Brighton and Hove Albion ace Solly March was thrilled to go head-to-head with ‘one of the best in the world’ even as Mo Salah scored twice in Liverpool’s 2-2 Premier League draw at The Amex.
That March emerged from a pulsating encounter on the South Coast with the Man of the Match award under his arm is testament to how well one of the division’s most flexible footballers adapted to life in an unfamiliar, more defensively-minded role.
Yes, Mo Salah scored twice. Finishing clinically to cancel out Simon Adringa’s bizarre opener before slotting in a Liverpool penalty. But March stuck to his task, battled manfully, and even ended the day with an assist to his name, a typically wicked delivery from the left setting up Lewis Dunk’s 79th minute equaliser.
Mo Salah scores twice in Liverpool draw
“It was probably around two years ago (that I last played left-back). I was excited to play there,” March, perhaps the finest uncapped Englishman in the Premier League, tells the Brighton website.
“It’s a challenge and obviously you want to play against the best. And Salah is one of the best right wingers in the world. So it was a challenge.
“But I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
With no wins in their last two games, Liverpool have now fallen three points adrift of London giants Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the top of the table. Brighton are up to sixth; Roberto de Zerbi’s side once again throwing their hat into the ring for a European spot after qualifying for continental football for the very first time in 2022/23.
Salah meanwhile, outstanding and consistent as ever, has six goals and four assists to his name already this term.
Liverpool three points off the top
“I think unfortunately, yes (the draw is the fair result),” Klopp sighs, via the Liverpool website. “2-1 up is a good result for half-time here because it is a really good team and it is difficult to defend them all the time. We wanted to do high pressing, it was the right thing to do.
“But, in the same moment, it caused the issue that they play out from time to time, we don’t win the ball and then the pitch is really big and (we are) chasing back. They do that well.
I think it is clear in the second half we should have scored for 3-1. there were one or two really good opportunities,” Klopp adds, Ryan Gravenberch missing a sitter from close range.
“But because we don’t score there, we keep the game open. Then Dunk was there and could score. It was intense for both teams, so I think it’s the right result in the end.”
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