Another match, another clean sheet for Liverpool. This afternoon's 1-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion marked the third straight clean sheet for Liverpool as they celebrated their second win in front of the Anfield crowd of the season. The Reds were not perfect, and there indeed were some nervy moments, but as the old adage goes, 'a win's a win' and with Manchester City dropping points prior to their match, a victory was vital today for Liverpool.
What Happened:
Liverpool was the aggressor in the opening exchanges of the match, getting a few nice opportunities. The first was Sadio Mane's shot scuffed just wide from a Mo Salah feed. The best of the chances came in the ninth minute after Andy Robertson's brilliant whipped cross met the head of Bobby Firmino, who'd continued a run into the box for service. Mat Ryan, the Australian keeper, did very well to get low and cover his near post with a one-handed save on the header, leaving Firmino still without a goal this season. The final early chance came in the 15th when Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the crossbar above Ryan on a free kick. Ryan seemed to have his position covered, but it was a well struck effort from the young right back and it was clear through the early exchanges that Liverpool were more than capable to attack this Brighton side.
The pressure paid off in the 23rd minute. Yves Bissouma, the 21-year-old Brighton man making his first start with the club, was far too casual on the ball and James Milner made a brilliant diving tackle sending the ball Mane's way. Mane touched it on to Firmino, Firmino fed Salah, and Salah finished it coolly past a diving Ryan who could only get one hand on it, not enough to keep it out of the net. The goal was Salah's 29th in 29 Anfield appearances (all competitions) and it would be crucial in the end. Liverpool threatened twice more with a Gini Wijnaldum shot saved and a Firmino shot over the bar, but the game entered the half at 1-0 in favor of the home side.
The second half favored Brighton quite heavily at various points. Brighton was first to knock on the door as Anthony Knockaert had a fantastic opportunity fall to him inside the box, but he flubbed his shot and hit it wide. This, though, was one of their better chances of the match and one the ex-Championship Player of the Year needed to do better in taking if his side were going to get a result. Liverpool pushed back on the front foot, but had to deal with a chance by Brighton in the 68th minute. Virgil van Dijk's back pass didn't have enough steam on it to fully reach Alisson. Alisson came out to greet Knockaert, got possession, and promptly chipped the onrushing attacker to an uproar of applause from the crowd.
Alisson's confidence did get him into a bit of trouble in the 80th minute as he needed a diving tackle to dispossess Glenn Murray from a self-inflicted wound. But his shining moment came in the 88th minute and saved the game for Liverpool. Pascal Gross got a free header off a deep cross and headed it onto goal. Alisson shifted himself and made a key save on the header stopping a sure goal from the brilliant Brighton man. It likely saved all three points for Liverpool and the side held on to win 1-0.
How Did This Happen:
Liverpool were not at their best today, that is true. Sadio Mane was off the pace of the rest of the players and his passes struggled to find the mark (his 68.4% accuracy was worst among the starting eleven). Naby Keita was also not up to the standard Liverpool fans saw in his first two games and he was not able to affect the match the way fans would have hoped. But instead, we saw magnificent performances from the other two midfielders, James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum.
Milner is 32 but arguably the fittest player in the Liverpool side. An ageless wonder, Milner's tackle started the attack for Liverpool's lone goal. He saw the second-most touches out of any player in the side (117) and had 94 passes for an 89.4% success rate. It seems as if Milner could play forever at this rate. He was tackled harshly at least three times, took a beating this match, and carried on with no fuss. He's my personal man of the match and has only gotten better with age for Jurgen Klopp. Wijnaldum, of course, can not be forgotten about. Gini's four tackles tied Trent Alexander-Arnold for most on the side and he was fouled four times, the most on the day. His passing accuracy was an unbelievable 75-for-76 (that's 98.7%) and he truly seemed to not put a foot wrong the entire day. Brought in as a more attack-minded midfielder, Wijnaldum has become a top-class holding-mid for Klopp's side and will continue to complicate matters as he, Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho all fight for game time.
Brighton showed a 4-5-1 today with Yves Bissouma starting over Pascal Gross, with Chris Hughton's idea surely being to provide his back four with more cover from the Liverpool attack. It worked, to some extent, as Liverpool only found the net once. Teams are playing Liverpool far more tightly and central areas, and this was clear this match. To compensate, Salah, Mane, and Firmino all at different times dropped into midfield areas to receive the ball and try to create something in a deeper area. If you select the three men's heat maps for this match and compare their positioning to that in the match against Crystal Palace, you can see how all three men played a bit deeper as a result of this. Trying to alleviate this for the side, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson both played almost as wing-midfielders at times with some space afforded between the lines. As a result, Milner received plenty of touches in the area that you'd normally expect a wing-back to get touches in as he drifted left and right, deeper and more forward, to try and work in pockets of space allowed by the Brighton defense.
