1 month ago
24 
Liverpool faced two penalties in a Premier League game for the first time since February 2018 against TottenhamPascal Gross' controversial injury-time penalty rescued a deserved draw for Brighton although Liverpool still went top of the Premier League.
It was Brighton's second penalty of the game after Neal Maupay fired a first-half spot-kick wide at the Amex Stadium.
The Reds thought they had taken the lead when Mohamed Salah latched onto a Roberto Firmino ball before firing home, but it was disallowed for offside by the video assistant referee.
Diogo Jota broke the deadlock, with his ninth goal since joining the Reds, as he received Salah's pass before going past two defenders and firing into the bottom corner.
Substitute Sadio Mane believed he had sealed the game with a late header for Liverpool but that was also ruled out by the VAR for offside.
And they were made to pay when Andy Robertson kicked Danny Welbeck's boot - with Stuart Attwell awarding the penalty after viewing the screen - and Gross slamming the equaliser down the centre.
Boss Jurgen Klopp was furious with the officials as they walked off the pitch, disagreeing with the decision to award the penalty.
The visitors lost James Milner to injury, while Brighton had to replace both Maupay and Adam Lallana, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes.
Liverpool boss Klopp had been critical of the TV broadcasters for placing this game on a Saturday lunchtime because they had a Champions League game on Wednesday.
The defending champions go one point above Tottenham, who visit Chelsea on Sunday. Brighton remain 16th, five points ahead of 17th-placed Burnley.
Follow reaction and the rest of Saturday's Premier League gamesLate equaliser adds to Liverpool frustrations
Diogo Jota is Liverpool's second top goalscorer this season with nine goalsLiverpool still go top of the table, but by one point and not three. The result, and not the performance, was the most important thing in this manic schedule - and they were moments away from getting the result they wanted.
Klopp warned last week the fixture scheduling means they may not finish the season with 11 players.
And Milner, who started the game in midfield and moved to right-back, suffered a muscle injury in the second half to add to their defensive injury concerns.
They made six changes from their 2-0 defeat by Atalanta on Wednesday, a game which had involved several fringe players, for this one.
The Reds did not create many chances, with six shots - only two on target - but Jota's goal did look like it was going to be enough until the late drama.
Robertson tried to clear the ball but instead caught Welbeck's foot. There was definitely contact, although it would not have been given in a pre-VAR world.
More to follow.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection
Brighton & Hove Albion
Squad number1Player nameRyan
Squad number3Player nameWhite
Squad number5Player nameDunk
Squad number4Player nameWebster
Squad number34Player nameVeltman
Squad number13Player nameGroß
Squad number8Player nameBissouma
Squad number20Player nameMarch
Squad number9Player nameMaupay
Squad number18Player nameWelbeck
Squad number7Player nameConnolly
Squad number11Player nameTrossard
Squad number14Player nameLallana
Squad number16Player nameJahanbakhsh
Liverpool
Squad number1Player nameAlisson
Squad number76Player nameN Williams
Squad number47Player namePhillips
Squad number3Player nameFabinho
Squad number26Player nameRobertson
Squad number18Player nameMinamino
Squad number5Player nameWijnaldum
Squad number7Player nameMilner
Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah
Squad number9Player nameRoberto Firmino
Squad number20Player nameDiogo Jota
Squad number10Player nameMané
Squad number14Player nameHenderson
Squad number17Player nameJones
Line-ups
Brighton
1Ryan3WhiteBooked at 82mins5Dunk4Webster34VeltmanBooked at 45mins13Groß8Bissouma20March9MaupaySubstituted forTrossardat 26'minutes18Welbeck7ConnollySubstituted forLallanaat 63'minutesSubstituted forJahanbakhshat 71'minutesSubstitutes
11Trossard14Lallana16Jahanbakhsh17Alzate23Steele33Burn49MolumbyLiverpool
1AlissonBooked at 90mins76N WilliamsSubstituted forHendersonat 45'minutes47Phillips3Fabinho26Robertson18Minamino5Wijnaldum7MilnerSubstituted forJonesat 74'minutes11SalahSubstituted forManéat 64'minutes9Firmino20JotaSubstitutes
10Mané13Adrián14Henderson17Jones21Tsimikas27Origi46R WilliamsLive Text
Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Liverpool 1.
Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Liverpool 1.
Attempt missed. Adam Webster (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Pascal Groß with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Nathaniel Phillips.
Attempt blocked. Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Danny Welbeck with a headed pass.
Goal! Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Liverpool 1. Pascal Groß (Brighton and Hove Albion) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Alisson (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card.
VAR Decision: Penalty Brighton and Hove Albion.
Penalty conceded by Andrew Robertson (Liverpool) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Brighton and Hove Albion. Danny Welbeck draws a foul in the penalty area.
Fabinho (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Nathaniel Phillips.
Foul by Sadio Mané (Liverpool).
Yves Bissouma (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
VAR Decision: No Goal Brighton and Hove Albion 0-1 Liverpool.
GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Sadio Mané (Liverpool) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
Offside, Liverpool. Andrew Robertson tries a through ball, but Sadio Mané is caught offside.
Ben White (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Diogo Jota (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
