BRIGHTON, England, March 21 (Reuters) - Danny Welbeck scored a goal in each half as Brighton & Hove Albion put a dent in Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes with a deserved 2-1 Premier League victory at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool remained in fifth place with 49 points from 31 games, while Brighton moved up four places to eighth on 43 points to boost their hopes of European football next season.
The match was delayed by 15 minutes due to traffic congestion that held up Liverpool fans, and it was the home side who made the better start as Welbeck headed them in front, one of four goals in his last five games.
Milos Kerkez equalised after a mistake from Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, but Welbeck sealed the victory with a tap-in after 56 minutes that required a VAR check for offside before it was confirmed.
Liverpool have taken one point from the last nine available in the Premier League and they were second best in this contest, not helped by an early injury to striker Hugo Ekitike, and the injury absence from the squad of forward Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson.
The champions slipped to a 10th league defeat of the season that will add to the pressure on manager Arne Slot, as much for the timid performance as the result.
"Disappointed," Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo told TNT Sports. "We wanted to win which is important in the situation we are in (in the league) but it didn’t go that way, so it’s a difficult afternoon.
"(We need to) approach every game like we are going to win it. I think that is normal for a club this big. We have to fight to win (the last) seven games."
Brighton took the lead after 14 minutes as Diego Gomez steered a deep cross back across goal and strikerWelbeck headed in at the far post.
Liverpool were level on the half-hour mark after an error from Dunk, who headed back towards his own goalkeeper without realising Kerkez had anticipated he would, and the Hungary international stole in to finish past Bart Verbruggen.
Brighton were back in front 10 minutes after halftime when Yankuba Minteh’s excellent cross was forced back towards the centre of the goal by Jack Hinshelwood and Welbeck had the easiest of tap-ins for his 12th league goal of the campaign, the most he has managed in a single season.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
