Mac Allister does best Alonso impression as Liverpool keep up title fight

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Will this goal stand? Suggestions of offside against Diaz but did the ball come off a Brighton player last? Brighton’s players were pushing out from a corner, Salah headed it back into the area, Veltman flicked it on and Diaz was alive to find the roof of the net with an outstretched leg on the volley. Goal stands, because of Veltman’s touch.
Liverpool have a corner after a Veltman challenge on Luis Diaz. Lewis Dunk heads clear at the back post, before the flag goes up for offside against Nunez from the next phase. 
Then Dunk takes a loose touch in the Brighton box and is almost caught out. That gets the Anfield crowd up. It takes a brave team to encourage the Liverpool press, but Brighton are that team.
High quality start. Not for the first time the Brighton formation has confused Liverpool. But now Mac Allister is starting to pull those strings. He’s found Salah with three perfectly weighted passes already. The Egyptian needs to sharpen up.
The flag goes up for offside against Luis Diaz. Mac Allister is back on the pitch and looks fit to continue. Brighton are having problems tracking the runs of Salah, but he has let them off the hook. Liverpool seeing most of the ball now, Brighton need to be wary of growing too passive.
Another sight of goal for Salah, this time an instinctive, first-time shot with his left foot which was always rising. Mac Allister has stayed down around the halfway line after a challenge by Gross… nothing in that, Mac Allister kicked the bottom of the Brighton player’s boot. Gross is shown a yellow card. One very harsh booking for each team so far. Mac Allister looks in some pain through, around the top of his foot.
Perhaps a consequence of scoring so early, but it looks as if Brighton have dropped their defensive line, holding a shape for longer rather than jumping to press. They are packing bodies centrally in their own penalty area when Liverpool look to shoot.
Another half-chance for Salah! Brighton have been warned, again it was Mac Allister with scooped pass over the top. Salah went for the volley on his left foot but was always stretching. Could he have squared for Nunez with his right foot?
Adingra looking slippery on the break again, isolated against Mac Allister. The Liverpool midfielder is penalised for a slight pull of the shirt and is shown a yellow card. Although replays suggest it was very soft indeed. Liverpool and Mac Allister unfortunate; Klopp shakes his head on the touchline.
Mac Allister with time and space to turn and shoot from 25 yards, but his effort flies over the bar. Then Salah gets in behind Estupinan, picked out by Mac Allister’s lovely chipped pass, but Salah’s touch let him down. A lot of the action is coming down that far side at Anfield, through Salah for Liverpool and Adingra for Brighton.
Brighton win a corner, and are pushing forward in numbers whenever they get the chance. Gross’ delivery loops over everyone and out for a Liverpool goal kick. There are surely more goals to come in this game. Endo does well to win a challenge on Welbeck in midfield.
So close to an equaliser from Mohamed Salah, it looked like a trademark left-footed curler was heading for the top corner, but it flashed wide of the post. Verbruggen then players a three-yard pass inside his own box as Brighton show fantastic composure to play out and through Liverpool. Adingra, who looks their main outlet, wins a free-kick in a dangerous position.
Early shout, but Simon Adingra versus Conor Bradley looks like it could be the most decisive battle and lingering image of this game.
Bradley leading the charge for Liverpool from right-back. Brighton would not be the first team on your list when it comes to defending a narrow lead for the best part of 90 minutes.
Attack may well prove the best form of defence for them, with Adingra feeding a dangerous ball in from the left, before Salah sees a shot blocked. This game is wide open.
Brighton have lost just one of their last eight matches against Liverpool in all competitions and they are making things uncomfortable again. Mohamed Salah picks up a pocket of space in midfield but Brighton get back and defend. Then Nunez goes down in the box claiming a shirt pull from Estupinan… not quite enough to overturn the on-field decision of no penalty. The Brighton left-back lost his bearings, though.
The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has silenced the Kop. Adingra had space to break into down the Brighton left with Bradley advanced, Gross made a nuisance of himself to keep things alive in the box, before Welbeck unleashed a fierce, first-time shot that flew past Kelleher. Cracking finish. Game on, now.
It looks like Brighton are operating with a back four; Veltman at right-back with Lamptey ahead of him in an attacking right-wing position. Adingra carries the ball forward well down the left for the visitors….
Brighton get the game under way, attacking the Kop end in the first half at Anfield.
