Liverpool secured a 2-0 Premier League victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, with Hugo Ekitike scoring both goals while Mohamed Salah provided a crucial assist in a game marked by emotion and intensity. The win moved Liverpool up provisionally to sixth place with 26 points from 16 matches, trailing leaders Arsenal by seven points. Brighton sit ninth, three points behind Liverpool.
The match began dramatically as Ekitike scored Liverpool’s fastest goal of the season, finding the net just 47 seconds in. The strike came after Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh mishit a clearance, and Joe Gomez’s header inadvertently set up Ekitike, whose first-time finish beat goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Mohamed Salah, whose future at Liverpool has been uncertain following recent criticisms of manager Arne Slot and the club, entered as a 26th-minute substitute after Gomez suffered an injury. The 33-year-old received a standing ovation from the crowd, reflecting his enduring influence at the club. Salah made an immediate impact, and in the 60th minute, he delivered a precise corner to the back post that Ekitike headed home, marking Liverpool’s first league goal from a corner this season.
Manager Arne Slot expressed satisfaction with his side’s resilience and mental strength. “For the first time in weeks, I feel like we had a bit of luck today. Maybe we deserved this bit of luck because of the mentality that we showed and the injuries and other things like that,” he told the BBC.
Salah is set to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, adding further intrigue to his status at Liverpool. Meanwhile, Ekitike’s brace continues to highlight the effectiveness of Liverpool’s close-season signings and provides the team with momentum as they aim to climb the Premier League table.
