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After the convincing victory against West Ham on the opening matchday, Liverpool has looked far from their best. Against a resurgent Crystal Palace, they had to dig deep to get all three points and here again against an upbeat Brighton; they defended their heart out to stop them and won the match by a solitary goal which came in the 23rd minute through Mohamed Salah.
Expectations are always high when Liverpool plays at the Anfield, and they didn't disappoint with their intent and desire to, but the Brighton defense was up to their task and made life difficult for the Liverpool strikers. James Milner was brilliant throughout the match along with Gini Wijnaldam who was aggressive in winning the ball and diligent with his passing.
With a goal down, Brighton was looking for an equalizer, and they kept the pressure mounting at the fag end of the match. There were some nervy moments for the Liverpool defenders, but they managed to dodge them successfully and kept out a third consecutive clean sheet.
Here are the five talking points from the game at Anfield.
#3 Midfield consistency
The midfield trio of James Milner, Gini Wijnaldam, and the new signing Naby Keita has been exceptional in the season so far. They are providing stability in defense as well an attacking threat going forward. The linkup play among the midfield trio has been consistent and flawless.
Against Brighton, Wijnaldam looked a class apart particularly with the piece of skill tht awed the Anfield faithful. With such healthy competition for the midfield places, Klopp will be hoping his players give their best whenever they get the chance and take them one step closer to that coveted league title.
#2 Misfiring front three
Mohamed Salah scored from a Roberto Firmino assist, but that's was all from the Liverpool forwards against Brighton. They looked rusty with several misplaced passes from Sadio Mane.
Salah could have scored a couple of more goals, but he missed several chances of their own. The only standout player out of them was Roberto Firmino who worked tirelessly against Brighton and repeatedly finding spaces in the opposing box, but all of them were far from the usual best.
#1 Van Dijk and Alisson's importance
The Brighton game was another spectacle of defensive and goalkeeping brilliance from the new look Liverpool's back line. All these years, Liverpool got the bashing for their goalkeeping and defensive frailties. Last season Champions League defeat against Real Madrid was a final coffin in Klopp's patience which made him sign Alisson from Roma this summer and what a signing he was proved to be. He is commanding in his box and always communicating with his defenders. His distribution and positional skills are phenomenal.
The contribution of Virgin Van Dijk cannot be undermined. After his arrival in the middle of last season, Liverpool's looked a whole lot different side. The stability he brings in the backline allows the midfield and forward to play freely and at will. What seemed like an over the moon price for him in the transfer market is looking like a bargain now. Klopp needs him to be fit and performing which will be crucial if Liverpool has to win the league.
