Liverpool fight back to beat Brighton and take full advantage of Man City slip

Two goals in three minutes from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah saw Liverpool come from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 and move back to the top of the Premier League.

Brighton deservedly led at the break through Ferdi Kadioglu’s early strike as Arne Slot’s side looking disjointed.

But the second half was a very different story and Liverpool were rewarded for a much-improved performance as Gakpo levelled in the 69th minute before Salah took his own personal tally to 10 goals in 17 appearances against Brighton moments later.

After scoring twice in Wednesday’s 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Brighton on the south coast, Gakpo was one of only two players – alongside Dominik Szoboszlai – to keep his place in the Liverpool side as both managers restored their first-team regulars.

The first real chance fell to Darwin Nunez, who won the ball in midfield and rode a couple of challenges to charge into the box before seeing his shot palmed away for a corner by Bart Verbruggen.

But it was Brighton who had started the better of the two sides, pushing high and forcing mistakes from Liverpool in midfield.

And the visitors took the lead after 14 minutes. Kaoru Mitoma’s low cross from the left was behind Danny Welbeck but rolled through to Kadioglu, who smashed it beyond Caoimhin Kelleher and in off the far post.

Liverpool were lacking fluidity going forward but had a chance to level from a set-piece after half an hour as Ibrahima Konate saw a header and then a shot charged down from Kostas Tsimikas’ corner.

But Brighton were quickly on the front foot again, and Kadioglu should have done better than to blaze over from Mitoma’s cross.

There was another setback for Liverpool on the stroke of half-time as Konate fell awkwardly challenging for a corner, walking off at the break nursing his left arm as Joe Gomez replaced him at the start of the second half.

The hosts came out much stronger at the second half with a string of chances to level. In the 53rd minute former Seagull Alexis Mac Allister stooped to meet Gakpo’s cross but saw his header pushed around the post by Verbruggen.

A looping ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold then found the run of Virgil van Dijk, but he got his connection all wrong in front of goal. Moments later Salah ran through on goal but Verbruggen got a hand on the ball as the Egyptian tried to lift it over him.

As the tension in the game grew, Gakpo cut inside to fizz a shot just wide in the 65th minute.

When the equaliser came in the 70th minute it was almost by accident as Gakpo’s cross from the left missed everyone before tucking inside the far post.

And just moments later Liverpool led as substitute Curtis Jones played in Salah, who cut in from the right and lifted a shot beyond the reach of Verbruggen.

Gomez went close to a third late on but headed straight at the goalkeeper from a Tsimikas corner.