Liverpool

Liverpool may have lost at Brighton last night but boss Arne Slot still felt it was a "great game of football" .

"[There were] two very good teams playing against each other wanting to play football - no time wasting, no diving," he said. "It was a joy to watch both teams try to play as they did - great game of football, unfortunately not the result we wanted.

"We played number eight in the Premier League [table] and they were able to bring on [Kaoru] Mitoma, that tells you how strong this league is.

"If you don't score the third one [when 2-1 up], it's hard to win a game of football at this level in an away game because we're not the first to lose over here. It's a hard place to go and we cannot miss chances like we did if we want to kill the game.

"The number eight in the Premier League has the ability, finances, whatever you want to call it, so many qualities to not start with Mitoma and then bring him in and I think in both goals he played a vital role."

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Monday's win for Brighton provided another twist in the Premier League's race for Europe as it lifted them to eighth, three points above Brentford.

The Seagulls travel to Tottenham on Sunday for the final day of the season, and the team that finishes eighth may qualify for the Uefa Conference League.

For that to happen, Chelsea need to beat Real Betis in the 2025 final on Wednesday, 28 May, and then finish seventh in the Premier League - or sixth as long as Newcastle come seventh.

Chelsea are away to seventh-placed Nottingham Forest on Sunday while Newcastle host Everton.

The top half of the Premier League has changed with virtually every game over the past few weeks.

As it stands, there are five teams separated by just one point, with just one more game before the stage will be set for the final day.

Manchester City host Bournemouth later and a home victory would send them into third place, two points ahead of Newcastle.

A draw would leave four teams on 66 points, with Nottingham Forest just a point further back.

Brighton and Brentford can finish eighth, along with Bournemouth.

The Cherries may be below Fulham in 11th but can still finish eighth as they have an extra game to play. A win at Man City later would lift them to ninth with 56 points.

Liverpool have picked up only two points since clinching the title, and with one game left, the maximum tally they can achieve this season is 86.

That would be fewer points than Arsenal earned as they finished runners-up to Manchester City last season (89).

Remember what Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said a couple of weeks ago?

Here's a reminder: "With the amount of points that we have generated in the last few seasons, we could have won two Premier League titles. So you know how close we are. We are providing the numbers that win you titles."

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool might have suffered their fourth Premier League defeat of the season at Brighton but that did little to dampen their fans' celebrations after the Reds clinched their 20th league title with four games to spare.

In particular, Freed from Desire was sung with plenty of gusto after the game as the title-winning party continued on the south coast.

Image source, Reuters

Conor Bradley started his second straight game at right-back and after just nine minutes, Dominik Szoboszlai's cross-field pass superbly flicked on by Mohamed Salah into Bradley's path.

The 21-year-old Northern Ireland international then did excellently to get to the byeline and his pass was steered into the net by Harvey Elliott for the opening goal.

Bradley, looking to show what he can do with Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving the club in the summer, had a glorious chance to double the Reds' advantage but watched his side-footed shot go wide of the post after good work from Federico Chiesa.

Alexander-Arnold, who is set to join Real Madrid, was booed by his own fans when he came on during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal but this time remained an unused substitute, with Bradley replaced by Wataru Endo on 77 minutes.

Alexander-Arnold looked stoic after the game, as he stood near the edge of the penalty area in front of the Liverpool fans as they continued their title-winning party.

Image source, Reuters

Liverpool won the title with four games to spare, but have picked up only two points since. They become the first side in the Premier League era to not win any of their next three matches in the same campaign after becoming champions.

Just as Chelsea and Arsenal had done, Brighton's players gave Arne Slot's side a guard of honour as the Reds ran on to the field.

Slot gave game time to some fringe members of his squad with Federico Chiesa handed a first Premier League start since his £10m move from Juventus in August.

Virgil van Dijk, who had played every minute of Liverpool's league campaign, remained among the substitutes, meaning Mohamed Salah, in his 400th game for the club, was named captain for the first time in a Premier League match.

Salah only needs one goal or assist to match the Premier League-era record of 47 goal contributions in one season, currently held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole, although their totals came in 42-game campaigns.

With Liverpool leading 2-1, the Egyptian had a great chance to put the game beyond Brighton, only to shoot wide from eight yards when in a central position - and that miss proved crucial.

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Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood came on in the 84th minute along with winger Harry Howell - his 17-year-old cousin - who became Brighton's youngest player.

Hinshelwood then made an instant impact as, just a minute later, the 20-year-old scored the fourth quickest goal by a substitute in the Premier League this season.

Howell was first on hand to congratulate his cousin, and although the celebrations were cut short as they spotted the offside flag up, the goal was then given following a VAR check.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport

Image source, Reuters

Premier League champions Liverpool twice let a lead slip as Brighton fought back in style to gain a victory that boosts their slim hopes of securing European football next season.

Substitute Jack Hinshelwood proved to be the match-winner as he made an instant impact and turned in Matt O'Riley's cross in the 85th minute, with the goal being given following a check by the video assistant referee (VAR) after it had originally been ruled offside.

The Reds led 1-0 and then 2-1 at half-time, before the Seagulls recovered well to move eighth in the table, three points above Brentford.

In an entertaining match at Amex Stadium, Liverpool took a ninth-minute lead through Harvey Elilott following good work from Conor Bradley, before Yasin Ayari equalised with a low strike.

But Dominik Szoboszlai restored the Reds' advantage in fortunate fashion. He and Elliott combined to take a quick free-kick, and from the right side of the penalty area Szoboszlai seemingly attempted a cross into the box, only for the ball to fly over the head of home goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen into the net.

Alisson produced a superb fingertip save to deny Danny Welbeck, but could do nothing about Kaoru Mitoma's strike when he showed great technique to make it 2-2 before Hinshelwood's winner.

And welcome to today's live page. Brighton became the latest Premier League team to give a guard of honour to champions Liverpool on Monday and the Seagulls then came from behind twice to inflict the Reds' fourth league defeat of the season.

We're about to bring you reaction, look at the race for Europe and then continue the build-up to this season's Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday.

Image source, EPA