Brighton 2-1 Liverpool: Welbeck 14, 56; Kerkez 30
Liverpool thrashed Galatasaray in the Champions League in midweek but here waiting at the Amex was a good old reality check. Danny Welbeck’s two-goal salvo condemned Arne Slot’s team to a 10th Premier League defeat this season and landed a huge hit on their hopes of playing among Europe’s elite again next season.
There was none of the fluency and verve that underline that performance against the Turkish side, where Liverpool were like a machine in sync and Mohamed Salah delivered a retro performance to set up a date with Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight.
The Egyptian and goalkeeper Alisson were the only players missing at the Amex four days after, but Slot’s side reverted to the version that Premier League fans are more familiar with this season. Their passing was skittish and there were mistakes all over the pitch. Milos Kerkez responded to Welbeck’s opener but Brighton were in front again through the English forward four minutes before the hour, and by the time the game ended, Liverpool had lost double-digit league matches for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
The manner of Brighton’s opening goal was a great example of Liverpool’s underwhelming performances at the back this season. The nervous Giorgi Mamardashvili overhit a pass to Ibrahima Konate but the defender only made matters worse by so hopelessly miscontrolling it to concede a needless throw-in.
Ferdi Kadioglu crossed ball in to the far post and Diego Gomez nodded across goal to Welbeck, who was not troubled by Konate as he rose to head in from close range. Liverpool drew level 15 minutes later, after Lewis Dunk directed a poor header towards his own goal and Kerkez was quick to the ball, lobbing it over Bart Verbruggen to offer hope of a result.
Defeat at Brighton. #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/8NWCi43NIg
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 21, 2026
Brighton could have gone further ahead much earlier but Mamardashvili reacted quickly to deny Yankuba Minteh a certain tap in, before palming away Kadioglu’s strike from distance.
But then Minteh’s sublime cross from the left was not dealt with and two Brighton forwards strangely found themselves unmarked in front of the six-yard box. Jack Hinshelwood squared back across goal and Welbeck was presented with one of the easiest goals he will ever score.
There could have been another after Gomez curled an excellent free kick towards the far corner. Mamardashvili was alert to parry the ball away from the danger zone, before reacting quickly a few minutes later to deny Minteh from close range.
Slot’s side pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, Cody Gakpo forcing Verbruggen into a good save, but Brighton held firm.
