‘Huge boos…’ – Many Liverpool fans were apoplectic at one man during first half 

‘Huge boos…’ – Many Liverpool fans were apoplectic at one man during first half
Posted by Liam Togher11 minutes ago
‘Huge boos…’ – Many Liverpool fans were apoplectic at one man during first half v Brighton
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It’s fair to say that Liverpool fans at Anfield were far from pleased with one man in particular during the first half against Brighton this afternoon.

The teams were level at 1-1 going in at half-time, and while neither goal was controversial, a series of soft free kicks given against the home team had almost 60,000 Reds inside the stadium fuming at David Coote.

In the Liverpool Echo’s live matchday blog (14:53), it was noted that there were ‘huge boos’ for the official as the teams made their way off at half-time, with Ian Doyle adding: “It must be said the referee, though, is having an absolute shocker. [Jurgen] Klopp certainly won’t miss David Coote when he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season.”

READ MORE: (Video) Luis Diaz shows expert goal-poaching instincts to draw Liverpool level v Brighton

READ MORE: (Video) Roy Keane shares candid verdict on whether De Zerbi would be right for Liverpool

Liverpool fans won’t be surprised in the least to see the free kick count at half-time – 11 to Brighton, just four for the Reds (Sofascore), with the visitors getting a series of charitable fouls given in their favour.

Coote also saw fit to show Alexis Mac Allister a yellow card for a foul on Simon Adingra which was soft, to put it mildly, and there was also a penalty shout when Pervis Estupinan impeded Darwin Nunez in the box in the opening minutes at Anfield.

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Referees will always give debatable free kicks over the course of a match, but there was definitely a disproportionately high number of decisions called against the Reds which ranged from harsh to downright inexplicable.

As Doyle said during his half-time analysis, Klopp certainly won’t be sorry to see the back of some officials in the Premier League.

🚨 EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

 

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Luis Diaz stars in routine Liverpool victory over Brighton to keep pressure on Manchester City
Jim White
AT THE AMEX and
Harri Thomas,
LIVE UPDATES
12 March 2022 • 4:19pm

12

Diaz heads in Liverpool’s opener before clashing with Brighton’s Sanchez
Salah makes it two from the penalty spot after Bissouma’s handball
Liverpool return to three points behind Manchester City
As wins go, this could not have been more routine for Liverpool. Acting as the perfect hosts, Brighton tested their visitors with just the one shot on target all game. This was Graham Potter’s side’s fifth successive league defeat. More to the point, in that sequence they have scored just once.

“It’s not easy to have perspective on the back of the run we’re on,” said Potter. “At the moment we’re suffering. But it’s not like we’re sat at the bottom of the league five points adrift.”

While they may be comfortably safe from relegation, his team’s role increasingly seems to be to offer top four managers the opportunity to make patronising remarks even as they bank three points. As Jurgen Klopp duly demonstrated.

“I like Graham a lot, I hope the people here know what they have,” the Liverpool manager said. “Real football people recognise what he has done. I like watching his team, I don’t like playing them.”

Not that it looked as if he were in any discomfort: Liverpool were in charge for all but ten minutes of this game. And while Brighton struggled to find the net, goals are a very different matter for Klopp’s players. As they scored in each half to record their eighth win on the trot, they notched up a couple of notable statistical landmarks.

Their second strike, for instance, was the club’s 2,000th Premier League goal. And, in scoring it, Mohamed Salah, recorded his twentieth league goal for the fourth successive season. How Brighton’s fans must have watched on in envy wondering how their side might fare with a striker of his calibre. Well, any striker actually.

It was not that Brighton began badly. Playing in their yellow and blue change strip as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine they started as brightly as their shirts. In the opening moments, the busy Tariq Lamptey found Neal Maupay, who misdirected his header over. Maupay then shot just wide, before playing in Leandro Trossard who seemed to have space to shoot, but Alisson slid in to smother.

The difference between the sides is that from anywhere and everywhere, danger always lurks with Liverpool. As when, after 19 minutes, Joel Matip took possession in his own half and strode forward without any Brighton players sensing his threat. As his long ball arced precisely into the area, Luis Diaz dashed in and bravely headed it goalwards.

