A second straight win to nil, a boost after a big-money summer signing and the return of the prodigal son ensured Liverpool’s weekend ended on a high.
It wasn’t all good news, however: two more injuries had to be added to the list. And just like Mohammed Salah (£14.0m) returns to the group and heads to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Here are our Scout Notes from it Liverpool 2-0 Brighton and Hove Albion.
SZOBOSZLAI + GOMEZ INJURIES…
The first injury of the day, unfortunately quite predictably, had consequences Joe Gomes (£4.9 million).
The right back, who is no stranger to the physio room, started his fourth match against Liverpool in fourteen days. It turned out to be one too many, because this appearance lasted less than half an hour.
A muscle injury is likely to cost him his place in Gameweek 17, and possibly beyond.
“If I have a player who goes off with a muscle injury, like Joe, that is normally not a positive thing.
“I didn’t expect him to be in the selection next week [at Tottenham Hotspur]. But sometimes you get a positive surprise.
“People may now understand a little better why I was always so careful not to play so many games against him. I guess a lot of people thought: ‘If you have a defender, if you have a right full-back, why don’t you play against him?’” – Arne Slot on Joe Gomez
Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.7m) took over as the Reds’ right-back. Not only was the move to wing-back a blow to the Hungarian’s more than 220,000 new owners, but they also saw him leave the field of play after 82 minutes.
Szoboszlai had needed treatment fifteen minutes earlier because he was in some pain, before continuing for a while.
Arne Slot did not sound too hopeful after the match.
“Dom, it was his ankle. It didn’t look great when I first saw him. But he has an incredible mentality, so let’s hope for the best.” – Arne Slot about Dominik Szoboszlai
At least there is no problem with two goals Hugo Ekitike (£8.5m):
“Right before I dropped him off there was a moment, I don’t know what happened, but I think he could barely walk because of the cramp.” – Arne Slot about Hugo Ekitike
…BUT FRIMPONG + BRADLEY GO BACK
So the two players who started Saturday’s match on Liverpool’s right (Gomez, Szoboszlai) and the man who came on for Gomez (the AFCON-bound Salah) may have been wiped out in one fell swoop.
Fortunately for Slot, reinforcements are on the way.
Conor Bradley (£5.0m) is back from a one-match suspension next weekend.
And Jeremy Frimpong (£5.7m), who we saw quite a bit of play on the right wing in pre-season, is nearing his recovery from injury.
“The great thing is that Conor Bradley is coming back from suspension [next week] and normally Jeremy Frimpong will also train with us.” – Arne Slot
SALAH: STILL LIFE IN THE OLD DOG?
As mentioned above, Salah’s return was short but sweet.
While a replacement role suggested the relationship between player and manager had not been complete thawed, he was the man Slot first turned to when Gomez limped away. The home fans also welcomed him with enthusiasm.
The Liverpool boss now appears to have drawn a line at the whole situation.
“I think actions speak louder than what was said. He was back in the squad and when I had to make my first substitution I brought him in and he performed the way I think every fan – including myself – would want him to perform today.
“I think he is a Liverpool player and at the moment he is there I like to use him when we need him. Today he didn’t start like he did a few times before, but in the season and a half before he started, I think every game. When he came in today, as I just said, he had a performance like you would want him to give.”
“For me there is no problem to solve. For me he is now the same as any other player. You talk to your players when you are happy or unhappy about things. But there is nothing to talk about after what happened after the Leeds game.” – Arne Slot about Mohamed Salah
It’s a shame he’s off to AFCON now as he might have shaken up the FPL template in the coming weeks. Play on top Ekitike in Slot’s new 4-4-2 diamond, he achieved his biggest expected goal involvement score (xGI) of the season:
Above: Saturday’s leading players for xGI
Creating a good opportunity for Alexis MacAllister (£6.2m) Shortly after his introduction he assisted Ekitike’s second goal from a corner, skied an excellent stoppage time chance and made a smart stop Bart Verbruggen (£4.4m), having been sold short by Ekitike seconds earlier. In the criticism corner, Salah really should have made a better pass for a rampage Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m) late, when Liverpool broke.
All in all, enough threat and a possibly more central, threatening role to come back to in January.
And was it just us, or did he try to get rid of the ball just that little bit harder…
Above: Salah made more defensive contributions on Saturday than he has made in any match since Gameweek 1. This was only the second match this season in which he has made a tackle.
EKITIKE IN SHAPE AS WIRTZ’S IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES
While Alexander Isaac (£10.4m) continues to toil (he was a substitute here after a midweek knock), Ekitike is on the right track.
Two braces in as many Gameweeks have taken him to seven goals in ten Premier League starts. Pretty good!
He’s visibly playing with confidence, while Liverpool’s wafer-thin squad, two-vs-top approach and generous recovery periods until Gameweek 20 (thanks Legoman for the image below) should ensure sufficient playing time during the favorable matches ahead:
Just look at the shot figures from the past two Gameweeks (he also had three attempts against Inter):
In between his two goals (one a well-taken goal in the first minute and the second a header from a set-piece), he skied a Gomez pull-back, curled narrowly wide after a good team move and almost scored a fantastic solo goal.
Although Mac Allister is Liverpool’s most advanced/central midfielder in this diamond, Florian Wirtz (£8.0m) is the one that catches the eye. He’s getting better (and looking more physical) as the game goes on, albeit with bigger and bigger assists: he hasn’t had a single chance in the Reds’ last three competitive games.
More of an ‘LCM’ role could boost his DefCon potential, note he benched that for the first time in 2025/26 on Saturday.
Above: Players involved at Anfield on Saturday contributing DefCon points
A CLEAN SHEET… BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN
Slot was keen to point out how few opportunities Liverpool have had lately.
But even he had to admit that Saturday’s clean sheet was fortunate.
“I think our players worked incredibly hard today to keep a clean sheet and for the first time in weeks – or maybe I should say months – we were a bit lucky with that too.
“That’s funny, this is what people say now when you win 2-0 and then suddenly: ‘we were solid’. But I think we conceded more in one game than in the last four games. But now it’s suddenly solid, because we won the game.” – Arne Slot
Diego Gomes (£4.9m) had two huge chances (the two biggest circles – one saved, one hit the post – in the xG chart below), while Mats Wieffer (£4.9 million), Yankuba Minteh (£6.2 million) and Brajan Gruda (£5.4m) came very close with off-target efforts.
Minteh defeated Gomez for the first of his big opportunities; a first return in four for the Gambian winger was not far away.
WHY THE CUYPER + WELBECK WERE SUBS – PLUS TWO NEW BANNED
Two of Brighton’s most popular FPL picks of late, Danny Welbeck (£6.5m) and ‘out of position’ defender Maxim De Cuyper (£4.3 million), were only substitutes on Saturday.
Fitness concerns were behind the decision.
“We had some small problems with Danny, we had problems with Maxim during the week. They couldn’t train fully, that’s why we chose this starting eleven.” – Fabian Hurzeler
De Cuyper is hoping for a recall in Gameweek 17, with Diego Gomez suspended. The Paraguayan picked up his fifth booking of the season on Merseyside Lewis Dunk (£4.5 million).
However, there is another positional rival for De Cuyper, Kaoru Mitoma (£6.1 million), made his long-awaited return on Saturday. He was given 30 minutes off the bench, with Hurzeler confirming this was the plan as the winger built up his match fitness.
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