saturday’s encounter after Ferdi Kadioglu had lashed the away team in front with 14 minutes on the clock. But a blistering two-minute period in the second half saw Cody Gakpo’s cross find the bottom corner and Mohamed Salah ping in a brilliant winner.
Results elsewhere meant Arne Slot’s men climbed back into pole position in the top flight, and enhanced the head coach’s record to 13 wins in 15 outings.
The game’s first opening came wholly courtesy of Darwin Nunez. His solo run began in the centre-circle with a flicked touch over an opponent and took him all the way into the Brighton area, from where his rising effort was touched behind by Bart Verbruggen.
Fabian Hurzeler’s visitors had been lively, however, and they grabbed a lead in the 14th minute. Kaoru Mitoma sent the ball across the Liverpool box and tt reached Kadioglu. From the right of goal, he whacked a strike across Caoimhin Kelleher that the goalkeeper got a slight touch on as it thudded the far post and bounced back into the net.
Kelleher then rescued the Reds from a more challenging deficit, leaving his line to get a vital block on Georginio Rutter, who had been sent in behind by a fine Yasin Ayari pass.
It was until the 70 minute mark till Liverpool replied with a goal of their own, Gakpo moved infield from the left and whirled in a cross that Nunez attacked without being able to touch – and the ball drifted inside the right post.
Amid the cacophony, the Reds went straight back at Brighton and the substitutes, Diaz and Jones, combined to carry the ball up the pitch and feed Salah in his ideal position.
Taking possession yards from the right corner of the area, the No.11 stepped in to create a trademark shooting angle and pummelled the finish into the opposite side of the net for what proved to be a sensational winning goal and completed the comeback.