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Kick off is at 3.00pm.
📋The Reds to face @OfficialBHAFC... pic.twitter.com/LNtBdeAn20
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 2, 2017
Here's how #BHAFC line up for today's @premierleague fixture against @LFC at the Amex. 🔵⚪️⚽️ #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/Q1jLWRD4Yn
— BHAFC ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) December 2, 2017
So, today’s teams will look like this:
Brighton: Ryan, Saltor, Duffy, Dunk, Bong, Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, Brown, Gross, Murray.
Subs: Kayal, Hemed, Goldson, Izquierdo, March, Schelotto, Krul.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Can, Lovren, Robertson, Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Coutinho.
Subs: Karius, Sturridge, Grujic, Klavan, Mane, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke.
Liverpool have arrived at the Anex as kick-off looms.
💬 "We're well aware of the attacking threats they possess and know we'll have to be at our best."
— BHAFC ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) December 2, 2017
Chris Hughton on #BHALIV today.
👉🏻 https://t.co/OF8Gp976pJ#BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/dmGQSS0N8H
Liverpool undetake their second away trip in the space of four days this afternoon following their impressive 3-0 win against Stoke on Wednesday night, which featured two more goals for the in-form Mohamed Salah who has 12 Premier League goals to his name already this season.
Brighton, meanwhile, had to settle for a point at home to Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Chris Hughton’s side have suffered just one defeat at home this season — falling to league leaders Manchester City.
He will be aiming to continue that solid home form again this evening, with Ireland centre back Shane Duffy leading the line from the back. Kick-off is just under half an hour away.
Kick-off at the Amex is just 15 minutes away! @MatyRyan heads for the changing room. #BHALIV ⚽🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/hqyZ7mb69d
— BHAFC ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) December 2, 2017
Kick-off: We’re underway…
Decent early spell for both sides. Liverpool are setting up with a back three which features Emre Can, Dejan Lovren and Georginio Wijnaldum which may raise a few eyebrows this afternoon.
A first shot on target for Liverpool as Mohamed Salah peels away from his marker to chase a loose ball bobbling out of play. He reaches it just before it goes out for a goal kick and manages to force a corner kick at the front post.
The corner comes to nothing and is headed well over the crossbar. Jurgen Klopp’s side are enjoying a decent spell of possession with that aforementioned back three pushed all the way up to the halfway line pressuring Brighton into mistakes higher up the pitch.
Liverpool really toying with Brighton at the moment, strumming passes left and right with ease throughout midfield, but at the same time with little end product. They seem to be just warming up at the minute with the hosts happy to let them play keep-ball.
Philippe Coutinho attempts to thread a neat through ball in but a blue and white body clamps down on the Brazilian. Brighton are very organised at the minute and are more than happy to sit 11 men behind the ball in the hope of a swift counter.
Both sides quite lackadaisy in these opening 15 minutes.
Chance! Ooof the game kicks into life all of a sudden. The cross in from Brown is missed by every single man clad in red and the ball falls on a plate to Murray four yards out.
The striker just manages to scuff his lines and drives the ball curling backwards over the top of the crossbar.
A good move there from Brighton — Liverpool looked a bit shaken but they survive.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pictured at the Amex Stadium.
That was a brilliant piece of play from Brighton there.
It started with a lovely turn from Brown on half-way before he fed the ball down the right wing to Anthony Knockaert who sent Wijnaldum to the ground with some lovely spins and twists.
His cross just outside the box presented a decent final delivery, however Dejan Lovren rose highest to head the danger clear.
GOAL! BRIGHTON 0-1 LIVERPOOL (CAN 30)
EMREEEEEEEEE CAN! pic.twitter.com/dp5IVb2gJg
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 2, 2017
Liverpool finally break the deadlock. It’s a routine corner into the box and Emre Can rises highest to beat Shane Duffy to the ball. It’s a powerful header which gives goalkeeper Ryan no chance whatsoever.
GOAL! BRIGHTON 0-2 LIVERPOOL (FIRMINO 32)
FIRMINOOOOOOOOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/2Qflv2HuZG
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 2, 2017
Goooodness me it’s 2-0. Liverpool have managed a second just 78 seconds after taking the lead. Mohamed Salah is instrumental as he finds a pocket of space to expose behind the Brighton midfield.
