Danny Welbeck double for Brighton deals fresh blow to Liverpool’s top-five hopes

Danny Welbeck has not given up on making England’s World Cup squad and showed exactly what Thomas Tuchel is missing with two goals to dent Liverpool’s Champions League hopes. The Brighton striker moved past Dominic Calvert-Lewin – selected ahead of him for England’s upcoming friendlies – with his 11th and 12th league goals of the season, making him the Premier League’s highest-scoring Englishman.

At 35, this is the most prolific campaign of his career. Could he really warrant a place in the England squad this summer? It seems a stretch, but with players extending their elite years longer than ever, there is at least some logic in taking an experienced forward – one with 16 goals in 42 England games – to the US as Harry Kane’s understudy.

If this was a reminder to Tuchel of what Welbeck can still offer, it was equally a reminder of the challenge Liverpool face to qualify for next season’s Champions League. This was their 10th Premier League defeat of the season; you have to go back a decade to find the last time they lost that many times in the league. The manner of Brighton’s goals summed up Liverpool’s season: disjointed, out of sync, error-strewn.

Milos Kerkez equalises for Liverpool. Photograph: Jeff Mood/ProSports/Shutterstock

In the buildup to the first, Curtis Jones misplaced a pass intended for Jeremie Frimpong out for a throw-in. Moments later, Liverpool’s goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili – drafted in after Alisson pulled out injured on Friday night – had the ball at his feet and played it to Ibrahima Konaté, but the pass was overhit and the defender let it run under his foot. From the resulting thrown-in, a deep cross was headed back across by Diego Gómez, and Welbeck was given freedom to head in from close range.

The second goal carried the same defensive disorganisation. When Yankuba Minteh crossed, nobody tracked Jack Hinshelwood at the back post and – once again – Welbeck was left completely free to turn the ball in.

Mamardashvili looked uncomfortable in possession. His shot-stopping was sharp – anticipating well to snatch the ball before it reached Welbeck for a tap-in, diving sharply to keep out a Gómez free-kick he saw late, flinging himself in front of Minteh’s shot when he ran through on goal. But with the ball at his feet he struggled. And it said much about Liverpool’s performance that their goalkeeper was quite so busy. They had only been kept in the game by a gift from Lewis Dunk while trailing 1-0.

Danny Welbeck opens the scoring in the first half for Brighton. Photograph: Simon Dack/TPI/Shutterstock

Mamardashvili sent a long ball forward and rather than clear Dunk decided to head the ball backwards – without checking – to his goalkeeper. Unfortunately for Dunk, Milos Kerkez had made a hopeful run beyond him and was perfectly placed to flick the ball over Bart Verbruggen.

Four days after that emphatic win against Galatasaray in the Champions League to overturn a one-goal deficit, it was a return to the version of Liverpool that has appeared far too often this season. Their push for a top-five finish – likely enough for Champions League qualification – suffered another blow when they lost Hugo Ekitiké to injury early on.

During a lengthy delay, the Brighton fans chanted “Are you Arsenal in disguise?” while Ekitiké went down, rose to his feet then dropped to the floor again. IThe Liverpool striker eventually hobbled off the field after he had attempted to continue playing with the Brighton fans from cheering him on his way.

With Mohamed Salah ruled out of the game, Alisson missing and no certainty on Alexander Isak’s return, the scale of the challenge facing Arne Slot continues to grow.