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#3 Brighton's profligacy spares Liverpool's makeshift back-line
Liverpool's well-documented injury concerns came back to haunt them on a fair few occasions against Brighton as a makeshift back-line of Fabinho and Nathaniel Phillips was visibly uncomfortable against the home side's direct play. Brighton made several inroads into the Liverpool half throughout the game and will not be happy with their dismal conversion rate.
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The home side should have scored the opening goal on two separate occasions in the first half as Aaron Connolly found himself through on goal but inexplicably missed the target. Neal Maupay will also be furious with himself after a disappointing penalty that could have potentially seen Brighton walk away from this game with all three points.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have a few key decisions to make in the coming weeks with regard to their starting line-up. Jurgen Klopp will not be pleased with his defence today and needs to find a solution to account for Liverpool's lack of defensive solidity this season.
#2 Diogo Jota's offers excellent solution to Jurgen Klopp's workload problem
Liverpool have had one of the busiest seasons in recent memory so far and will have to navigate yet another hectic set of weeks in December. With Diogo Jota in their ranks, however, the Merseyside giants can rest easy as far as their famed front-line is concerned.
The Portuguese winger nearly made an immediate impact on the game with a well-timed run in the opening minute but could not find Mohamed Salah with his pass. Jota made amends in the second half with an excellent goal to justify his selection yet again.
Diogo Jota's presence on the pitch allowed Jurgen Klopp to keep Sadio Mane on the bench and bring him on for the talismanic Mohamed Salah an hour into the game. With Liverpool competing on multiple fronts this season, Jurgen Klopp will take some comfort from the fact that his summer signing from Wolves is exceeding expectations at the club.
#1 VAR makes headlines yet again with three important decisions
Liverpool cannot seem to catch a break with VAR this season. The much-discussed technology caused an uproar after the Merseyside derby earlier this season and has become a point of contention yet again after an eventful Brighton game.
VAR was called into action on two occasions in the second half and arguably got both decisions right, with Sadio Mane in a clear offside position when he found the back of the net. Andrew Robertson also made clear contact with Danny Welbeck in the penalty area in the build-up to Brighton's stoppage-time penalty.
The first-half intervention by VAR for Mohamed Salah's strike will leave a bitter taste in the mouth, however, and a bemused Jurgen Klopp was visibly frustrated in the dugout as Liverpool squandered a narrow lead with a late blunder. The Reds were not at their best today but will certainly feel hard done by after a difficult game.
