Rampant Liverpool Roast Brighton with dazzling display of attacking power
Liverpool thrashed Brighton 5-1 away from home in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. The visitors took the lead midway through the first half, as Emre Can powered home a header from Philippe Coutinho's corner. The Reds doubled their lead almost immediately, as Roberto Firmino finished off a flowing counter-attacking move with a smart finish.
Firmino scored his second of the afternoon early in the second half, arrowing a close-range shot into the top corner after another incisive breakaway.
Brighton hit back quickly, with Glenn Murray converting confidently from the penalty spot. Coutinho put the game to bed late on minute, after drilling home a free-kick from the edge of the area.
Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
Liverpool dominated possession from the word go, as Brighton sat deep and attempted to frustrated Jürgen Klopp's side. Firmino should have opened the scoring in the fourth minute, as he escaped from Brighton defender Gaëtan Bong, only to head Philippe Coutinho's sweetly struck corner over the crossbar.
Brighton's veteran striker Murray should have given the hosts the lead in the 16th minute - Izzy Brown burst down the left wing, before cutting back and playing a perfect pass to Murray, who turned well but blasted his shot wide of Simon Mignolet's near post from close-range. The game began to open up, as the hosts began to grow in confidence.
Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, as the game suddenly burst into life after a period of frustration for the Reds. Coutinho arched a corner into the box with pin-point accuracy, before Can leapt above Shane Duffy to crash a towering header beyond the helpless Seagulls stopper Matthew Ryan.
The Reds had the hosts on the ropes, and doubled their lead a minute later, as Firmino fired home from a blistering counter-attack. Mohamed Salah surged through the middle of the park, before flicking the ball to Coutinho on his left. The talismanic Brazilian slid a tantalising ball across the face of goal, allowing Firmino to crash home a close-range finish.
Two minutes into the second half, Murray was made to pay for squandering a golden chance in-front of goal. Brighton broke well down the left, but a leaping Murray somehow couldn't convert and Salah broke away, surging up the pitch, cutting inside to lay a ball on the plate fore Firmino who rifled a finish into the top corner.
Murray atoned for his miss just three minutes later, as he coolly converted a 51st minute penalty after Jordan Henderson was adjudged to have brought down Duffy in the penalty area at a corner. The hosts were buoyed by the goal, and with the vocal backing of their fans began to take Liverpool on at their own fast-paced, attacking style of play.
Salah should have put the game to bed in the 64th minute, as Liverpool once again cut through Brighton with electrifying precision. Firmino twisted and turned on the edge of the area, before feeding a delicate ball through to Salah. On his favoured left-foot, the enigmatic Egyptian saw his effort comfortably saved by a sprawling Ryan.
Murray's afternoon of mixed fortunes continued, as the 34-year-old's spinning half-volley flew agonisingly Mignolet's far-post after a penalty box scramble. Mignolet then pulled out an impressive save in the 83rd minute, denying José Izquierdo who danced through the Reds defence before aiming a low shot at goal.
Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
Coutinho finished off any hope of a Brighton comeback in the 87th minute, expertly drilling a low free-kick under the sizeable Seagulls wall and into the back of the net. The former Inter Milan man wasn't finished there, and saw his late deflected shot spin off Lewis Dunk and into the back of the net for an own-goal in the 89th minute.
The Reds strolled to victory, claiming an important three points as they continue their impressive run of form in the Premier League.
