Hugo Ekitike limps off after suffering a dead leg in the early stages of Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton (Action Images via Reuters)
Danny Welbeck scored a timely double as Brighton dealt Liverpool a further blow in their pursuit of a top-five Premier League finish.
Aiming to build on Wednesday’s big win over Galatasaray and banish their inconsistency, Arne Slot’s side instead fell to another damaging defeat – having lost top scorer Hugo Ekitike to what appeared to be a dead leg within just eight minutes of kick-off.
Welbeck punished sloppy Liverpool defending to give Brighton the lead shortly after – although the visitors were handed a route back into the game when Milos Kerkez capitalised on Lewis Dunk’s error to level.
But Welbeck restored Brighton’s lead after the restart with his 12th goal of the season, putting the veteran striker clear as the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League after being snubbed from Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad.
Brighton were fully deserving of their victory after an energetic performance but Liverpool are now without a win in three in the Premier League. Slot, however, dismissed any concerns that Ekitike’s injury was serious.
“I think [Ekitike] having to go off after one or two minutes, not being able to help the team anymore with something that is just a bit of bad luck,” Slot told TNT Sports.
“It’s not like he’s out for three months, at least that’s not what I assume, but it’s bad enough not to be able to continue. That’s a big blow for him. It was in the end also a blow for us.”
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Brighton vs Liverpool LIVEMilos Kerkez capitalises on Lewis Dunk mistake to equalise
Brighton were even more generous for Liverpool’s 30th-minute leveller.
Mamardashvili’s long ball forward presented little danger, but Seagulls skipper Dunk headed the ball backwards without looking, allowing Liverpool left-back Kerkez to nip in and instinctively lob stranded keeper Bart Verbruggen.
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 20:54
Danny Welbeck punishes sloppy Liverpool mistakes
The visitors contributed to their own undoing as Brighton snatched a 14th-minute opener.
Ibrahima Konate gifted Albion a throw-in deep in Liverpool territory by miscontrolling a pass from Mamardashvili and, following Ferdi Kadioglu’s deep cross from the left, Diego Gomez nodded back across goal for former Manchester United forward Welbeck to head home and then taunt the travelling fans.
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 19:54
The worrying trend that could cost Liverpool in Champions League race
Arne Slot accepted that Liverpool have dropped too many points in the Premier League after playing in the Champions League as they suffered another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top-five with defeat at Brighton.
Danny Welbeck’s double earned Brighton a deserved victory over Slot’s side, who became the first reigning Premier League champions to lose 10 games in a season since Chelsea in 2017-18.
The Reds have lost five games of their 10 games immediately after playing in Europe this season, winning four and drawing one, as they failed to back up Wednesday’s big win over Galatasaray to reach the quarter-finals.
Already without Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson to injuries, Liverpool lost Hugo Ekitike to a dead leg following a heavy collision with James Milner in the opening five minutes and they were outworked by an energetic Brighton team who were fully deserving of their fourth win in five games.
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 18:54
Arne Slot bemoans Liverpool injuries but says Hugo Ekitike knock not serious
“What went wrong started off with the lead up to this game. As so many times has happened this season, when we played a very good game (against Galatasaray) and we thought we could bring that level to the next game, or even better, we had Mo Salah injured, we had Alisson injured and, after two minutes, Hugo Ekitike out.
“That has happened to us so many times this season and what happened to us a lot this season is that the first chance of the other team immediately went in. But in the second half Brighton were the better team and deserved to win.”
(PA Wire)
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 17:54
Arne Slot on Liverpool’s defeat: ‘Brighton were the better team’
Arne Slot, speaking to TNT Sports, does not shy away from the face that Brighton were the better side against Liverpool today.
“It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe. I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is but today we also have to give credit to Brighton. In the second half, they were the better team on the pitch.
“There is always pressure at Liverpool. On me, on the players. That is completely normal. We have qualified for the quarter finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League but in the league we need to make sure that in the end, we qualify for the Champions League.
“As much as I dislike us losing here today, Brighton away has always been a difficult one and will always be a difficult one as long as they keep bringing in so many good players.
“But there are other games where we should have picked up more points, like last week against Tottenham. That is far more unacceptable than this. But even away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result.”
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 16:54
Steven Gerrard on the pressure facing Arne Slot
“Beating Man City in the FA Cup is the only thing he can control now. He can’t change anything about today.
“I think he’d be really disappointed in the overall performance. I think he acknowledged the fact that they were going to suffer at times today through what they had to put in midweek.
“They just couldn’t match Brighton’s intensity and energy levels throughout the 90 minutes today. In the second half, Brighton came out and really went through the gears. They lifted it to a level and Liverpool just couldn’t live with them.
“It was a big, big blow losing Ekitike early doors. It made them a bit toothless.”
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 16:34
Danny Welbeck talks Brighton performance, and World Cup call-up?
“I think first and foremost it was a great team performance, it was a gritty 11 and we knew we had to put in the hard yards and for everybody to stick together because they’ve got some amazing quality on the pitch and the individual players that they can hurt you in any instant. It was a great performance, a massive three points for us today.
“I like to focus on the positive side. For my name to be mentioned in [the England conversation] is nice. I like to focus on that part of the game and me, I can only control what I can control. I don’t like to waste energy on something that I can’t, I have no sort of bearing on. So yeah, I focus on me.”
(PA Wire)
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 16:14
Could Liverpool’s dismal record after Champions League cost them top five?
Liverpool have won just four of the 10 Premier League games they have played immediately after the Champions League, also losing four and drawing the other two.
After the international break, they will host Fulham and go away to Everton immediately after the first and second legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 15:54
Steven Gerrard: ‘Lack of changes from Arne Slot backfired today’
Steven Gerrard, on TNT Sports, questions the lack of changes from Arne Slot after Brighton outworked and outran Liverpool following their big win over Galatasaray in midweek .
“We’ve seen it quite a few times this season now where they put in a lot of effort and they perform really well in the Champions League,” Gerrard says. “There’s all the emotion and all the energy and the intensity they have to put in to win those or get a result.
“It’s having a big effect on them at the weekend. They haven’t got the options in the squad or on the bench to make numerous changes, to bring that energy and that quality into the team to perform at the same level they do in midweek.
“Liverpool made a couple of changes that were forced on them, but the manager wanted to keep the team rather than make changes for energy, and it backfired today.”
(Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 15:34
‘It’s a big blow for us’: Arne Slot issues Hugo Ekitike injury update
Arne Slot, speaking to TNT Sports, says that losing Hugo Ekitike after just seven minutes was a “big blow” – but it does not sound as if it’s anything more serious than a dead leg.
”I think the players, the fans, we all know that there’s only eight games to go to qualify for Champions League and then every game that you have to miss is something you’re upset about
“I think him having to go off after one or two minutes, not being able to help the team anymore with something that is just a bit of bad luck.
“Because it’s not like he’s out for three months, at least that’s not what I assume, but it’s bad enough not to be able to continue. That’s a big blow for him. It was in the end also a blow for us.”
(Action Images via Reuters)
Jamie Braidwood21 March 2026 15:24