Liverpool have gone winless for the third consecutive Premier League match since officially winning the championship. In round 37, coach Arne Slot's team lost to Brighton with a score of 2-3.
The Kop took the lead after only 10 minutes when Mohamed Salah's pass created conditions for Conor Bradley to overcome Brighton defender. The ball then came to Harvey Elliott in the box and he did not miss the opportunity to score.
Bradley should have put the Reds up two goals late in the first half. Receiving a pass from Federico Chiesa, Bradley was hesitant and ended up not finishing accurately.
Meanwhile, Brighton were rewarded for their encouraging attacking style of play when Yasin Ayari equalized in the 32nd minute. However, Dominik Szoboszlai helped Liverpool regain the lead as the first half was about to end.
Salah had his first big chance to score early in the second half but somehow wasted Cody Gakpo's pass. A few minutes later, Alisson made a great save to deny Danny Welbeck's close-range shot.
Slot made three changes to rotate the squad, but it was Brighton's substitutes who made an immediate impact. Kaoru Mitoma scored just four minutes after coming on. The home side took the lead when Jack Hinshelwood scored. This was also the decisive goal that helped the "Seagulls" get 3 points.
After the match, Slot admitted that after winning the championship, keeping focused on the players was not easy: "I have seen many familiarities, and one of them is the gap between teams this season. When we couldn't score a third goal and sometimes lacked 2-3% of our defensive efforts, it cost us failure.
We won the championship thanks to stability and what we did right throughout the season, instead of the big win like Man City in previous years. Therefore, winning the championship in this context is a worthy credit for the players".
Trent Alexander-Arnold has once again been left on the bench at Amex, with Bradley starting at right-back. With Jeremie Frimpong preparing to join Anfield on a 5-year contract, these could be important matches for the Northern Irish player. Bradley needs to assert his position before there is competition.
Not as excellent as Alexander-Arnold, but the combination of defense and attack makes Bradley a good replacement. He showed his skill and composure in the opening goal at Amex.
Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa will have to wait until the penultimate match of the new season to be given the opportunity to start for the first time in the Premier League. And although Liverpool fans were excited, things did not go well.
The Italian was the only summer signing for the Reds at the start of the season, but has been lackluster. Based on his performance against Brighton, it is understandable why Slot does not trust Chiesa.
Starting in the No. 9 position, with Salah and Gakpo on the wings, Chiesa struggled to make an impact before being substituted in the 63rd minute. His small stature made it impossible for Chiesa to hold the ball, although his efforts were remarkable.
Liverpool will sign a striker in the summer of 2025, with the possibility of Darwin Nunez leaving. And it seemed like the right decision.
