Ekitiké Double Delivers Liverpool Victory Over Brighton

The ball hung in the air for what felt like an eternity before Hugo Ekitiké powered his header into the top left corner, sending Anfield into raptures and sealing Liverpool's commanding 2-0 victory over Brighton. The French striker's second goal of the evening in the 60th minute extinguished any hopes the fifth-placed Seagulls harbored of mounting a comeback against eighth-placed Liverpool, who desperately needed three points to close the gap on their visitors.

Ekitiké had already stunned the traveling Brighton faithful within the opening minute, capitalizing on Joe Gomez's perfectly weighted headed pass to rifle a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the high center of the goal. The early strike set the tone for what would become a masterclass in clinical finishing from the Liverpool forward. His second goal arrived after Mohamed Salah's dangerous cross from a corner found the striker unmarked at the far post, where he buried his header with devastating precision.

The tactical battle unfolded as a fascinating contrast of styles, with Brighton's patient possession-based approach clashing against Liverpool's direct, counter-attacking philosophy. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté formed an impenetrable wall at the heart of Liverpool's defense, repeatedly thwarting Georginio Rutter's clever runs and Brajan Gruda's pacey advances down the flanks. Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch controlled the midfield tempo, breaking up Brighton's rhythm with well-timed challenges and quick distribution.

Brighton edged the possession statistics at 50.2% and registered 15 shots compared to Liverpool's 18, but the visitors' profligacy in front of goal proved costly. Bart Verbruggen produced several crucial saves, including a spectacular stop to deny Mohamed Salah from outside the box in the 60th minute, but couldn't prevent either of Ekitiké's clinical finishes. The Seagulls' best chances fell to Ferdi Kadioglu, whose 90th-minute effort from the left side of the box sailed agonizingly wide, and Kaoru Mitoma, who fired over after being introduced as a substitute.

The turning point arrived in the 64th minute when Ibrahima Konaté received a yellow card for a cynical foul on Rutter, forcing Liverpool to adopt a more cautious approach. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi responded with a flurry of substitutions, introducing fresh legs including Danny Welbeck and Yasin Ayari, but the damage had already been inflicted by Ekitiké's double salvo.

Liverpool will look to build on this momentum when they face their next Premier League opponents, while Brighton must regroup quickly for their upcoming fixture. The victory moves Liverpool within touching distance of Brighton in the table, setting up an intriguing battle for European qualification as the season progresses.