Despite the looming proximity of the Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez, his touch was both subtle and accurate. Even as the ball arrowed into the net, Sanchez’s follow-through flattened him. Mike Dean, however, could see nothing wrong with the challenge. And, much to Klopp’s confusion, Var did not feel there was a clear and obvious error in the referee’s assessment.

Luis Diaz manages to get his head to the ball and score the opening goal before clashing with Robert Sanchez CREDIT:  Charlotte Wilson/Offside
“Most of the people think it was a red card,” he said. “For what reason could it not be a red card? The phrase ‘clear and obvious’ is the problem. Surely it is either wrong or right.”

Whatever the niceties of the video referee, of this there can be no doubt: what a player Diaz is proving to be. Quick, skillful, dynamic, his all round quality was in evidence when he got up from his knock to track down and dispossess Lamptey, who is not exactly slow.

“He’s a very good player,” said Klopp of his January signing. “It is not so easy to bring in a player in winter, but the way Luis plays is exactly the way we wanted him to play, so he did not have to adapt. I don’t think we’ve seen already the full range of his skills. There is a lot of space for improvement.”

Which is an alarming prospect for the rest of the League. And while Diaz may have been the exemplar, everywhere Liverpool assumed ascendancy. Virgil van Dijk won every header, Jordan Henderson every tackle. And the two full backs enjoyed themselves hugely. Indeed, with a magnificent crossfield pass, Trent Alexander-Arnold found Andrew Robertson alone on the edge of the area. But he fired over.

As they forlornly chased the game, the experience of Adam Lallana seemed to sum up Brighton’s fortune. The former Liverpool man came on at half time and lasted all of five minutes, substituted himself after suffering a hamstring problem.

Liverpool, meanwhile, cruised on. Salah danced through and hit the bar. Then shot wide after Dias had galloped half the length of the pitch to set him up. If the striker feared that this might not be the game he reached his personal milestone, he did not have to worry long. Moments later, Naby Keita’s shot hit Yves Bissouma on his raised arm. Dean immediately signaled for a penalty and Salah does not miss from the spot.

Mohamed Salah scores Liverpool’s second from the penalty spot CREDIT:  PA
The difference between the two teams’ resources was summed up when Salah later went down injured and Klopp could send on Diogo Jota. No such luxury for Potter. And for Brighton’s increasingly unhappy fans all there was left was the might-have-been. They screamed in fury when the referee refused to accept that Alisson had carried the ball outside his area, then had to watch the Liverpool keeper pull off a brilliant save to deny the substitute Danny Welbeck. So Liverpool continue to close in on Manchester City. While at Brighton the sole consolation seems to be that every other manager thinks their boss is doing a great job.

 

Brighton vs Liverpool, as it happened:
3:12PM
That’s all from the lunchtime kick-off
Thanks for joining us this afternoon. There’s only one 3pm kick-off today: Brentford vs Burnley. Currently 0-0 there.

We’ll have coverage later from the battle for fourth place as Manchester United host Tottenham. That kicks off at 5:30pm.

2:55PM
It’s the fourth season that Salah has reached the 20 goal mark

158 – In @LFC’s Premier League history, only Steven Gerrard (212 – 120 goals, 92 assists) has had a direct hand in more goals for the club than Mohamed Salah (158 – 115 goals, 43 assists), moving level with Robbie Fowler. Icons. pic.twitter.com/S0Rei46XjR

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 12, 2022
2:27PM
Full-time: Brighton 0-2 Liverpool
A great all-round performance by January signing Luis Diaz this afternoon. He showed bravery with his headed effort for his first goal and looked threatening in possession throughout.

Liverpool looked very comfortable. Routine stuff as they keep the pressure on Manchester City, going three points behind them with the same number of games played.

Brighton are struggling after a solid first three months of the season. They’re now on a five match losing streak and have won just two league games in 2022.

2:22PM
90+3 mins
Another good run by Diaz up the left – he’s looked very comfortable in possession this afternoon. He gets his shot away, but it’s saved by Sanchez and earns a corner.

