Salah Returns as Liverpool Beat Brighton with Ekiti Two Goals

Mohamed Salah marked a triumphant return to the Liverpool starting XI as the Reds secured a 2–0 Premier League victory over Brighton at Anfield. Prior to kick-off, commentators highlighted Salah’s absence, noting the Egyptian star had once again been named on the bench.

However, injury to Joe Gomez in the 26th minute forced manager Arne Slot to bring Salah on, ending his brief spell out of the team following two matches away from action amid criticism over form. Although Salah did not score, he played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s win, providing a key assist for Ugo Ekiti’s second goal and contributing to a historic milestone.

Liverpool took the lead in the opening minute, with Ekiti netting after a precise header from Joe Gomez. Ekiti controlled the ball expertly before sending a curling volley over Brighton’s goalkeeper to score. It was Liverpool’s first goal in the opening minute of a Premier League match since 2019.

Salah’s assist came in the 60th minute. Picking up the ball from a corner, he delivered a perfectly timed cross that allowed Ekiti to double the lead with a close-range header. This marked Salah’s first contribution to a Liverpool goal in eight matches, although he had not featured in three of those games.

With this assist, Salah broke a significant record, becoming the Liverpool player with the most Premier League goal contributions for a single club. He now boasts 277 goal involvements for the Reds—188 goals and 89 assists—surpassing Wayne Rooney’s 276 contributions (183 goals, 93 assists) for Manchester United.

The victory was Liverpool’s eighth win in 16 league matches, taking them to 26 points and sixth place, while Brighton slipped to ninth with 23 points.

Elsewhere, Chelsea defeated Everton 2–0 at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer opened the scoring in the 21st minute, marking his first Premier League goal since September, and Malo Gusto doubled the lead before half-time. Chelsea moved to fourth place with 28 points from 16 matches, while Everton fell to eighth with 24 points.

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