Jack Hinshelwood scored straight after coming on as Brighton & Hove Albion claimed a thrilling 3-2 win over Premier League champions Liverpool to boost their European hopes.
TV Info - Broadcasters
Hinshelwood came on in the 83rd minute of Monday’s contest at Amex Stadium and was on hand to tap in from Matt O’Riley’s cross 88 seconds later, with the goal initially disallowed for offside, though that decision was overturned after a VAR check.
Another substitute had already played a key role for Brighton before then, with Kaoru Mitoma having dragged the hosts level for the second time in the 69th minute.
Harvey Elliott had put Liverpool ahead nine minutes in, with Yasin Ayari restoring parity before Dominik Szoboszlai netted on the stroke of half-time.
Mohamed Salah squandered a huge chance prior to Brighton's second equaliser, and it proved costly as Liverpool’s winless run stretched to three games, while the hosts leapfrogged Brentford into eighth place, which could earn a place in the UEFA Conference League next season.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
37 | +13 | 65 |
| 8 |
Brighton
BHA
|
37 | +4 | 58 |
| 9 |
Brentford
BRE
|
37 | +9 | 55 |
| 10 |
Fulham
FUL
|
37 | +2 | 54 |
| 11 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
36 | +12 | 53 |
How the match unfolded
A superb bit of play from Conor Bradley produced Liverpool’s opener, as he burst into the box and squared for Elliott to tuck home.
Bradley almost turned from provider to scorer but skewed an attempt wide, and he was then caught cold at the back as Brajan Gruda picked out Ayari, who took a fantastic touch before steering a low finish out of Alisson’s reach in the 32nd minute.
Liverpool, though, restored their lead on the stroke of half-time – Szoboszlai catching Bart Verbruggen cold with a cross-shot that dipped into the left-hand corner.
Salah squandered a huge chance to make it 3-1 when he sliced wide of a gaping goal early in the second half, before Alisson made a fantastic save to deny Danny Welbeck.
Yet Brighton did hit back as, just four minutes after coming on, Mitoma volleyed in on the rebound after Alisson parried another Welbeck shot.
A stunning comeback was complete when Hinshelwood arrived on the end of O’Riley’s centre, with the goal awarded after the semi-automated technology proved Jarell Quansah had played Denmark international O'Riley onside.
Liverpool faltering
After a run of 69 straight Premier League starts, Virgil van Dijk was left on the bench by Arne Slot, who handed a start to Quansah and gave his captain a rest.
That decision perhaps had consequences, with Brighton finding plenty of attacking joy throughout the contest, and it was Quansah who just failed to move out swiftly enough to catch O’Riley offside in the build-up to Hinshelwood’s winner.
Indeed, Liverpool could easily have conceded more, with Alisson having to pull off a smart stop to thwart the typically busy Welbeck.
However, matters could have been different if Salah had brought his shooting boots to the south coast.
Salah’s swing and miss with the goal at his mercy showed he is human, after all, and he shot at Verbruggen shortly after from close range as the Egyptian failed to mark his 400th Liverpool game – and his 300th Premier League match overall – with a strike that would have seen him equal the competition’s single-season goal contribution record.
The performance of Bradley, though, was an overall positive, and it was telling that Slot did not turn to Trent Alexander-Arnold at all, with the right-back leaving the Reds at the end of the season.
Bradley may have more competition at right-back next season, with Jeremie Frimpong reportedly a Liverpool target, but he did his chances no harm, even if he could perhaps have done better for Brighton’s first goal.
The Reds will now aim to finish a fantastic season on a winning note when they take on FA Cup victors Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday.
Super subs seal it for Seagulls
Fabian Hurzeler got his changes spot on, with three of his five substitutes playing a key role as Brighton ended their home campaign on a high.
Mitoma provided the touch of class to finish after Alisson had frustrated Welbeck, and his guile in the final third was enough to put Liverpool’s sluggish defence on the back foot.
It was Hinshelwood who was the hero, though, as he netted the fourth-fastest goal by a substitute in the Premier League this season.
And to make his cameo even more special, the matchwinner was subbed on alongside his cousin, Harry Howell, who became Brighton’s youngest player in the Premier League in the process.
Brighton are now unbeaten in their last three home league games against Liverpool, and this win has propelled them three points clear of Brentford in the race for eighth, which may still be enough to secure European football for next season.
They round off their campaign with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur, with a point in that fixture enough to guarantee them an eighth-place finish.
Club reports
Brighton report | Liverpool report
What the managers said
Fabian Hurzeler: "There have been a lot of highs and lows throughout the season. It's important you don't overreact and important to stay grounded and humble because there is still one game to go but I'm really proud of the team."
Arne Slot: "Two very good teams wanting to play football, not time wasting, no diving. Momentum changed in the game and I waited for us to score the third, that would have killed the game but they made it 2-2. Great game of football but not the result we wanted."
Final PL fixture
Key facts
Liverpool have lost a Premier League game having led at half-time for the first time since December 2016 (a 4-3 loss at Bournemouth), ending their run of 156 games without defeat when leading at the break (W142 D14).
Liverpool are the first side to be crowned Premier League champions and then fail to win their next three games in the competition in the same season (D1 L2).
Brighton have come back to win three Premier League games this season when trailing at half-time, with only Fulham doing so more often (five).
Only Fulham (17) have had more goals scored by substitutes in the Premier League this season than Brighton (13), with subs Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood both netting this evening.