2:21PM
90 mins
Five minutes of added time to come.

2:20PM
90+2 mins
Alisson quickly off his line, decisive to dive down ahead of Trossard with the ball rolled in from the right.

2:19PM
90 mins
Luis Diaz one-on-one with Sanchez as Liverpool counter, but he’s denied.

He probably could’ve squared it across to Jota there, but fancied it himself.

2:18PM
89 mins
March takes on Matip down the left; he earns a corner. Trossard to Cucurella, again down the left…

The cross comes in from the left and Danny Welbeck gets his shot away. It looks like van Dijk gets a touch to deflect it, but it needed a strong save from Alisson – and he delivered.

2:14PM
85 mins – Liverpool sub
Henderson off; Milner on.

2:14PM
83 mins
Robertson tries to pull the ball back, left side of the box. He’s looking for Mane, but it’s behind him. Brighton pounce.

Brighton counter, but Fabinho shuts it down and gets himself a yellow for his foul.

2:11PM
82 mins
Van Dijk concedes a free kick, on the half-way line.

It looks like James Milner is going to come on in a moment.

2:10PM
80 mins
Very stop-start this second half.

Maupay the latest to stop play. He gets a yellow for diving in late into Alisson as the Liverpool keeper clears.

2:08PM
79 mins
A couple of Brighton corners in fairly quick succession, both on their left hand side.

Brighton haven’t got a huge amount of height in their team and both come to nothing.

2:04PM
75 mins
Mac Allister hacks down Jota, just into the Brighton half, to go into Mike Dean’s book.

2:03PM
74 mins
Excellent dummy by Mane to allow AA to surge down the right.

It’s smashed out and Liverpool earn the throw.

1:59PM
70 mins
AA corner, on the right. An out-swinger.

In towards Jota and Matip, middle of the box, but Brighton clear.

1:58PM
68 mins
Brighton have a brief foray forward. Lamptey tries to feed a cross into the four Brighton players in the box, but he’s pulled it behind all of them and it rolls all the way out for a Liverpool throw on the right.

1:55PM
66 mins – final Brighton sub

66′: Final sub for Albion: Danny Welbeck’s on for Yves Bissouma. 🔁

[0-2] 📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv ✘ #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/qUNdBmkZVm

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 12, 2022
1:54PM
Salah’s penalty

He was never going to miss, was he!? 🎯

Mo Salah smashes the ball home from the penalty spot to double Liverpool’s advantage ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/1y1MWCtV32

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 12, 2022
1:52PM
64 mins – double sub for Liverpool
Thiago on; Keita off.

Jota on; Salah off.

1:52PM
61 mins
Alisson has come out the box as he collects. But Mike Dean says he didn’t carry out, even though the Liverpool keeper’s body is definitely outside the box. Probably the right decision there.

1:49PM
60 mins GOAL Brighton 0-2 Liverpool
Mo Salah! He fires the penalty straight down the middle; Sanchez dives to his left.

That’s Liverpool’s 2000th Premier League goal.

1:48PM
59 mins
Liverpool penalty.

A handball by Bissouma.

1:47PM
57 mins
Salah misses another chance!

Diaz with a wonderful run, with the ball, away from Mac Allister, half the pitch.

He plays a great squared ball to the Egyptian, but he drags it wide, without hitting it with any real conviction.

1:45PM
56 mins
Salah with a looping shot, inside the Brighton box, after the Seagulls fail to clear. It’s a deflected shot which spins over Sanchez and hits the crossbar, before falling to Mane, who lashes the ball over the bar.

1:44PM
54 mins
Keita is caught in possession by Bissouma, wonderful closing down from behind. But Mike Dean says his foot is too high and awards Liverpool a free kick. Bissouma’s not happy. He’s booked – the first of the afternoon – for throwing the ball away.

1:40PM
52 mins – Brighton substitute
Lallana off; Gross on.

1:40PM
50 mins
Adam Lallana has gone down here. He’s barely been on five minutes. It looks like he’s coming off.

