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Liverpool have dropped points in the Premier League for the second week in a row after being held to a 2-2 draw by Brighton.
A Mo Salah double in the first half cancelled out Simon Adringa's opener for the Seagulls, but Lewis Dunk levelled things up with just a few minutes to go in the match. The draw sees Liverpool miss the chance to leapfrog Manchester City, who face Arsenal at the Emirates later today, into second place, and they remain three points behind league-leaders Tottenham.
Heading into the clash, Jurgen Klopp had a fair few decisions to make after his squad was punctured with injuries and suspensions in last weekend's controversial defeat to Spurs. Here, Daily Star Sport examines the things he got right and wrong out there today, starting with what he got wrong:
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Mac Allister at No. 6
Liverpool didn't really replace Fabinho over the summer and they're beginning to feel the aftereffects. Klopp opted for Alexis Mac Allister at No. 6, as he's done on a few occasions this season, but the Argentinian continues to struggle in the role.
His lapse in concentration while receiving a pass from Virgil van Dijk allowed Adringra to catch Alisson off guard and fire Brighton into the lead, and he was all too often caught out of position and dribbled past. Liverpool need a proper holding midfielder, particularly when facing dangerous sides like Brighton, because relying on Mac Allister to put out fires is like relying a helium balloon to be a paperweight.
Relinquishing control
Having netted a couple of quickfire goals to end the half, momentum was firmly with Liverpool heading into the second 45, but boy did they relinquish it quickly. Rather than go looking for a third to kill the game, Liverpool looked to defend their lead by sitting back and allowing Brighton more time on the ball, which quickly built the Seagulls' confidence.
They were punished for it with 12 minutes to go after Lewis Dunk stabbed home a Solly March free-kick, following a lengthy period of Brighton dominance. In truth, it was fully deserved, and the Reds only had themselves to blame.
And now, here's what Klopp got right:
Shoring up the midfield
In fairness to Klopp, he recognised the aforementioned mistake he'd made with Mac Allister and tried to rectify it at half-time. He brought Ryan Gravenberch, arguably Liverpool's most combative midfielder, on for Harvey Elliott and had the Dutchman sit a little deeper to help Mac Allister out defensively.
The substitution worked well, but was something of a double-edged sword as it saw the visitors concede momentum and territory to Roberto de Zerbi's men, who took full advantage by netting a late equaliser.
Gagenpress? More like Gagen-yes
Whatever Klopp slipped into the pot of coffee this morning clearly worked as Liverpool were excellent in the press. Both of their first half goals came via aggressive counter-pressing moves, evoking memories of the Reds' Champions League and Premier League-winning teams of yesteryear.
Pace and combativeness have always the biggest weapons in Klopp's arsenal, and given the ammunition-starved campaign they suffered through last season Reds fans will be delighted to see a bit of urgency and ruthlessness returning to Liverpool's game. Granted their intensity faded significantly in the second half, but there's plenty to suggest from today they're moving in the right direction.
- Jurgen Klopp
- Liverpool FC
- Premier League
- Brighton Hove Albion FC
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