A look at some of the less-noticed moments from Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Brighton on Sunday
Liverpool’s poor season continued on Sunday, when their FA Cup defense came to an end at Brighton.
The Seagulls won for the second time this month at the Amex against the Reds, with Kaoru Mitoma’s stoppage-time winner giving Roberto de Zerbi’s men a 2-1 success.
Jurgen Klopp’s team has now lost nine games in all competitions heading into Saturday’s resumption to Premier League play at Wolves.
Of course, you were aware of all of this. What you may have missed were a number of intriguing subplots to the afternoon’s events on the south coast.
The visiting end of the Amex Stadium broke into song for the injured Diogo Jota with less than 15 minutes on the clock. The Portuguese international was serenaded numerous times last season as he scored 21 goals for the Reds, but the terrace anthem has been noticeably absent this season.
Jota hasn’t played since sustaining a long-term calf injury in the dying minutes of Liverpool’s mid-October triumph over Manchester City, but he’s on the mend, and the message from the Amex terraces was that Liverpool fans can’t wait to see him back in action.
With the Reds struggling for fluidity without Jota, Luis Diaz, or Roberto Firmino, it’s no surprise that fans are clamoring for the return of their main players up front.
With Jota anticipated to return to the fray in the coming weeks, it is hoped that the song will be heard more frequently throughout the campaign.
Jota hasn’t played since sustaining a long-term calf injury in the dying minutes of Liverpool’s mid-October triumph over Manchester City, but he’s on the mend, and the message from the Amex terraces was that Liverpool fans can’t wait to see him back in action.
With the Reds struggling for fluidity without Jota, Luis Diaz, or Roberto Firmino, it’s no surprise that fans are clamoring for the return of their main players up front.
With Jota anticipated to return to the fray in the coming weeks, it is hoped that the song will be heard more frequently throughout the campaign.
Elliott has been placed on ice.
Harvey Elliott’s second consecutive FA Cup goal was insufficient for Liverpool on Sunday, but the agile teenager quietly continued his outstanding growth.
After putting his team ahead, he collapsed in the Brighton penalty area after a strong challenge from Tariq Lamptey. Following the tackle, Elliott collided with goalie Jason Steele in the back, requiring treatment before rejoining. There were initial concerns that Elliott would need to be replaced due to his head injury, but he was eventually deemed fit enough to play.
When he was taken off midway through the second half, he was seen holding an ice pack on the back of his head. In the second quarter, Elliott could be seen nursing the bump while sitting among the substitutes.
But it’s unlikely to be a major issue, as Elliott later revealed: “I’m well. “It’s a little sore, but it’s nothing that will stop me; I’ve had worse,” he explained. “It’s only a bump on the head so I should be over it in the next couple of days. I simply want to keep fighting, to keep going out there and playing for the squad, to keep playing for the badge. To be honest, I’d never come off until absolutely necessary.”
Before Elliott was allowed to apply ice to the bruising, the youngster had his teammates in stitches on the sideline when he knocked the ball out of Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi’s hands to prevent them from taking a quick throw-in.
Elliott’s audacious maneuver irritated the Italian, who had cut a disgruntled figure for much of the first half, but substitutes Darwin Nunez and Fabinho saw the humorous side, laughing uproariously at their colleague’s effort to deprive the hosts their quick throw.
The Slam Dunk
Brighton defender Lewis Dunk can never be accused of not working hard enough.
The Seagulls center-back is one of the most robust in the Premier League, and he almost showed Jurgen Klopp why in the first half when he hurtled towards the ball near the touchline.
Dunk was eventually forced to stop himself from meeting head-on with the Reds manager in what could have been a terrible clash. After applying the brakes at precisely the correct moment, the pair was allowed to hastily hug, evidently pleased to have averted a massive collision.
“He nearly took Jurgen Klopp out there!” said former England captain Terry Butcher on the radio.
Salah senses Klopp’s rage.
But no edition of ‘Liverpool’s moments missed’ would be complete without a grumble or two from manager Jurgen Klopp on the sidelines.
The Reds manager was generally happy with his team’s performance on the south coast, as opposed to their previous visit earlier this month, when they were comprehensively defeated 3-0.
However, Mohamed Salah received a tongue-lashing as he attempted to play a pass to Cody Gakpo shortly after the half-hour mark. The Egyptian failed to locate his teammate, prompting Klopp to rage on the sidelines, evidently dissatisfied with the sloppy style of the pass.
Klopp stated unequivocally that the pass was simply not good enough, and Salah took heed.
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