Salah returns with assist as Ekitike double lifts Liverpool past Brighton

Mohamed Salah marked his return to Liverpool action by providing an assist as the Reds defeated Brighton, with Hugo Ekitike scoring twice to secure the points at Anfield, Sport360NG reports.

The victory moved Arne Slot’s side up to sixth in the Premier League and extended their unbeaten run to five matches, while also delivering their first home win since early November.

Salah was the main focus ahead of kick-off, making his comeback after being omitted from Liverpool’s midweek Champions League win at Inter Milan following a controversial post-match interview at Leeds United. Named among the substitutes, the Egyptian was introduced after just 26 minutes when Joe Gomez was forced off injured, with Dominik Szoboszlai shifting to right-back.

Liverpool made a dream start, striking inside the opening minute. Gomez was involved in the build-up, his header finding Ekitike, who controlled the ball and volleyed beyond Bart Verbruggen after just 46 seconds, the fastest Premier League goal of the season so far.

Brighton had opportunities to respond but failed to capitalise. Alisson produced a vital intervention to deny Diego Gomez when he was clean through, before the same player missed an open goal shortly after the interval.

Those misses proved costly as Liverpool doubled their advantage on the hour mark. Salah’s corner was met by an unmarked Ekitike at the back post, and the French forward made no mistake with a firm header.

The goal was Ekitike’s 10th of the campaign and his second consecutive league double, following his brace in the 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

Salah’s assist took his Premier League tally to 277 goal involvements in 302 appearances for Liverpool, a competition record for a single club, surpassing Wayne Rooney’s mark at Manchester United. The forward was lively after coming on and was unfortunate not to add a goal late on, firing wide in stoppage time after being picked out by Federico Chiesa.

At full-time, Salah acknowledged all four sides of Anfield before preparing to join up with Egypt on Monday ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, where he could miss up to eight matches should his country reach the final in Morocco.

With his contract situation unresolved and his recent comments casting doubt over his long-term future, it remains unclear whether Salah will feature again for Liverpool. Nevertheless, the Reds end a turbulent week with consecutive wins and clean sheets, while Brighton slip to ninth in the table.

Ekitike Continues to Shine Under Slot

With both Salah and Alexander Isak starting on the bench, Ekitike once again led Liverpool’s attack and underlined his growing importance. His sharp instincts were on display from the outset, and his movement troubled Brighton throughout.

The 23-year-old could have completed a first-half hat-trick, firing over from a Gomez delivery and dragging another effort wide after being set up by Florian Wirtz. His understanding with Wirtz showed promise, even if the German remains without a Premier League goal or assist.

Isak, a high-profile summer signing, replaced Ekitike late on but struggled to make an impact, while injuries to Cody Gakpo and Salah’s impending departure for AFCON mean Ekitike is likely to remain central to Slot’s plans.

Brighton Rue Missed Chances as December Run Continues

Brighton arrived at Anfield above Liverpool in the standings, but left reflecting on a costly afternoon. Fabian Hurzeler’s side recorded an expected goals figure of 1.91 yet failed to find the net.

A poor clearance from Yankuba Minteh contributed to the opening goal, although the winger posed a threat going forward. Diego Gomez, however, was the chief culprit, missing two gilt-edged chances that could have altered the outcome.

Further efforts from Brajan Gruda and others went narrowly wide, and despite 13 attempts and 26 touches inside Liverpool’s penalty area, Brighton forced just one save from Alisson.

The defeat extends Brighton’s December struggles, with the Seagulls now winless in nine matches during the month.