LONDON — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no worries about Mohamed Salah’s misfires in front of goal because he keeps coming up with important moments when they need them most after his second-half winner against Brighton returned the Reds to the top of the English Premier League.
“Imagine Mo Salah would have finished off all the situations in his career? That would be crazy, so it is absolutely fine,” Klopp said.
“Being that calm in the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had from the best football we played, then that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything,” Klopp said of Salah according to AFP.
Luis Diaz’s volley just before the half-hour allowed the hosts to recover from Brighton striker Danny Welbeck’s opener inside 90 seconds, but the Reds needed a clear head and a clinical touch from their Egypt international to secure a 2-1 victory.
Salah had 12 attempts on goal, his most in a Premier League match and the most on record by a Liverpool player in the competition.
“We need him to try. Mo, like the others, was a bit in a rush to finish off situations and didn’t do like they can do it.
“But then being that calm in the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had from the best football we played, then that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything.
“Darwin (Nunez) opened up so many spaces, Lucho (Diaz) was incredible, they were all really good.
“Their centre-halves were outstanding and it was just a really good game today, against an opponent you know it will be the hardest work.
It was also the most by any player in the top flight since Zlatan Ibrahimovic against Burnley more than seven years ago.
Despite the failures, when the excellent Alexis Mac Allister picked him out in the penalty area in the 65th minute, the Egyptian remained composed to deliver what could be an important goal in the title race.
Salah fired Liverpool to a comeback 2-1 win against Brighton and moved the Merseyside team to the top of the standings.
With Manchester City and Arsenal drawing 0-0, Liverpool’s win saw it take advantage of its title rivals dropping points.
Liverpool is two points clear of second place Arsenal at the top of the standings and three ahead of City in third.
The effort levels were draining the Brighton defence, which might explain how Salah was left to his own devices inside the area, allowing time to compose himself and pick his spot after Mac Allister’s intuition found him. The turnaround was complete but there was little time for rest.
Diaz and Salah combined like they had for the first after the Egyptian slung a pass through for his teammate who somehow forced the ball through Bart Verbruggen’s legs, only to see the flag up for offside.
It was an impressive spot from the assistant referee as replays showed a medal’s worth of distance between defender and attacker but these are the fine margins in which Liverpool are involved.
Klopp is a big fan of Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi’s attacking philosophy and praised him as a “top coach” this week.
Asked after the game about the link to Liverpool, De Zerbi said: “I have another two years of contract. My focus is on Brighton this season, the next season.
“But before starting next season I would like to listen to the plan of the team. I think it is a serious thing.”
Playing for the first time since their painful FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Manchester United before the international break, Liverpool had a shocking taste of De Zerbi’s enterprising tactics after just two minutes.
Brighton’s Simon Adingra broke quickly in a devastating counter-attack that caught Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley out of position.
Salah was making his first league start since New Year’s Day after an injury-plagued beginning to 2024.
Looking to make up for lost time, Salah nearly grabbed the equaliser with a curler that whistled just wide.
The Egypt forward threatened again from Bradley’s cross, but he couldn’t keep his shot on target from a good position 10 yards out.
Liverpool’s dominance was rewarded in the 27th minute when Brighton failed to clear Salah’s header from a corner and Diaz volleyed home from close range.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister squandered a chance against his former club with a header that flashed narrowly wide early in the second half.
Dominik Szoboszlai fired past the far post from 20 yards, while Darwin Nunez was denied by Bart Verbruggen at the near post.
Wave after wave of Liverpool pressure crashed against Brighton’s defensive wall before De Zerbi’s men cracked in the 65th minute.
Mac Allister was catalyst with a perfectly-weighted pass that picked out Salah’s run into the area and the forward dispatched a composed low finish past Verbruggen.
