Liverpool missed an opportunity to climb to second place in the Premier League after they were held to a thrilling 2-2 draw by Brighton on Sunday.
Manchester City has the chance to regain the top spot when they face Arsenal later, setting up a clash between last season’s top two teams. Liverpool now trails leaders Tottenham by three points.
Liverpool had a valid complaint about refereeing decisions once again, as Pascal Gross managed to avoid a red card despite fouling Dominik Szoboszlai, which resulted in a penalty that led to Liverpool’s second goal just before halftime.
In the opening half-hour, Brighton dominated the game and even took the lead. Alexis Mac Allister struggled during his return to the Amex Stadium and played a role in Liverpool’s concession of the opening goal. Simon Adingra dispossessed Mac Allister, catching Alisson Becker off guard with an early shot from outside the box.
Although Brighton had a strong start to the season, they have only won once in six games, with the demands of European football taking a toll on Roberto De Zerbi’s team. While Brighton’s adventurous style has earned praise, Liverpool capitalized on their mistakes to turn the game around just before halftime.
Liverpool pressed high and punished Brighton twice for giving the ball away in their own half. Harvey Elliot allowed Darwin Nunez’s pass to find Mohamed Salah, who scored the equalizer. Liverpool won a penalty thanks to their high press, as Szoboszlai dispossessed Gross and was brought down by the German midfielder. Salah converted the spot-kick, but Liverpool will question why they weren’t playing against 10 men for the remainder of the game.
Ryan Gravenberch was introduced in the second half to strengthen Liverpool’s midfield and had a golden opportunity to make it 3-1, but he hit the bar with an open goal after Szoboszlai’s excellent work. That miss proved costly, as Lewis Dunk equalized 12 minutes from time, and Brighton had a chance to snatch all three points when Joao Pedro missed a glorious opportunity late in the game.
