The midfielder put in a superb performance at Anfield, and it was his pass that led to the Reds' Egyptian King netting the winner
Liverpool know they can avoid no slip-ups as they chase down the Premier League title, and while they fell behind early against Brighton, the Reds showed both character and class to secure a 2-1 win on Sunday.
Danny Welbeck fired the visitors into the lead after just 84 seconds as he lashed in a strike from the edge of the area, but Liverpool recovered well from that setback to haul themselves back into the game via a close-range volley from Luis Diaz.
Mohamed Salah missed a number of good chances to give Liverpool the lead during the first half, but it was not until midway into the second period that he finally found his shooting boots. He curled a low effort into the bottom corner after a fine pass from the magnificent Alexis Mac Allister.
Brighton pushed for an equaliser, but Jurgen Klopp's side held out to move back to the top of the Premier League table, at least for a few hours.
GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…
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Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10):
Could do nothing about Welbeck's stunning strike, and had little to do thereafter until he palmed away Dunk's looping header late on. Comfortable with his distribution.
Conor Bradley (6/10):
Showed bundles of energy and helped create attacking overloads down the right-hand side. Did find himself out of position at times, but made a couple of key defensive interventions.
Jarell Quansah (6/10):
Brighton clearly looked to target the young centre-back, and Adingra's pace caused him plenty of problems. However, he improved as the game wore on and showed good composure.
Virgil van Dijk (7/10):
Took it upon himself to literally lead from the front and could regularly be found pressing high in Brighton's half. Characteristically solid throughout.
Joe Gomez (6/10):
Had a couple of hairy moments in possession but generally recovered well when he needed to.
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Alexis Mac Allister (9/10):
Outstanding. Created so many chances with smart through-balls and dictated the tempo of Liverpool's attacks. Booked early but that didn't stop him from doing his defensive work, too.
Wataru Endo (7/10):
Another impressive showing from the Japan international as he swept up in front of the defence and looked to get the hosts moving forward.
Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10):
Was quiet in the first half but improved immeasurably after the break. Played his part in Salah's goal and pressed well in an energetic showing.
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Mohamed Salah (6/10):
Looked like he had left his shooting boots at home before he finally fired past Verbruggen midway through the second half. Not his best performance, but still the match-winner.
Darwin Nunez (6/10):
Struggled to link up with team-mates in the first half, but ran the channels well after the break and sparked a couple of dangerous counter-attacks.
Luis Diaz (7/10):
Fine volleyed finish got the Reds back into the game, and put Veltman under all sorts of pressure with his direct dribbling. Unlucky to have a second goal ruled out for a tight offside.
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Harvey Elliott (N/A):
Added energy in his 10-minute cameo.
Cody Gakpo (N/A):
On for Diaz in the 89th minute.
Ryan Gravenberch (N/A):
Came on in stoppage-time
Jurgen Klopp (7/10):
Given the struggles he has had with Brighton in the past, winning is all that will matter to the Liverpool boss. Wasn't any kind of great tactical masterclass, though how some of his young players grew into the game is testament to how he has coached them.