Brighton Stuns Liverpool with Dramatic Comeback in Thrilling Five-Goal Encounter

Brighton & Hove Albion claimed a remarkable 3-2 victory at the Amex Stadium against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, marking their first win over the Reds in their last five encounters.

Despite already securing the league title, Liverpool showed no signs of easing up, with Cody Gakpo nearly scoring in the first minute with a curling effort that went agonisingly close.

The Reds drew first blood just nine minutes in, when Mohamed Salah deflected Dominik Szoboszlai’s sweeping pass to Conor Bradley. Bradley skillfully entered the area and pulled the ball back for Harvey Elliott, who made no mistake in finding the net.

At the other end, Simon Adingra’s attempt hit Bradley’s boot before bouncing on the roof of the goal, while Pervis Estupinan’s follow-up from the resulting corner flew harmlessly over the bar.

Brighton responded well to falling behind, creating chances as Yankuba Minteh had a shot deflected wide, and Danny Welbeck’s header went off target under pressure from Kostas Tsimikas.

The Seagulls found their equaliser just after the half-hour mark, with Yasin Ayari skillfully controlling Brajan Gruda’s perfectly-weighted pass and coolly slotting it past Alisson Becker.

However, Liverpool restored their lead in the dying seconds of the first half when Szoboszlai unleashed a powerful shot over Bart Verbruggen and into the back of the net.

After the break, Alisson saved a free-kick from Welbeck and then blocked a header from the ensuing corner, thwarting Gruda’s attempt as well.

Following an uncharacteristic miss from Salah, Welbeck’s frustrations continued as he stumbled while attempting a shot, only to have it saved.

Just after Verbruggen made an outstanding save to deny Salah, Welbeck was again thwarted, but there was elation for Brighton with 20 minutes left when Kaoru Mitoma scored on the rebound, just five minutes after being brought on.

Fabian Hurzeler’s tactical substitutions proved pivotal once again, as Jack Hinshelwood neatly finished Matt O’Riley’s cross just moments after entering the fray, pushing Brighton three points clear of Brentford and into eighth place in the league. With just one match remaining, that position could secure them European football.

This defeat marked Liverpool’s second consecutive away league loss, a first for them since April 2023, but they did manage to score in every away match this top-flight season, achieving a club record.