1:39PM
49 mins
A wasted throw-in by Brighton up the right side. It’s thrown behind the Liverpool goal line after a promising period of build-up from the hosts who’ve come out more lively in this second half.

1:37PM
46 mins
Trossard is in the open, but he blazes it over, inside the Liverpool box. He should have done far better there!

But it looks like Maupay nudged the ball on with his arm in the build-up anyway.

1:33PM
Second half begins!
One sub for Brighton: Lallana is on, Alzata is off.

1:31PM
Sanchez got none of the ball here… but no booking given
1:22PM
Brave man Luis Diaz – and a terrific pass from Matip

Luis Diaz opens the scoring after an incredible pass from Joël Matip! 🔥

Despite being taken out by Robert Sánchez the Liverpool forward is ok to carry on 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Vka83JoN2X

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 12, 2022
1:21PM
Half-time: Brighton 0-1 Liverpool
Brighton came out sharp and lively, with a handful of chances in the first 15 minutes. They lacked the final finish though, and it allowed the Liverpool machine to get started.

Since the Luis Diaz goal it’s been all Liverpool. Plenty of chances for the visitors and it could’ve been one or two more.

1:17PM
45+1 mins
Salah is played in down the right channel, in plenty of space.

He tries to pull back to Diaz and Mane, but it’s cleared out for a throw on the right.

1:16PM
45 mins
Two minutes of added time to come.

1:15PM
42 mins
Liverpool hit the Seagulls on the counter, Mo Salah running a good length of the pitch. He’s forced out left, but manages to cut inside. He has Diaz in the middle, Mane not far behind. but he just side foots it toward Sanchez, who gets a foot in to clear.

1:13PM
41 mins
Brighton, courtesy of Lamptey and March nibble down the right flank. A couple of throw-ins builds up to a corner as Keita clears.

MacAllister takes, but Henderson heads it away well.

1:10PM
37 mins
Liverpool a good period of possession, every player getting a touch and looking very comfortable.

It ends with a free kick on the left after a moment of frustration from Brighton.

Trent AA sends it in. Cucurella with a strong header away. It comes back to AA again and he goes for goal, trying it on the outside of his right foot. But it’s wide.

1:05PM
34 mins
Liverpool free kick on the left now, after Diaz is pulled down.

Robertson swings it in – plenty of Red shirts in the box – but Sanchez rises well and holds.

1:00PM
29 mins
Salah with a shot, outside of the box, following an AA corner.

It bounces up well for him after a scuffed Brighton clearance, onto his left foot, but he’s gone high and wide.

12:58PM
26 mins
Trent AA to Robertson, in the box. Veltman can’t reach it, allowing Robertson to shoot, albeit from a wide angle.

He’s got some power behind it, but it’s over Sanchez’s crossbar.

Some classic AA-Robertson interplay. We’ll see more of that this afternoon.

12:55PM
24 mins
Trent AA with a beautifully whipped ball in from a free kick on the right. March rises well to get rid of the danger.

12:54PM
20 mins
Mike Dean doesn’t think anything is in that and Sanchez doesn’t even get a booking.

It was a dangerous challenge from Sanchez, and he got none of the ball.

Fortunately it looks like Dias is fine.

12:51PM
19 mins GOAL: Brighton 0-1 Liverpool
Matip with a long ball over the top, a brave header from Diaz to put the ball into the back of the net.

He’s taken a big whack from Sanchez and VAR will check this for serious foul play.

12:49PM
18 mins
Fabinho with a terrific ball into Henderson on the right channel. He’s unmarked and gets a low cross in towards Salah and Mane in the box, but there are enough yellow and blue shirts in the box to get it away.

12:45PM
14 mins
Lamptey’s gone down and Mike Dean stops play. It looks like he got a bit of a whack in the face in a tussle with Diaz.

12:41PM
9 mins
Trent Alexander-Arnold tries to swing one into the box from the left, picking out Liverpool’s other full back, Robertson, who has ended up on the right, but it’s cleared away.

12:39PM
8 mins
Salah is played in down the right, he picks out Mane in the box and forces a hand from Sanchez. Liverpool corner. Their first attack of the game, but already looking threatening.

