Brighton Beat Liverpool as Welbeck Damages Top-Four Push

Danny Welbeck scored twice as Brighton beat Liverpool 2-1 on Saturday, handing Arne Slot’s side another damaging result in the Premier League race for the top four. The defeat left Liverpool with a 10th league loss of the season and another missed opportunity to strengthen their Champions League push.

Liverpool arrived on the south coast without Alisson and Mohamed Salah, and their afternoon became more complicated early on when Hugo Ekitike had to be withdrawn after a coming together with James Milner. Brighton then seized control of the opening period and took the lead in the 14th minute.

The opening goal came after a mistake in Liverpool’s buildup. Giorgi Mamardashvili’s pass was miscontrolled by Ibrahima Konate, allowing Brighton to attack, and Welbeck rose above the Liverpool defender to head home for 1-0.

Liverpool found a route back into the game 16 minutes later, but their equaliser also came from a defensive lapse. Mamardashvili launched a long ball forward, Lewis Dunk headed it back toward his own goal, and Milos Kerkez reacted quickest to lift the ball over Bart Verbruggen and make it 1-1.

That goal briefly restored Liverpool’s footing, yet Brighton regained the initiative after halftime. Fabian Hurzeler’s side started the second half with greater energy and were rewarded in the 56th minute when Yankuba Minteh’s deep cross was worked back across goal by Jack Hinshelwood for Welbeck to finish from close range.

Brighton continued to create the clearer openings after retaking the lead. Minteh was denied in a one-on-one by Mamardashvili, while Yasin Ayari also came close before seeing an effort cleared off the line. Liverpool, by contrast, offered little in attack and rarely looked likely to rescue a point.

The underlying numbers reflected Brighton’s control. They finished with an expected goals total of 2.3 from 16 shots, while Liverpool produced 1.03 xG from 10 attempts. Those figures underlined how much stronger Brighton were in the key attacking moments.

For Liverpool, the defeat deepened a worrying domestic trend. They have now lost 10 Premier League matches in a season for the first time since 2015-16. It is also the first time since Chelsea in 2017-18 that a reigning top-flight champion has lost at least 10 league games in a campaign.

Slot’s side are also conceding at a higher rate than in recent seasons. Liverpool have now let in 42 Premier League goals in 2025-26, already more than they allowed in either of the previous two campaigns, when they conceded 41 in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Brighton, meanwhile, continued their strong recent run. This was their fourth win in five Premier League matches, and it came with a level of authority that matched the scoreline. Welbeck’s finishing, combined with Brighton’s sharper play in both boxes, ensured they took the points and left Liverpool facing another setback in their bid to finish in the Champions League places.