
Leandro Trossard scored a hat-trick at Anfield to earn Brighton & Hove Albion a dramatic 3-3 draw with Liverpool in Roberto De Zerbi‘s first game in charge of the Seagulls this afternoon.
The Italian – a replacement for Graham Potter following his switch to Chelsea – could not have dreamt of making a better start to his tenure as his impressive Brighton side found themselves two goals ahead within 17 minutes on Merseyside, both courtesy of Trossard.
Not for the first time this season, Liverpool found themselves in need of a comeback and they duly obliged, inspired mainly by Roberto Firmino as the Brazilian scored either side of half time to level things up.
An Adam Webster own goal following Robert Sanchez‘s error then gifted the hosts the lead, only for Trossard to complete his hat-trick and secure both the match ball and a deserved point for the visitors seven minutes from time.
In doing so, the Belgian became only the third player to score an away Premier League hat-trick at Anfield, joining an exclusive list which also includes Peter Ndlovu and Andrey Arshavin.
It was just reward for both player and club, with Brighton having created enough chances to win the game and Liverpool perhaps fortunate to escape with a point following another under-par display.
Any hopes that a relatively kind international break for Liverpool would aid their bid to kickstart their season ahead of a busy run-up to the World Cup quickly evaporated when Brighton took the lead inside four minutes.
Indeed, there were more signs of rustiness than revival after a four-week spell without a league game, with Trossard latching on to Danny Welbeck‘s back-heel before beating Trent Alexander-Arnold and finding the bottom corner to open the scoring.
Trossard’s second followed only 13 minutes later, and Liverpool could have no complaints having also seen Alisson Becker make point-blank saves from Welbeck and Trossard between the opening two goals.
It was not until around the half-hour mark that Liverpool first really threatened as Mohamed Salah was denied by Sanchez, but they pulled a goal back shortly afterwards when Firmino clipped the ball into an empty net after Salah – at first ruled out for offside but then proved on by VAR – had touched the ball into his path.
More to follow.