EPL: Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 as Salah returns, assists Ekitike

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool | AFP

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Mohamed Salah returned to action with an assist as Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation over his future at the club.

The Egypt forward came off the substitutes’ bench to huge cheers in the 26th minute, replacing injured defender Joe Gomez.

His introduction came after an explosive outburst last week in which he accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” for being left on the bench during the 3-3 draw at Leeds, marking the third consecutive match he had started among the replacements.

Salah also revealed he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot and was omitted from the midweek Champions League win at Inter Milan, posting a picture of himself alone in the gym.

Liverpool had stormed out of the blocks, taking the lead in the opening 46 seconds. A clearance from Yankuba Minteh was nodded forward by Gomez, allowing French striker Hugo Ekitike to control and smash the ball past Bart Verbruggen for his ninth goal of the season.

Brighton threatened to equalize early in the second half, with Minteh and Diego Gomez both coming close, the latter striking the post.

Liverpool’s response came swiftly: on the hour mark, Ekitike doubled the lead, nodding home a corner delivered by Salah, giving the Reds a comfortable cushion after earlier scares from Mats Wieffer and Brajan Gruda. Salah himself went close in stoppage time, but his shot from a Federico Chiesa setup flew over.

Liverpool made two changes from their midweek clash at Inter Milan, with Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz starting. Curtis Jones marked his 200th appearance for the club, while Virgil van Dijk made his 250th Premier League outing.

The victory lifts Liverpool to sixth place in the Premier League, easing pressure on Slot ahead of the later Saturday kick-offs.

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April, is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. “I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup,” he told reporters last week.

“I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.” The Egypt forward’s absence will depend on how far his nation progresses in the tournament, with the final scheduled for January 18.

Salah, third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts with 250 goals, has claimed two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown during his spell at Anfield.

After scoring 29 league goals last season, he has netted just four in the current campaign, adding further context to the uncertainty surrounding his future and ongoing contract talks.

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