12:38PM
7 mins
Trossard gets a shot away, after cutting onto his right from the left side of the Liverpool box.

But it’s straight at Alisson. Comfortable in the end.

12:37PM
5 mins
Brighton with early momentum here at the Amex. They’ve been able to play passes in behind the Liverpool defence, catching Robertson off-guard on a couple of occasions now, but they’ve just lacked the final killer pass into the Liverpool box.

12:35PM
4 mins
Maupay with a good shot. He unleashes one, early, almost catching Alisson napping… inches wide.

12:34PM
3 mins
Brighton with an early free kick on the left, taken by March, but it’s headed away by Mane, right side of the box, and Brighton build again from the back.

12:33PM
2 mins
Mac Allister distributes a ball out to the left channel – I think everyone else expected him to shoot – and picks out Cucurella well… but he’s just offside.

12:30PM
Kick off!
Liverpool get us underway.

Mike Dean officiates today.

12:29PM
A reminder of the line ups
Brighton & Hove Albion:Sanchez, Veltman, Dunk, Cucurella, Lamptey, Alzate, Bissouma, Mac Allister, March, Maupay, Trossard.

Subs: Mwepu, Gross, Lallana, Moder, Welbeck, Steele, Duffy, McGill, Leonard.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Keita, Salah, Mane, Diaz.

Subs: Thiago, Milner, Firmino, Gomez, Jones, Jota, Tsimikas, Kelleher, Elliott.

12:28PM
The captains lead the two teams out of the tunnel
Brighton are wearing their alternative away kit – a yellow top and blue shorts – in support for the people of Ukraine.

12:25PM
Liverpool are firm favourites
But Graham Potter’s Brighton are unbeaten in three matches against the Reds (D2, W1).

The reverse fixture in October saw the Seagulls come back from 2-0 after 24 minutes to end with a 2-2 draw.

Leandro Trossard, who scored the equaliser that afternoon, starts today.

12:16PM
Warm ups: Maupay and Henderson back for Brighton and Liverpool
12:06PM
And it’s four changes for Brighton today
Graham Potter brings back Yves Bissouma, who has had a slight knee issue, along with Neal Maupay, Solly March, and Alexis Mac Allister.

12:02PM
Three changes for Liverpool after the midweek home defeat to Inter
Luis Diaz, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita return. It’s the Guinean midfielder’s 100th appearance for the club.

Thiago Alcantara, Curis Jones and Diogo Jota make way, but are on the bench.

11:53AM
And here’s the Liverpool starting XI

🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🔴

Your Reds line-up to face @OfficialBHAFC 👊 #BHALIV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 12, 2022
11:52AM
The team sheets are in: here’s how the hosts will line up

TEAM NEWS. 🚨 Here’s our starting XI to face @LFC in the @PremierLeague today! 📝

📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv ✘ #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/6oiSDitNoH

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 12, 2022
11:48AM
Good morning!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Premier League clash between Brighton and Liverpool at the Amex, which kicks off at 12:30pm.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits his players take defeat worse than he does and so he expects a reaction after experiencing only their third loss of the season.

The 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan on Tuesday was offset by the fact a 2-0 first-leg lead meant the team progressed to their fourth quarter-final in five years.

However, it was Liverpool’s first defeat at Anfield in a year and there were muted celebrations at the final whistle.

When it was pointed out to him his side had not lost many matches in the last year, Klopp said: “Enough. More than enough. We are not good losers.

“I have usually after a game a little speech in the dressing room, most of the time it is quite nice to tell the boys how good they were, but in this game it was slightly different.

“My first thought was ‘We are through against tough opponents’ and their first thought was ‘We lost’. Both is fine somehow.”

Liverpool’s first-half performance, in particular, against Inter was what disappointed Klopp the most, although they still could have won the match – Mohamed Salah hit the post twice in the second half and they missed a number of other chances.

He hopes the rare feeling of losing will give his players a wake-up call.

“I didn’t like part of the performance, especially defensively, and that’s a good point to make as if we don’t defend well against Brighton we have a problem,” he added.

St