New beginning for Brighton provides reasons for excitement

Sitting down to write about Liverpool 3-3 Brighton and it feels like an absolute age since we last saw the Albion in Premier League action.

Enough drama has happened to fill a year, as we have read about on the news and via WAB. And yet it is actually just four weeks ago that we were basking in a record-breaking 5-2 win over Leicester City in the sunshine at the Amex.

Winston Churchill was always good for an amazing quote. One of his most famous I think sums up how many of us feel about the Albion as Graham Potter gives way to Robert De Zerbi.

“Now, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”

Potter has started the Albion on their journey. His part is done. Now we watch the Seagulls fly to new heights with the confidence installed by Potter and the further guidance of Roberto De Zerbi.

Before the teams walked out into the Anfield sunshine, there was a sense this would be a special afternoon. I could feel it over the airwaves, listening to BBC Radio Sussex.

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” was drowned out on the radio by chants of “Albion, Albion”. Everyone was fully behind De Zerbi and the players, who we must remember are the same ones who have carried Brighton into fourth spot. It was not all about Potter.

De Zerbi stuck with almost the same team as had played the Leicester game. The only change was Pervis Estupinan coming in for Enock Mwepu, who has spent time in hospital with sickness after the international break.

Straight from kick off and the Albion were determined to impress their new head coach. That led to a goal with only four minutes played, what a start for De Zerbi.

It was a great little one-two and back flick from Danny Welbeck which gave Leandro Trossard the chance to place the ball into the right-hand side of Alisson’s goal.

If my settee springs thought they would be in for a rest from celebrations in the lounge now Potter had left, they were sorely mistaken!

Liverpool tried to respond with some fast breaks led by Mo Salah. The Albion did well to keep them at bay, although Robert Sanchez had one lucky escape.

He was a little too casual with the ball at his feet and lost out to Salah. Thankfully, the ball went out for a goal kick. Steady Robert, I thought!

Welbeck nearly put Brighton 2-0 up with a header from a Solly March cross. Alisson made the save, something which would become a theme of the game. Welbeck though showed he was on the prowl and looking for that first goal of the season.

Brighton continued to put a lot of pressure on Liverpool. Eventually, a second goal came. March produced a nice touch to Trossard and he did the rest. The Albion led 2-0 with just 18 minutes played.

I always love listening to Warren Aspinall’s analysis. He never misses a thing. Warren thought Brighton should have been 4-0 up rather than just two and that the movement of the forwards was causing real problems for Liverpool.

He also told us that De Zerbi was pushing the back three well up the field, sometimes into the opposition half. Warren said he would not have liked to play in this team with how fit the players needed to be to get back in case of a speedy break.

It sounded as if Brighton were playing at a very fast pace, quicker to everything that a slow and sluggish Liverpool.

A yellow card for Estupinan timewasting could not derail the Albion, nor could Salah when a combination of Sanchez and Lewis Dunk denied the Liverpool marksman a goal.

The hosts managed to strike back before half time. An offside flag went up against Salah as he slipped the ball back to Roberto Firmino, breaking to finish between Dunk and Adam Webster.

VAR looked and decided that Salah had not been offside. It was the correct decision but one Brighton would not have wanted. With their tails up, you felt Liverpool would now become the dangerous opponents we know they can be.

The Albion made it to the break without conceding again. Brighton were no longer defending the Kop after the interval, suggesting that Dunk won the toss.

Liverpool always like to attack their own fans in the second half, hoping that the noise from that end of the ground can suck the ball over line.

Not that attacking the opposite end made much difference. Jurgen Klopp had clearly had words and the Reds equalised within nine minutes of the game restarting.

A swift, accurate ball from Jordan Henderson found substitute Luis Diaz. He made an instant impact, crossing to Firmino to slot home his second of the afternoon.

Gulp. Now Brighton were in trouble. Liverpool’s momentum carried them into the lead on 63 minutes when an unfortunate incident occurred.

Sanchez committed himself to punching the ball away from a well-placed corner, only to completely miss it. Instead, the ball hit the back of Webster and went straight into the Albion net.

That left Brighton with 27 minutes plus injury time to try and find an equaliser. Not many would have been expecting the Seagulls to manage it, certainly not the Anfield crowd.

They were silenced on 83 minutes via a brilliant passing move. Webster started it, sliding the ball to Welbeck who worked it out wide to March and then Kaoru Mitoma.

Substitute Mitoma got to the line and crossed to the back post where Trossard was waiting to slot home. An amazing comeback and even more amazing, a hat-trick for Trossard.

De Zerbi danced a little jig on the side line in celebration. It seems to have been shown in every highlights package of the game. You could see how excited he was for his players.

There were a few heart-in-mouth moments after that. The worst was right at the end when Welbeck gave away a free kick some 30 yards out.

Alexander-Arnold hit a cracker but Sanchez got a slight touch on it to send the ball around the post and prevent Liverpool making it 4-3.

If every game under De Zerbi is to be this exciting, I expect I will need to get used to my heart pounding on a much more regular basis.

Roll on Spurs at the Amex on Saturday to find out. Up the Albion!

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony

Thank you to everyone who was purchased my book covering the 2021-22 season, The Seagulls Best Ever Season. It can be found on Amazon at this link.