Liverpool ratings: Salah 4/10, midfield struggles in Brighton loss

Liverpool ratings: Salah 4/10, midfield struggles in Brighton loss

Liverpool were outclassed in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

A torrid first half for the Reds saw them second best across the pitch, with Japan international Kaoru Mitoma at the heart of a number of bright moments for the home side.

The half-time break couldn’t have come soon enough for Liverpool, but it took just two minutes from the restart before they found themselves behind when Solly March netted an easy finish from Mitoma’s pass. Things got worse when March produced an excellent strike six minutes later to double the lead.

Jurgen Klopp’s frustration was exemplified by his quadruple substitution in the 69th minute, though that did little to overturn what was one of his side’s worst displays this season, as he watched Danny Welbeck add the final touch to a move that began from a throw-in to make it 3-0.

Positives

A positive performance by Ibrahima Konate shows that Liverpool look to be secure at centre-back despite the absence of Virgil van Dijk, and that will be vital if the midfield struggles continue.

Negatives

This was one of Liverpool’s worst performances of the season. The Reds looked disjointed and almost as if they hadn’t played together before. Worrying signs from a Liverpool perspective.

Manager rating out of 10

5 — Klopp could have improved his midfield selection by including Naby Keita, but it’s not clear what he could have done to change the game with four first-team attackers out through injury. A quadruple substitution in the second half summed up his thoughts ahead of a long trip back to the north west.