Alexis Mac Allister facing his former club. With Endo in the Liverpool side, Mac Allister will likely operate in a more advanced role today. A warm embrace between Jurgen Klopp and Roberto De Zerbi.#
You get a feeling when you come out on to the pitch that there’s a little bit of magic in the air and hopefully it can go our way.
You know how intense these games are so you need to make sure you’re ready for it and going into the game full confidence.
Roberto De Zerbi being a candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp is the inescapable sub-plot of this afternoon’s game. The Italian is yet to lose to Klopp since joining Brighton – four games in all. He will not endear himself to the Kop if he extends that run today, but Anfield’s data analysts are probably bracing themselves for a particularly busy afternoon counting all those counter-presses.
Whatever the result, if we hear some gushing post-match tributes from De Zerbi about the Anfield atmosphere and joy of leading a team into this arena, forgive us if we read too much into the charm offensive.
Still on the subject of De Zerbi, one wondered if Klopp might declare him the ‘second best coach of the next generation’ after claiming Alonso the first in the early stages of Anfield’s recruitment process. But his praise is fulsome in the match programme.
“If you love football, you have to admire the football Brighton play under De Zerbi,” he writes.
There will be a lot of noise but it’s down to us to give the best possible finish. We spoke about him [Jurgen Klopp] giving so much for us. It’s all because of him, how he manages us. It’s what he deserves. We can use it as motivation, it’s kind of like the last dance.
I don’t think a second about the other game and what it all means, just about us. 
It’s always a challenge when the boys come back to find a common way again as quickly as possible. We had a day more, I hope we use that properly. 
The opponent is strong a different to all other teams in the league. I’m looking forward to it but it’s tough, no question.
If they lose the ball, there are opportunities for us. We haven’t had enough possession against them in the other games. It’s a bit like defending against City. They are really calm on the ball.
It’s amazing coming home, I love coming back here. I’m used to playing here and we’ve picked up a few good results here.
It’s going to be a huge challenge for us. The title race is really heating up and of course I’m desperate for Liverpool to win the league and go far in the other competitions.
I think they can lose one more game and still win the league and that’s what I want from today!
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Subs: Adrian, Konate, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Clark, McConnell, Danns
Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Lamptey, Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Baleba, Moder, Gross; Adingra, Welbeck
Subs: Igor, Webster, Lallana, Barco, Steele, Ferguson, Fati, Buonanotte, Chouchane.
What do you make of this? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/qbZjAw5K5U
It’s hard watching it and not being a part of it. The longest one of my career so far but it gives you that hunger to get back out there and perform. 
A couple of weeks hopefully if everything keeps going well and there are no setbacks. Got to keep working hard, and not going to get straight back into the team.
It was an intense period for the team, when you have so many injuries you cannot rotate as much.
I think they [Brighton] buy into the gameplan, they believe in what they do and they don’t really care where they are or who they are playing against. We said last season they were probably the hardest team to play against.
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The international break gave Liverpool a chance to clear their heads after a careless FA Cup defeat at Manchester United, as well as to welcome back players from injury.
Jurgen Klopp’s team host Brighton shortly before Man City and Arsenal meet at the Etihad, and Liverpool know three points are a must given one or both of their title rivals are bound to drop points.
Liverpool are in a similar position to Arsenal a few weeks ago when they hosted Brentford before Liverpool vs City, and they required a late header from Kai Havertz to get the win. Maintaining focus and not taking the victory for granted is not always straightforward.
Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez and Ibrahima Konate all trained this week, while the ankle injury sustained by Andy Robertson on international duty is not as bad as first feared. Diogo Jota, Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are still a few weeks away.
Liverpool have won just one of the last seven Premier League games against Brighton, with the south coast club unbeaten on their last three league visits to Anfield. Despite the loss of first-choice wingers Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton remain a dangerous attacking force but have been fragile defensively this season. They too have had a lengthy injury list, but James Milner and Joao Pedro return with Billy Gilmour back from suspension.
Roberto De Zerbi has been mooted as a potential successor to Klopp at Anfield, and his chances of landing the job may well have been enhanced by Xabi Alonso’s decision to remain at Bayer Leverkusen. Speaking before this match, De Zerbi implied that he has his doubts about committing to Brighton for the long-term amid reports that he is unhappy with the club’s lack of transfer activity. De Zerbi would certainly bring exciting football to Anfield, although whether his all or nothing approach would suit a team with title aspirations is an open question. 
Full team news on the way shortly.