Liverpool 0-1 Brighton: Player ratings through the roof for Anfield success
Sometimes, it is best to let the numbers do the talking. The player ratings for Liverpool 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion are very much one of those times.
Having seen just two Brighton players score over a nine in the past 22 Premier League matches, every one of Graham Potter’s starting XI passed that high mark at Anfield.
Adam Webster led the way with 9.71. That was more than the previous highest score of the season, Tariq Lamptey’s 9.33 in September’s 3-0 victory at Newcastle United. Also beating Lamptey’s total from St James’ Park were Lewis Dunk, Dan Burn and Leandro Trossard.
To go to the reigning champions and not just win, but outplay them to run out deserved winners is an extraordinary achievement. It might just be the greatest win in Brighton history.
Certainly, it is up there with those victories over the great Liverpool sides of the 1980s who, despite conquering England and Europe, would often find themselves struggling to overcome little old Brighton from Sussex by the Sea no matter whether Mike Bailey, Jimmy Melia or Chris Cattlin were in charge.
Just like our parents told us about those halcyon days, so we will tell our grandkids about Liverpool 0-1 Brighton – and here are the player ratings for the Albion team who delivered so spectacularly on Merseyside.
Robert Sanchez – 9.31
Most teams who have any sort of success at Anfield rely on their goalkeeper have the game of his life. Not Brighton. Big Bob Sanchez did not make a save of any real note. His major contribution came in the final seconds when he came rushing through a crowd of players to confidently claim a corner and relieve a lot of pressure on his defence. Never has a man doing something mundane as catching a ball looked so beautiful.
Ben White – 9.31
Had to temper his natural urge to join in with attacks, knowing how dangerous Liverpool’s front three can be. This was his most mature performance in a Brighton shirt and given Jurgen Klopp’s long-standing interest in him, it is likely to have been noted how good he was in the corridors of power at Anfield.
Lewis Dunk – 9.50
The Brighton captain more than anyone deserved a win against a Liverpool. Games with the Reds used to guarantee only own goals for Dunk but here he was, leading his side to a clean sheet at Anfield and three very impressive points. Two trademark blocks from Roberto Firmino early in the second half were his highlights.
ADAM WEBSTER – 9.71
Wow. His 9.71 in Liverpool 0-1 Brighton is the highest score any player has rattled up in the ratings so far this season and it is unlikely to be beaten over the remaining 16 matches. Helped Burn keep Mo Salah quiet and timed every tackle he made to perfection. Rumours are starting to circle about a possible England call up and on his current form, nobody could argue with that.
Solly March – 9.17
Switched to right wing back because of injuries to Lamptey and Joel Veltman. Playing on his unnatural side meant he often cut back to cross with his favoured left foot. One such instance led to the goal as a David Beckham-esque switch of play found the head of Burn in the box who nodded back to Alzate. Seeing him limp off with 25 minutes to play was the only downer of the evening.
Steve Alzate – 9.24
Rarely spotted since the opening month of the season, the Colombian international reminded everyone of his prodigious talents at Anfield. Put a shift in whilst playing as a central midfield, did an important job defensively when switched to the right after March’s early departure and he of course notched the winner with a calm volley.
Yves Bissouma – 9.26
Like White, Bissouma is known to have his admirers at Liverpool. When we spoke to Scott Groom from Anfield Index before the game, he very much wanted the Malian to be a Red for next season. Another dominating display in which he outshone Jordan Henderson will have done little to dampen that enthusiasm – and it should have added several more million to his price tag.
Dan Burn – 9.36
Hands up then, who else wanted to scream at the prospect of Burn against Salah before kick off and then when Salah missed a good opportunity within the first five minutes? Well, what do we know – the 6’7 left wing back (his height may have mentioned a few times by the BT Sport commentators) had one of his best games in an Albion shirt, pocketing Liverpool’s danger man and even popping up in the Reds’ box to have a couple of efforts on goal. An outrageous 90 minutes.
Pascal Gross – 9.10
Deployed in a slightly more advanced role than in recent weeks due to Alexis Mac Allister’s absence. He hardly wasted a pass all evening, gliding across the pitch like a dancer rather than a football player. Had a couple of important touches in the build up to the winner and was only denied a goal himself when his thumping low dive was repelled by a world class full length save from Caoimhin Kelleher.
Leandro Trossard – 9.33
This was a game well suited to the Belgian as Brighton looked to exploit his speed and trickery when breaking forward. Liverpool’s only answer in the first half was to foul him every time he had the ball. His acrobatic little flick on the halfway line helped keep possession ticking over in the move that led to the goal.
Neal Maupay – 9.14
Did not have much sight of goal himself but that takes nothing away from his performance. Never gave the Liverpool defence a moments rest, putting in a real shift up top. His determination was best highlighted when he found a way to get the ball to Burn in a crowded box in the first half for the chance which Burn lobbed harmlessly into the Kop.
Adam Lallana – 8.69
The fact that Lallana used to play for Liverpool was the second most mentioned thing after Burn’s height. He got the final 25 minutes against his former club and brought his usual sense of control to proceedings.
Aaron Connolly – 8.57
Introduced as a runner who could exploit the space in behind Liverpool as they pushed forward for an equaliser. That never happened though and instead, he found himself having to hold the ball up and look after possession in the closing stages, something which he did rather well.
The WAB Player Ratings are formulated using marks out of 10 given by Brighton fans via Twitter. To have your scores included, follow We Are Brighton on Twitter and look out for the player rating thread after each game.
