4 things observed during Liverpool vs Brighton match up as Jürgen Klopp sums up supporters’ fume at David Coote

Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Brighton at Anfield put them back atop the standings ahead of Manchester City’s match against Arsenal. What we observed was this.

ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Liverpool defeated Brighton 2-1, but not before making a strong comeback to take the lead in the Premier League.

The Reds’ start could not have been worse as they fell behind after ninety seconds. Virgil van Dijk was unable to clear his lines, and Danny Welbeck scored a beautiful goal from the edge of the box, pouncing on the ball.

Mohamed Salah had numerous opportunities to square the score, but it was obvious that he had not adjusted his radar after the international break since he missed a few shots. Luckily, Luis Díaz was wearing his shooting boots and he made the ideal touch to defeat Bart Verbruggen while Brighton futilely attempted to claim offside.

After the break, Liverpool took charge of the game, but Salah’s goal ultimately came despite much of Brighton’s defence blocking its way. It was expected that Alexis Mac Allister’s deft pass into the Egyptian’s feet would play a pivotal part in the goal.

Late in the game, Brighton gave some nervous moments, with former Red Adam Lallana coming dangerously near to nicking an equaliser. However, Liverpool held on to an essential three points, which propelled it back to the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City’s match against Arsenal. These are the four observations Liverpool.com made during the course of the match.

Klopp is in shock.

Early on, David Coote failed to fully win over the Anfield supporters. The home fans became enraged when Darwin Núñez was not given a penalty after Pervis Estupiñán pulled back, and they became much more enraged when Alexis Mac Allister was booked immediately after.

It would be an understatement to suggest that the Argentine was treated harshly. After a lengthy pause, Coote appeared to agree with Simon Adingra’s assessment, even though he had hardly touched the Brighton player when he broke free.

The Anfield fans let out yells of ‘cheat’ at the subsequent free-kick. Jürgen Klopp shook his head in surprise, his response a little more measured but no less critical. The noise of jeers at halftime made it quite clear what the Liverpool supporters thought of the referee’s performance.

“The finest player on the pitch”

Since the beginning of the year, Alexis Mac Allister has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it was truly a pleasure to witness him here once more. He had amazing head awareness and could pick the ideal pass every time. It’s unfortunate that Mohamed Salah was unable to take advantage of the opportunities the World Cup winner gave him.

Why Jamie Carragher called him ‘the best player on the pitch’ is understandable. Not bad for only $44 million (£35 million/€41 million).

Salah’s comfort

Mohamed Salah appeared more relieved than anything else when his goal finally came in the second half after missing so many excellent opportunities in the first half.

Naturally, Mac Allister would contribute, finding the Egyptian with a beautifully weighted through pass and setting him up for the easiest of finishes to ultimately put Liverpool ahead. The Kop’s celebrations were subdued, although he did break into a dazzling smile upon seeing Mac Allister, feeling happy that he had finally finished one of the opportunities the Argentine had produced.

Coote’s peculiar tardiness

For an extremely perplexing reason, the referee decided to postpone a Liverpool corner, which only served to fuel the animosity towards Coote among the Anfield faithful. Before he took matters into his own hands, it was difficult to pinpoint the precise nature of the issue.

The problem? A few loose balls behind Brighton’s goal. It’s a little unclear why they were sufficient to keep the game going, but Carragher, who was obviously perplexed, said it best when he asked, “What’s that about?”