Brighton 3-0 Liverpool: Where do Jurgen Klopp’s Reds go from here after their ‘worst game’?

Jurgen Klopp’s immediate reaction to Liverpool’s humiliation at the hands of Brighton on Saturday was brief and to the point.

The visitors were outplayed from start to finish at Amex Stadium, resulting in an alarmingly disjointed, toothless, and lop-sided performance that puts them well behind the pace in the Premier League.

Brentford’s win over Bournemouth at home on Saturday evening dropped the Reds to ninth in the table, 16 points behind league leaders Arsenal despite having played one more game.

“Brighton performed admirably. They were deserving of victory. It was a well-organized team versus a poorly organized team.

“Of course, we’re worried. How could you not be interested in a game like this?”

What was the worst season under Klopp?
Liverpool and Brighton’s Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson claimed that “everything” went wrong during Liverpool’s loss at Amex Stadium.
Liverpool have scored fewer goals, conceded more, won fewer points, and have a worse goal difference after 18 league games than at this point in any previous full top-flight season under Klopp, who was appointed manager in October 2015.

They have scored 26 points in the league this season, four more than they did in the entire 2021-22 season.

On Saturday, Klopp used a 4-3-1-2 formation with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain operating behind a front two of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, but there was an imbalance in their play that Brighton were eager to exploit.

With some justification, Liverpool fans will argue that injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and others have had a significant impact, but recent defensive flaws cannot be explained away.

Careless errors were to blame for the 3-1 loss at Brentford two weeks ago, as well as the 2-2 draw with Wolves in the FA Cup third round last Saturday.

Brighton’s first goal was entirely self-inflicted, with Alexis Mac Allister intercepting Joel Matip’s loose pass in the build-up to Solly March’s 46th-minute strike.

When asked what went wrong, captain Jordan Henderson said simply: “Everything.

“It hasn’t been right for quite some time. Everyone is aware of this. I’ll accept responsibility, and the boys will as well. We must try to make things right.

“We have a low level of confidence. The level of energy is low. We must continue to fight, and hopefully we will be able to change things sooner rather than later.”

Liverpool has 18 Premier League games remaining.

When asked why he has yet to bring in more reinforcements during the January transfer window, Klopp responded angrily, telling reporters that the “transfer market is not the solution for us” during Friday’s pre-match news conference.

While Liverpool is still interested in Moises Caicedo, who put on another midfield masterclass for Brighton on Saturday, and England international Jude Bellingham, Gakpo is their only signing since the World Cup in Qatar.

Former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown told Final Score that Liverpool need to “rebuild” to get out of their current slump.

“We all know Jurgen Klopp is a fantastic manager,” he said. “In midfield, it just looks a little worn.

“Liverpool aren’t the same if they can’t press you – they were the best in Europe last year. They just don’t have the same amount of energy.”

Klopp, on the other hand, believes that better organization is the key to improving the Reds’ fortunes.

“The same players have played outstanding football matches, but it can appear that way if things aren’t properly organized,” he explained.

“Today is a particularly low point. Apart from things that did not work, we can learn nothing from this game.

“It shouldn’t be too difficult to improve on today.”