AMEX STADIUM, BRIGHTON // Dominik Szoboszlai played well in a deeper position, but Liverpool fell to a 3-2 defeat against Brighton in its final away fixture of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Inside 10 minutes, Liverpool moved ahead in the game through Harvey Elliott, but if that was a lovely team goal, then so was the equalizer, which had been coming, from Yasin Ayari. Just before the half-time whistle, Szoboszlai added a peach of a strike to complete a goal-filled first 45 minutes.
Kaoru Mitoma made it 2-2 with a good finish on around 70 minutes. And then young Seagulls midfielder Jack Hinshelwood popped up with a late winner following a fairly lengthy VAR check.
Federico Chiesa chance
Federico Chiesa had played just 41 minutes for Liverpool before this game kicked off. By half-time, then, he had beaten his tally for the rest of the campaign combined.
There were good moments from him as Chiesa flicked the ball into the path of his teammates a few times and linked things up. He tried his best to press too, though Arne Slot was shouting plenty of directions in his way.
Number nine isn’t his best role and it is telling that his first league start didn’t come until two games after the Premier League title had been confirmed ahead of what could be an interesting summer.
But he was deserving of a chance, even if it doesn’t change the fact there must be an element of doubt about his long-term future at Liverpool. What more could he do?
Dominik Szoboszlai experiment pays off
Harvey Elliott was in the team as the number 10 and he did well enough, scoring the opening goal. But the most interesting thing in the center of the field for Liverpool was what it meant for Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai was playing deeper and he really excelled there. The experiment, which Jamie Carragher argued pre-match had added intrigue given the interest in Florian Wirtz, the Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder, paid off handsomely.
Liverpool needs Szoboszlai’s energy but he also showed his quality. He was spraying balls around from the base of the midfield, particularly in the first half, and scored a brilliant goal, showing off his superb technique. It’s definitely something that would be worth looking at again.
(Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Jarell Quansah composed
Jarell Quansah was given another go at the back, alongside Ibrahima Konate this time, with Virgil van Dijk handed a well-earned break. And the center-back did well, putting in a composed and relaxed performance at the back.
He is always capable of that, and he has plenty of talent, still being very young for a defender. If he can string together a series of performances next season, he will quickly build on his momentum — the question is just how often he can get into the side.
Quansah will have to be patient, but that is no bad quality for a center-back. Danny Welbeck and the Brighton attackers can be tricky to play against, but he didn’t look out of place here.
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Mohamed Salah frustrated
Mohamed Salah still has 46 goal involvements for Liverpool so far this season in the Premier League (28 goals and 18 assists). The competition record is 47 (set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer), so he now has just one game left to break it and move ahead having now gone three games without contributing one.
In scoring twice, Liverpool did at least become the first Reds team to net in every one of their away matches in a top-flight season. But that won’t mean much to Salah if he misses out on the latest record.
Somehow, Salah missed from just eight yards out on about 54 minutes, when the ball was crossed low into him from Cody Gakpo. That summed up a frustrating outing for him as he wore the captain’s armband.
(Image: Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
No need for Arne Slot criticism
“I think the honest answer is yes,” Slot said on Friday when he was asked if it was harder to motivate his players now the Premier League title is wrapped up. (Their results would suggest that was true, too).
On whether the extra days of rest (spent in Ibiza or Dubai) would be enough to prepare for this game, he said: “If we can’t get a result there then that has nothing to do with players enjoying a few days off, but it will probably be the story in the media.”
The performance that Liverpool put in, however, was in some ways a good one despite the result. With a changed line-up, it played well and some players and experiments gave food for thought.
More was learned here, certainly, than in the other games since the title was confirmed. It was a defeat, but at least one containing a few lessons and trials.