I'd be remiss if I did not talk about Alisson's match, as well as the Liverpool back line as a whole. Alisson's save on Pascal's header was, in all likelihood, a game-saver. It's the second match in a row he's had a clutch save and it's truly what Liverpool have needed for years now. Liverpool have, historically not faced tons of shots, even this afternoon Alisson only needed to make two saves. However, how many times did Liverpool have statistics like 'two shots on target, two goals' for their opposition? Alisson brings so much to the table with fantastic passing and plenty of tricks, but make no mistake, he's a heck of a shot stopper. He played himself in trouble once or twice, but he got himself out of it. It's all about confidence with the Brazilian, and he has it in spades.
Finally, the center back duo. Yet again, they help anchor another clean sheet. This could have been Joe Gomez's best performance in a Liverpool shirt as the 21-year-old cleaned up any messes brilliantly. He was beaten once, by the fresh legs of Alireza Jahanbakhsh, but there to clean up for him was Virgil van Dijk. Both men saw plenty of the ball (van Dijk had 123 touches, Gomez had 114) but watching van Dijk anchor the defense and bark out instructions in attack is a thing of beauty. He reads the field so well and is a fantastic leader, exactly what you need out of your star center back. It's unfair to the rest of the defense, especially to a guy like Andy Robertson who has been, for my money, the best left back in the Premier League and a guy whom I think is superb but don't praise nearly enough, when van Dijk is the spotlight of all the praise for the defense's turnaround. But it is true to say that he's been a fantastic influence on the entire side. The left side of that defense, Robertson and van Dijk, have been outstanding. As Robertson is capable of getting forward with ease, and today he delivered multiple great passes, Alisson seems to be able to send the ball on a direct course to the Scotsman from the back to start an attack. Defensive lapses are no longer 'typical Liverpool,' they are far and few between.
Final Thoughts:
This was a very good effort from a sound Brighton side. Their defending was top notch and they did well to hold Liverpool to just one goal. However, Liverpool's overall quality was just too much. Brighton players were promptly swarmed once they got the ball and found it hard-pressed to get it back from the boys in red. Klopp's men dominated possession and for the third straight game they were able to frustrate a striker with more physical play than they may have been able to play through, which is impressive considering Marko Arnautovic, Christian Benteke, and Glenn Murray are all no slouches. Brighton should be totally fine this season, they have some good quality in their ranks and, as shown last week, can win matches against solid teams. For now, however, Liverpool will be happy to look ahead to trying to take three more points in their next match.
That next match will be on the 1st of September as they square off with the Vardy-less Leicester City at 7:30 AM EST. Leicester will look to Kelechi Iheanacho to lead the line as they go without Vardy and the Foxes will hope to build off this morning's 2-1 victory over Southampton. The winner came late and from the boot of Harry Maguire, England's newest World Cup star, and Puel's sides always pose an intriguing threat to the Klopp-led Liverpool.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more LFC coverage, including live Tweets during the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
What Happened:
Liverpool was the aggressor in the opening exchanges of the match, getting a few nice opportunities. The first was Sadio Mane's shot scuffed just wide from a Mo Salah feed. The best of the chances came in the ninth minute after Andy Robertson's brilliant whipped cross met the head of Bobby Firmino, who'd continued a run into the box for service. Mat Ryan, the Australian keeper, did very well to get low and cover his near post with a one-handed save on the header, leaving Firmino still without a goal this season. The final early chance came in the 15th when Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the crossbar above Ryan on a free kick. Ryan seemed to have his position covered, but it was a well struck effort from the young right back and it was clear through the early exchanges that Liverpool were more than capable to attack this Brighton side.
The pressure paid off in the 23rd minute. Yves Bissouma, the 21-year-old Brighton man making his first start with the club, was far too casual on the ball and James Milner made a brilliant diving tackle sending the ball Mane's way. Mane touched it on to Firmino, Firmino fed Salah, and Salah finished it coolly past a diving Ryan who could only get one hand on it, not enough to keep it out of the net. The goal was Salah's 29th in 29 Anfield appearances (all competitions) and it would be crucial in the end. Liverpool threatened twice more with a Gini Wijnaldum shot saved and a Firmino shot over the bar, but the game entered the half at 1-0 in favor of the home side.
The second half favored Brighton quite heavily at various points. Brighton was first to knock on the door as Anthony Knockaert had a fantastic opportunity fall to him inside the box, but he flubbed his shot and hit it wide. This, though, was one of their better chances of the match and one the ex-Championship Player of the Year needed to do better in taking if his side were going to get a result. Liverpool pushed back on the front foot, but had to deal with a chance by Brighton in the 68th minute. Virgil van Dijk's back pass didn't have enough steam on it to fully reach Alisson. Alisson came out to greet Knockaert, got possession, and promptly chipped the onrushing attacker to an uproar of applause from the crowd.
Alisson's confidence did get him into a bit of trouble in the 80th minute as he needed a diving tackle to dispossess Glenn Murray from a self-inflicted wound. But his shining moment came in the 88th minute and saved the game for Liverpool. Pascal Gross got a free header off a deep cross and headed it onto goal. Alisson shifted himself and made a key save on the header stopping a sure goal from the brilliant Brighton man. It likely saved all three points for Liverpool and the side held on to win 1-0.
