Leandro Trossard scored a hat-trick to earn a 3-3 draw for Brighton and Hove Albion in a Premier League thriller against Liverpool at Anfield.
Trossard’s double in the opening 17 minutes put the visitors in command in head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge.
Liverpool hit back through Roberto Firmino before the break and the Brazil striker equalised early in the second half of a pulsating Premier League encounter.
Adam Webster’s own goal put Liverpool ahead for the first time, but Trossard completed his treble with seven minutes of normal time remaining to give Brighton a deserved point.
Trossard gave De Zerbi a dream start to his reign, taking a clever flick from Danny Welbeck and drilling home with his left foot from inside the area after beating Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alisson made fine saves from Welbeck and Trossard but was powerless to prevent the latter doubling his tally with a clinical left-foot finish after Alexander-Arnold’s error.
Robert Sanchez thwarted Mohamed Salah, but the Egypt forward’s touch gave Firmino the opportunity to find the back of an empty net, with the goal awarded following a VAR check for offside.
Firmino showed great composure to equalise on the break nine minutes into the second half, taking a pass from half-time substitute Luis Díaz and producing some trickery to round Lewis Dunk before applying the finish.
The turnaround looked complete when Sanchez paid the price for flapping at Alexander-Arnold’s corner, with the unfortunate Webster turning into his own net.
Yet Brighton continued to pose a huge threat and, after Alisson denied Welbeck, Trossard sealed his hat-trick by superbly converting a left-wing cross.
Alexander-Arnold forced an excellent save from Sanchez in the closing stages, but Liverpool were unable to find a winner.
What does it mean? Liverpool lapses prove costly
Liverpool could have no complaints about failing to secure all three points and Brighton might feel they should have returned south by getting the De Zerbi era off to a victorious start following Graham Potter’s departure to take over at Chelsea.
Fourth-placed Albion knocked the ball around with a swagger and caused the Reds all sorts of problems, ensuring they are unbeaten in their last three matches at Anfield. A draw for Jurgen Klopp’s men leaves them in ninth place, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
Trossard a class act
The outstanding Trossard became only the third opposing player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Anfield, a feat also achieved by Peter Ndlovu and Andrey Arshavin.
He now has five goals in seven top-flight matches this season. If the winger carries this form on, he is a shoo-in for Belgium’s World Cup squad.
Alexander-Arnold unable to make a case for the defence
Klopp backed Alexander-Arnold in a week that saw the defender left out of England’s Nations League squad for the draw with Germany, sparking further talk of his defensive frailties.
Alexander-Arnold’s critics will be out in force again after he was exposed for two of Trossard’s goals, but he was by no means the only Liverpool defender who looked shaky.
Key Opta Facts
– This was Liverpool’s highest-scoring draw at Anfield in the Premier League since January 2016 (3-3 v Arsenal). Indeed, only against Arsenal in April 2009 have they ever drawn a home game in the competition with more combined goals (4-4), in a game which also saw an opposition player score a hat-trick (Arshavin).
– Brighton have the same record this season as they did after seven games in the Premier League last term, winning four games, drawing two and only losing once.
– All five of Firmino’s Premier League goals for Liverpool this season have come in home games, while all five of his strikes last term came away.
– Salah, who was making his 200th appearance in the Premier League, registered his 50th assist in the competition, becoming just the third African player to reach this milestone.
– Trossard became the first Brighton player to score a Premier League hat-trick.
What’s next?
Liverpool face Rangers in an all-British Champions League showdown at Anfield on Tuesday, while Brighton’s next assignment is a trip to Tottenham on Saturday.