Liverpool had three in attack, with Salah sweeping the ball to his left where Philippe Coutinho provided the cross and Roberto Firmino the finish at the back post. It’s just lovely, lovely football from the visitors.
Liverpool really dominating proceedings now as Brighton continue to have the life sucked out of them. They started so promisingly — solidified at the back and creating chances at the other end when presented — however those two goals in quick succession have been a complete and utter sucker punch. Well, two sucker punches actually.
A chance for a third there for Mohamed Salah just before we reach the break, however the pass spun his way was just out of reach — Dale Stephens shepherd the ball away from danger well and his side keep the damage at two.
HALF-TIME: BRIGHTON 0-2 LIVERPOOL
HT: Two quick-fire goals from the visitors put Albion behind at the break. Can headed home from close range and Firmino added a second as the Reds broke at speed. #BHAFC 0 #LFC 2 #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/ffQTETS3qD
— BHAFC ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) December 2, 2017
GOAL! BRIGHTON 0-3 LIVERPOOL (FIRMINO 48)
BOBBYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! pic.twitter.com/P0efiUhAwM
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 2, 2017
Liverpool are tearing Brighton apart but it could have been so differently.
The visitors almost looked like grabbing one back and halving the deficit, however Glenn Murray’s shot from point blank range was brilliantly saved by Simon Mignolet.
Liverpool break at the other end via Mohamed Salah and, after twisting and turning his maker, he sets up Roberto Firmino who slots the ball past Ryan to make it 3-0.
GOAL! BRIGHTON 1-3 LIVERPOOL (MURRAY 51)
51: GOOAALL!! Murray finds the top corner from the spot. #BHAFC 1 #LFC 3 #BHALIV pic.twitter.com/fFKW0XUHMy
— BHAFC ⚽️ (@OfficialBHAFC) December 2, 2017
And all of a sudden Brighton do have one back. It’s two goals in the space of three minutes as the hosts earn a penalty for some pushing and shoving inside the box from Jordan Henderson, with Glenn Murray cooly slotting the spot-kick past Mignolet.
The deficit still stands at two, but Chris Hughton’s side may have found a way back into this game.
The game finally has a chance to breath following a manic opening seven or eight minutes. Liverpool looked to have wrapped it up after Murray squandered the chance to half the deficit, but his penalty has given his side hope.
Even still trailing by two, the atmosphere inside the Amex would have you believe it’s still all to play for with just over half an hour remaining.
Liverpool receive a free-kick in a dangerous position following a rash challenge from 37-year-old Bruno, however Philippe Coutinho slices a horrible effort over the top of the crossbar.
Another chance comes and goes for Klopp’s charges to put this game beyond doubt.
It’s another quick break along the left, with Mohamed Salah the man found free inside the box. He takes one touch to compose himself and releases a low half-volley.
But the effort is directed right at goalkeeper Ryan who collects it with relative ease. Following a brilliant performance where it seemed he simply could not put a foot wrong, that shot definitively proves that Salah is human after all.
Star performers: Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah celebrate Liverpool’s third goal.
Chance! Another chance goes begging for Glenn Murray. Shane Duffy leaps high to knock the ball down for the striker inside the box, but Murray scuffs his volley and it bounces marginally wide of the goal. On another day he would have had a hat-trick.
Both sides emptying their benches as the game edges slowly towards its conclusion. Brighton showed a bit of fight after Murray pulled one back but Liverpool look to have wrapped up another three points here.
The game has slowed down considerably as the crowd draws eerily quiet.
Chance! Brighton erupt out of no-where to force another much-needed stop from a wall of red bodies. Izquierdo played a neat one-two with Gross before seeing his shot deflected back out.
Had that gone in, it would have made the final five minutes plus stoppage time very, very interesting but Liverpool maintain their two goal cushion.
GOAL! BRIGHTON 1-4 LIVERPOOL (COUTINHO 87)
FREE-KICK UNDER THE WALL!
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 2, 2017
VERY, VERY CHEEKY! pic.twitter.com/myaLrB7wIg
That is so cheeky from Philippe Coutinho. Just like Ronaldinho against Werder Bremen all those years ago he sticks a free-kick under the wall and makes it 4-1. Sublime.
