Three things learned from Liverpool vs Brighton as Mohamed Salah leaves his mark and two stars shine - opinion
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Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion clashed in a Premier League meeting on Saturday.The big story going into the fixture was, of course, the return of Mohamed Salah to the squad.This time last week, the Egyptian hit out at Liverpool amid a lack of minutes in recent games.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Who was your man of the match during Liverpool’s impressive 2-0 win over Brighton?
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images 👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say While the Reds were looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games in a row on December 13, all eyes were on Salah pre-match.When the action began, Liverpool raced out of the blocks, netting inside 60 seconds via Hugo Ekitike.The Frenchman was once again on the scoresheet after the break, this time heading home from a Salah corner to secure the home team a big 2-0 win.Mohamed Salah enjoyed himself vs BrightonSalah was brought on in the first half when an injury to Joe Gomez forced Dominik Szoboszlai to fill in at right-back.Moments after coming on, he nearly set up a Liverpool goal, and his general demeanor was positive, with some fans no doubt hoping it means the recent outburst has been put to bed.But while he did make his return to the team, there have been reports that Arne Slot only brought back Salah for the good of the club and to ease tension before he leaves next week.The 33-year-old will now spend the rest of 2025, at minimum, playing for Egypt at the AFCON.Transfer interest in the forward remains, and in truth, we still don’t know if we have seen the last of Salah as a Red.It would be a heartbreaking way to end his career at Anfield, but there will probably be a lot of noise around him in the next few weeks as we head towards the January window.Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty ImagesHugo Ekitike is miles ahead of Alexander IsakAlexander Isak worried fans with his performance against Inter Milan in the Champions League.After picking up a knock in that game, he was demoted to the bench against Brighton, with Florian Wirtz featuring on the left in his stead.Isak did, of course, miss out on a pre-season due to the Newcastle United transfer saga, but he should be fully fit by now.However, Ekitike is cementing himself as Liverpool’s primary number nine, adding a ninth goal to his tally on Saturday.The Frenchman has been far and away the most consistent of all the Reds’ summer additions, leaving big question marks over the role Isak will have in the coming weeks.Curtis Jones continues to quietly impressFor the third game in a row, Curtis Jones was excellent in midfield.He and Ryan Gravenberch have formed a brilliant partnership in the last couple of weeks, allowing Slot to move Alexis Mac Allister further forward, with Wirtz and Szoboszlai deployed in wider roles.The Hungarian did have to fill in at right-back when Gomez went off against Brighton, but Conor Bradley is back from suspension next week, so the Reds can once again deploy their new-look, improved frontline against Tottenham Hotspur.Jones has had injury problems in the past, but if he can stay fit, the Englishman could be the key to Liverpool turning their season around.
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