How Did This Happen:
Liverpool were not at their best today, that is true. Sadio Mane was off the pace of the rest of the players and his passes struggled to find the mark (his 68.4% accuracy was worst among the starting eleven). Naby Keita was also not up to the standard Liverpool fans saw in his first two games and he was not able to affect the match the way fans would have hoped. But instead, we saw magnificent performances from the other two midfielders, James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum.
Milner is 32 but arguably the fittest player in the Liverpool side. An ageless wonder, Milner's tackle started the attack for Liverpool's lone goal. He saw the second-most touches out of any player in the side (117) and had 94 passes for an 89.4% success rate. It seems as if Milner could play forever at this rate. He was tackled harshly at least three times, took a beating this match, and carried on with no fuss. He's my personal man of the match and has only gotten better with age for Jurgen Klopp. Wijnaldum, of course, can not be forgotten about. Gini's four tackles tied Trent Alexander-Arnold for most on the side and he was fouled four times, the most on the day. His passing accuracy was an unbelievable 75-for-76 (that's 98.7%) and he truly seemed to not put a foot wrong the entire day. Brought in as a more attack-minded midfielder, Wijnaldum has become a top-class holding-mid for Klopp's side and will continue to complicate matters as he, Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho all fight for game time.
Brighton showed a 4-5-1 today with Yves Bissouma starting over Pascal Gross, with Chris Hughton's idea surely being to provide his back four with more cover from the Liverpool attack. It worked, to some extent, as Liverpool only found the net once. Teams are playing Liverpool far more tightly and central areas, and this was clear this match. To compensate, Salah, Mane, and Firmino all at different times dropped into midfield areas to receive the ball and try to create something in a deeper area. If you select the three men's heat maps for this match and compare their positioning to that in the match against Crystal Palace, you can see how all three men played a bit deeper as a result of this. Trying to alleviate this for the side, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson both played almost as wing-midfielders at times with some space afforded between the lines. As a result, Milner received plenty of touches in the area that you'd normally expect a wing-back to get touches in as he drifted left and right, deeper and more forward, to try and work in pockets of space allowed by the Brighton defense.
I'd be remiss if I did not talk about Alisson's match, as well as the Liverpool back line as a whole. Alisson's save on Pascal's header was, in all likelihood, a game-saver. It's the second match in a row he's had a clutch save and it's truly what Liverpool have needed for years now. Liverpool have, historically not faced tons of shots, even this afternoon Alisson only needed to make two saves. However, how many times did Liverpool have statistics like 'two shots on target, two goals' for their opposition? Alisson brings so much to the table with fantastic passing and plenty of tricks, but make no mistake, he's a heck of a shot stopper. He played himself in trouble once or twice, but he got himself out of it. It's all about confidence with the Brazilian, and he has it in spades.
Finally, the center back duo. Yet again, they help anchor another clean sheet. This could have been Joe Gomez's best performance in a Liverpool shirt as the 21-year-old cleaned up any messes brilliantly. He was beaten once, by the fresh legs of Alireza Jahanbakhsh, but there to clean up for him was Virgil van Dijk. Both men saw plenty of the ball (van Dijk had 123 touches, Gomez had 114) but watching van Dijk anchor the defense and bark out instructions in attack is a thing of beauty. He reads the field so well and is a fantastic leader, exactly what you need out of your star center back. It's unfair to the rest of the defense, especially to a guy like Andy Robertson who has been, for my money, the best left back in the Premier League and a guy whom I think is superb but don't praise nearly enough, when van Dijk is the spotlight of all the praise for the defense's turnaround. But it is true to say that he's been a fantastic influence on the entire side. The left side of that defense, Robertson and van Dijk, have been outstanding. As Robertson is capable of getting forward with ease, and today he delivered multiple great passes, Alisson seems to be able to send the ball on a direct course to the Scotsman from the back to start an attack. Defensive lapses are no longer 'typical Liverpool,' they are far and few between.
Final Thoughts:
This was a very good effort from a sound Brighton side. Their defending was top notch and they did well to hold Liverpool to just one goal. However, Liverpool's overall quality was just too much. Brighton players were promptly swarmed once they got the ball and found it hard-pressed to get it back from the boys in red. Klopp's men dominated possession and for the third straight game they were able to frustrate a striker with more physical play than they may have been able to play through, which is impressive considering Marko Arnautovic, Christian Benteke, and Glenn Murray are all no slouches. Brighton should be totally fine this season, they have some good quality in their ranks and, as shown last week, can win matches against solid teams. For now, however, Liverpool will be happy to look ahead to trying to take three more points in their next match.
That next match will be on the 1st of September as they square off with the Vardy-less Leicester City at 7:30 AM EST. Leicester will look to Kelechi Iheanacho to lead the line as they go without Vardy and the Foxes will hope to build off this morning's 2-1 victory over Southampton. The winner came late and from the boot of Harry Maguire, England's newest World Cup star, and Puel's sides always pose an intriguing threat to the Klopp-led Liverpool.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more LFC coverage, including live Tweets during the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
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