GOAL! BRIGHTON 1-5 LIVERPOOL (DUNK OWN GOAL 89)
This is turning into a rout late on for the visitors. Once again Coutinho is instrumental as he meanders his way through the Brighton defence before chipping an effort on goal which is unfortunately heading into his own net by Lewis Dunk to complete his side’s humiliation. Game, set and match.
FULL-TIME: BRIGHTON 1-5 LIVERPOOL
FULL-TIME Brighton 1-5 Liverpool
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 2, 2017
Five-star performance from Jurgen Klopp's men as Firmino shines with two goals#BHALIV pic.twitter.com/uUAcTMemcA
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I’m not a huge fan of the tap penalty, would lineout and maul not yield greater returns?
@brian o’leary: no guarantee you’ll win the lineout, that the other team won’t sack the maul etc. Tap penalty is the safest option to guarantee possession
@Niall Boyle: correct, but I wonder if there’s any stats available comparing the success rate of the two options?
@brian o’leary: scrum for me all day in that situation. Huge scrummaging machine pushes opposition pack backwards, secures another penalty, play of 8 around the house or 9 to the backline through one or two power phases..a thing of beauty…
@Stuart: ireland got a try from a 5 metre scrum, and two from lineout mauls v italy. We’re not converting from rucks inside 5m as much as we used to, getting held up a lot?
@brian o’leary: I’m still very in the fence about the held up law. It may because it feels like Ireland and Leinster get done by it a lot, which is maybe just my own perception, but it feels way too heavily weighted towards the defence. The attack could put together 5 or 6 great pieces of play to get themselves there and then one guy just needs to do one action to get his body under it and it undoes all of the hard attacking work and sticks you 30/40m back. That feels bad every time.
@Stuart: ireland have a poor record with ref’s and scrum penalties. If the opposition tighthead took a chainsaw to our frontrow the ref would give a penalty against porter for bleeding
Easterby’s best shot at being a 6n’s head coach permanently is with Wales. I think the IRFU will have noticed that the team has got progressively worse over the course of the championship under his watch. Is it all down to Easterby being there instead of Faz, possibly not but as an audition it definitely didn’t go well.
@Michael Corkery: maybe they’ll notice that being without their head coach for a period might not be the best idea, and will say no the next time?
@brian o’leary: Agreed. I think IRFU were wrong to sanction AF going off on Lions jolly at this time when Ireland were going for the 3 championships in a row and building towards WC….he is head coach and this is where he should be…end of. Coaching team need to look at their selection management over the entire 6n campaign.
@Dolores Scully: If the IRFU refused to sanction Farrell coaching the Lions, im pretty sure it wouldnt go down too well with Farrell.
@Jonny Miller: when will they get another chance to do 3 in a row?
Farrell should stay on his holidays if he is not committed.
@Jonny Miller:our coach could be told pre contract that its not an option?
I’m not sure why lions coach need to miss the six nations, he going to be familiar with all the players anyway, and stats can do the rest?
@brian o’leary: at the same time, in terms of succession planning, they got a look at the next man in potentially mid RWC cycle. They should have brought someone like Felix Jones in to concentrate on defense and basically have Easterby do the exact same role as Farrell but he kept his defensive role (which as a result of his attention being elsewhere fell well below the usual standard). For example if Easterby had left, wasn’t replaced and Farrell had to cover defense in his absence. Would we have seen similar regression?
@Dolores Scully: I don’t understand why AF didn’t coach the Irish side during the 6nts ..sat in the stands ? The lions squad are not even together yet…surely the lions gig is at mostly a part time gig at the moment with the administrational/planning stuff?
@Dolores Scully: Building towards a world cup. Same story every year
@Dolores Scully: rubbish there’s November series 25 &26, six nations 26 & 27 and a summer tour in 26 for Andy Farrell to be assessing options before the world cup.
@Oran Burns: maybe our best ever coach and you don’t think he’s committed?
@mark sheehan: well if you want to look at it like that the WC is a 4-year cycle and surely not getting past the quarter final should mean that building/ planning should start straight away. Also, as previously stated here, the 6n is worth a hell of a lot financially to the IRFU…needed to build the squad. And no, as head coach, the team should be front and centre…or is it another case of Sexton’s ” we lost but we won” rubbish.