Danny Welbeck strikes twice as Brighton punish flat Liverpool

The game began in disrupted fashion, with kick-off delayed and an early injury to Hugo Ekitike forcing Liverpool into a reshuffle inside the opening 10 minutes. That setback seemed to knock the visitors out of rhythm, and Brighton quickly took control.

The breakthrough arrived inside 15 minutes. Ferdi Kadıoglu delivered from the left, and after a clever knockdown by Diego Gomez, Welbeck reacted sharply to head home at the far post. It was a composed finish that underlined his importance, as he continued his strong scoring form this season.

Liverpool struggled to find fluency without key attacking figures, but they were handed a route back into the match midway through the first half. A misjudgement from Lewis Dunk allowed Milos Kerkez to pounce, and the defender showed real composure to lift the ball over Bart Verbruggen and level the score.

Brighton responded with intent after the break and regained the lead through a well-worked move. Yankuba Minteh's delivery was expertly guided into Welbeck's path by Jack Hinshelwood, and the striker made no mistake from close range, with VAR confirming the goal.

From that point, Liverpool offered little in response. Despite a few efforts, including a strike from Cody Gakpo, they lacked urgency and cutting edge in the final third. Brighton, meanwhile, looked the more dangerous side on the counter, with Kaoru Mitoma causing problems with his direct running.

In the end, it was a controlled and deserved win for Brighton, who continued their impressive run of form. For Liverpool, however, this result raised serious concerns, as another dropped performance left their push for a top-four finish hanging in the balance.