Brighton vs Liverpool LIVE: Hugo Ekitike injury update after Reds stumble to another Premier League defeat

Hugo Ekitike limps off after suffering a dead leg in the early stages of Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton (Action Images via Reuters)

Danny Welbeck scored a timely double as Brighton dealt Liverpool a further blow in their pursuit of a top-five Premier League finish.

Aiming to build on Wednesday's big win over Galatasaray and banish their inconsistency, Arne Slot ’s side instead fell to another damaging defeat - having lost top scorer Hugo Ekitike to injury within just eight minutes of kick-off .

Welbeck punished sloppy Liverpool defending to give Brighton the lead shortly after - although the visitors were handed a route back into the game when Milos Kerkez capitalised on Lewis Dunk’s error to level.

But Welbeck restored Brighton’s lead after the restart with his 12th goal of the season, putting the veteran striker clear as the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League after being snubbed from Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad.

Brighton were fully deserving of their victory after an energetic performance but Liverpool are now without a win in three in the Premier League and Chelsea could go above them into fifth when they go to Everton tonight.

Arne Slot, speaking to TNT Sports, says that losing Hugo Ekitike after just seven minutes was a “big blow” - but it does not sound as if it’s anything more serious than a dead leg.

”I think the players, the fans, we all know that there's only eight games to go to qualify for Champions League and then every game that you have to miss is something you're upset about

“I think him having to go off after one or two minutes, not being able to help the team anymore with something that is just a bit of bad luck.

“Because it's not like he's out for three months, at least that's not what I assume, but it's bad enough not to be able to continue. That's a big blow for him. It was in the end also a blow for us.”

(Action Images via Reuters)

Steven Gerrard, on TNT Sports, addresses Liverpool’s inconsistency this season and struggles to back up their Champions League form in the Premier League .

“The performance wasn’t good enough, but you can almost feel that this performance and this result was coming, even before the ball was kicked,” Gerrard says.

“Liverpool get a couple of injuries to key players like Salah, Allison, on the back of midweek, the manager speaking about maybe the lack of energy they might have, and then you look at Brighton's plans to come and try and play a game with that intensity and that speed, that energy.

“Brighton deserved the win overall, and a big opportunity missed for Liverpool.”