Liverpool Dominates, Returns to Top of English Premier League

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on Nov. 2, 2024. Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has created a new culture of winning, and he has the Reds back atop the English Premier League (EPL).

Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scored two goals two minutes apart late in the second half to lead Liverpool to a 2–1 victory over Brighton on Saturday. Brighton had taken the lead in the 14th minute on a goal by Ferdi Kadioglu.

Under Slot, who took over for Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season, the Reds have won 13 of their first 15 matches across all competitions.

The victory propelled Liverpool to the top of the EPL standings with 25 points (eight wins, one draw, and one loss), ahead of Manchester City (23 points) and upstart Nottingham Forest (19 points). Chelsea, Arsenal, and Aston Villa are tied for fourth place with 18 points each.

“I think a lot of things happen during a season,” Slot said at his postgame news conference following the game. “Sometimes you have to defend a lead, sometimes you have to come back after going 1–0 behind. So this is a win you also need in a season where you want to be competitive because you cannot always be, from the first until the last second, the best team on the pitch.

“Sometimes you have a difficult period and then you need to fight back, and that’s what we did.”

Liverpool has a balanced lineup and has dominated the competition thus far. The forwards of Salah and Uruguay international Darwin Núñez have provided the scoring punch for the Reds, who have scored 19 goals and conceded six in the EPL this season. Defenders Virgil van Dijk and Kostas Tsimikas are also playing in top form and preventing teams from creating quality scoring chances.

However, the players know there is a long season ahead, and they must be consistent to stay atop the standings.

“We want to be on top of the league, but we want to be there after the last match in May,” van Dijk said in a post-match interview with Sky Sports following the game. “The results have been good so far this season, but there is a long way to go. It is still a work in progress. We stay humble and keep fighting.”

Liverpool has little time to savor its win against Brighton or its position in the EPL. The Reds must prepare to play German power Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Liverpool has already won over AC Milan, Bologna, and RB Leipzig in the Champions League thus far.

Salah has scored 49 Champions League goals over his career. Only 10 players have previously reached 50 goals in the competition.

Manchester City snapped a 32-game unbeaten streak in the English Premier League with a 2–1 loss to host Bournemouth on Saturday. However, Manchester City has been dealing with various injuries, including midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

Manchester City had not lost in a league game since a 1–0 defeat to Aston Villa on Dec. 6, 2023.

Manchester City will face Sporting CP in Portugal in the Champions League action on Tuesday.