Brighton 1-5 Liverpool: Reds cruise to victory on the south coast
Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino helped bury Brighton 5-1 to keep Liverpool's top-four charge on track.
Match report: Brighton 1-5 Liverpool
Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino buried Brighton to keep Liverpool's top-four charge on track.
The Brazilian duo, ably assisted by Mohamed Salah, tore the Seagulls to shreds in a thumping 5-1 victory but the result still saw them eased for the Premier League title by Sky Bet from 40/1 to 66s.
They are 8/15 though to secure a top-four finish this season.
Emre Can opened the scoring before Firmino added a quickfire second and then doubled his tally in the second half.
Glenn Murray pulled one back from the penalty spot but Coutinho hit the fourth and then forced an own-goal from Lewis Dunk to complete the rout.
Injuries and illness had forced Jurgen Klopp to play with two midfielders, Can and Georginio Wijnaldum, alongside his only fit centre-half, Dejan Lovren, in a makeshift back three.
But when the Reds boss has a front three in this kind of form he could probably dispense with centre-backs altogether.
Since losing heavily to Tottenham in mid-October, Klopp's side have now taken 16 points from a possible 18 and the victory leaves Brighton at 7/2 from 4/1 for relegation at Sky Bet.
Story of the odds
A one-sided triumph for Liverpool, who were long odds-on from an early stage to win the match having gone in at the break already 2-0 ahead.
The correct scoreline with Sky Bet had been priced up pre-match at 50/1.
Match reaction
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "We need results.
"It looks like we are flying but unfortunately it's not like that, we have to work really hard.
"In our calmer moments we are a really good team, but we need to carry on.
"I'm much more interested in the next game. It's important that it's good because we need the points, we want to stay as close as possible to the teams in front of us."
Brighton manager Chris Hughton: "The biggest disappointment is that you have to stay in the game.
"They were always going to have more possession, but after 30 minutes we had had the best chance - and then within two minutes we were 2-0 down.
"The players are aware of Liverpool's strengths but at 2-0 down it becomes very difficult to get back into the game.
"You have got to have a level of performance to have a chance. I thought they were very good and gave us a harsh lesson, but we were also below the levels we have set this season."
Opta match facts
- Brighton have gone five home leagues games without a win (D4 L1) for the first time since April 2015.
- Liverpool have won three consecutive away league games after enjoying just one victory in the previous five on the road (D2 L2).
- There were just 79 seconds between Liverpool's first and second goals against Brighton.
- Philippe Coutinho has had a hand in 12 goals in his last 10 Premier League games (seven goals, 5 assists).
- Mohamed Salah has had a hand in 15 goals in his first 15 Premier League games for Liverpool - more than any other player for the club. (12 goals, 3 assists).
- Since his Premier League debut in August 2015, Roberto Firmino has netted 26 goals in the competition, more than any other Liverpool player.
- Glenn Murray has netted five goals in his last seven league appearances for the Seagulls after drawing a blank in each of the six before that.
- Only one player has scored more own-goals in a single Premier League season than Lewis Dunk, who has three already this season (4 for Martin Skrtel in 13/14).
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