Roberto De Zerbi fails Anfield audition as Mohamed Salah continues Liverpool’s title charge

He was bold, he was brash, but Roberto De Zerbi’s Anfield audition did little to convince a sceptical audience he has what it takes to succeed Jurgen Klopp as the Liverpool title charge rumbled on at Anfield on Sunday.

The Brighton boss set things up perfectly pre-match, insisting he is not sure where his future lies beyond this season, with Manchester United another potential destination.

Given his lack of managing at the very top level, the doubters needed to see something special from Brighton on Sunday, a lesson on par with that they put on at Old Trafford earlier this season, to convince them the Italian is Klopp’s rightful heir.

However, after Danny Welbeck did his duty as a Mancunian to give De Zerbi hope of another eye-catching result in the red half of Merseyside, following last season’s 3-3 draw on his Premier League bow, goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah ensured Liverpool roared back from behind to win for the seventh time this season.

In no season have they come from behind to win more Premier League matches – a sign of the desire to give Klopp the ultimate send-off and give his successor, whether that is De Zerbi or someone else, the ultimate challenge.

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With De Zerbi out to make an impression, the game was always going to be as open as his English football debut last season. He was also not going to turn up to the audition empty-handed either, with a clear plan to target Liverpool’s inexperienced right-hand side evident from the off.

Welbeck’s sensational strike to silence Anfield less than 90 seconds in – the earliest a visiting side had led an Anfield since October 2019 – started a trend. Time and again Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley were engulfed by blue and white shirts – 62 per cent of all first-half Brighton attacks came down their left flank – and it was putting the hosts under a great deal of strain.

However, had Salah brought his shooting boots with him, the visitor’s endeavour could quickly have been in vain. The Egyptian plundered seven shots at goal inside the first 30 minutes, more than he had in any full game in the Premier League this season, but failed to really test Brighton stopper Bart Verbruggen with any of them.

Salah’s early profligacy let the visitors off the hook, so De Zerbi remained unmoved, with Brighton passing out from the back at every single opportunity, even when faced with the Liverpool gergenpressing machine.

It was always a risky strategy, but one that can reward the bravest. Had Diaz not nudged Liverpool level from a corner, a frustrated Anfield could have grown even more irritated. Once Diaz had lifted the mood, however, there was only going to be one winner. Brighton’s passing out from the back remained, but without a lead to fall back on, the nerves set in and the passes went astray.

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Nunez hit the upright late in the first half in a bizarre fashion only he seems able to conjure, before the omnipresent Alexis Mac Allister, superb against his former club all afternoon, headed just wide early in the second.

A goal was coming, but you didn’t feel Salah was going to be the one to make the net bulge, not on this rare off day, but from a sumptuous Mac Allister pass, he could not miss, firing home his 16th league goal of the season. Salah now has 15 goal involvements against Brighton – his favourite opponent.

De Zerbi shuffled his pack, threw on former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana, who said pre-match, to some derision on social media, he was “desperate” for Liverpool to win the league. The veteran almost made his own words look rather foolish late on, but narrowly missed the target.

Liverpool held on in comfort to earn a crucial three points that had Klopp beating his chest in front of the Kop once more.

One man who could replace him, however, will have to really upset the apple cart for the remainder of the season to win over an army of sceptics and step into those trophy-laden shoes.