Liverpool hang on against unlucky Brighton: 3 things we learned

All it took was one ten second long miscue and Liverpool got their goal and then hung on against a Brighton team that just couldn’t get one by Alisson but wouldn’t go away either.

For ninety-two minutes and fifty seconds, little Brighton, fresh off their upset of Manchester United last weekend, hung with Liverpool absorbed pressure and generally made life difficult for the title favorites. Unfortunately in soccer, ten seconds is all that is needed to make or break a result and that’s about how long it took for Liverpool to score their 23rd minute goal from the time they got possession. Here are three things we learned from the thrilling Saturday fixture.

1. Visits to Anfield are going to leave opposition starving

Much has already been said about  what an upgrade Alisson has been over outgoing Loris Karius, but even factoring in their much maligned current back-up the run of consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League that Liverpool have kept at home is now at seven with the Brazillian stopper preserving this one with a world class 88th minute save. The last goal the away side at Anfield managed was in February when West Ham got one back while being thrashed 4-1.

In that time, Jurgen Klopp’s outfit has stuffed an eye-popping nineteen goals past opposition, including Mohamed Salah’s effort from today’s fixture against Brighton. It isn’t just goals the Reds are denying either. For the last time Liverpool lost a home fixture, one has to go all the way back to April of 2017 which pre-dates the arrivals of Alisson, Virgil Van Dijk, Naby Keita, Salah, and other first-teamers.

It is obviously too early in the season for Liverpudlians to start having fever dreams of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, or 1990 but if the current home form, complete with steady defensive performance, can be maintained then it would not be out of the question down the line.

2. No Dunk, not too many problems

Even with their impressive win last week against United, the Brighton win was clouded by loss of central defender and captain Lewis Dunk, whose presence ought to have been sorely missed in a fixture against Liverpool’s  high octane style. This was not the case, even on Liverpool’s goal there is little Dunk (or any defender for that matter) would have been able to do once Brighton’s free kick turned into getting caught out in possession.

Indeed, the minimization of Dunk’s loss even in a game where Brighton game away with no points, shows manager Chris Hughton”s tactical acumen. This, as well as his team’s intangibles because most teams who getting outshot 22 to 6 while only having 30 percent of the ball do not end up with as many chances as Brighton did to snatch something late.

Hughton will be disappointed and this 1-0 loss will count the same in the standings as it would had it been worse. However, two impressive performances against two of the giants of the English game should have Brighton’s fellow projected mid-table competitors quaking in their boots because the Seagulls mean business.

3. Where has Fabinho been?

It speaks to the depth of squad that Jurgen Klopp has built at Liverpool that questions can still be asked about his team selection in a non-negative way, especially with his midfield. Though Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out for the season he can count England international Jordan Henderson, Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri, and presumably eventually one of his starting midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum or James Milner on the bench as well.

The reason for this is the addition of holding midfielder Fabinho from Monaco, who has yet to feature but figures to eventually force his way into the lineup. When asked why his 40 million pound man had yet to debut, Klopp cited not wanting to rush him into the notoriously difficult English game. On most other squads, a 40 million pound player would not have an adjustment period and given that other expensive summer additions Naby Keita and Alisson have slotted right in the move or lack thereof is a bit surprising.

It has been said that Wijnaldum would be the player to make way for the Brazillian when he is finally ready. However, a possibility now that Fabinho was not included today is that Klopp might wait to unleash his latest midfield weapon until after the international break which would be in Wembley Stadium against Tottenham.

Before that Klopp’s league leaders face Leicester next week and Brighton will face off against Fulham at home.