Report by dr talal osman Danny Welbeck scored twice as Brighton & Hove Albion dented Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League hopes with a 2-1 victory over the reigning Premier League champions on Saturday. Welbeck struck the decisive blow in the 56th minute at Amex Stadium, which extended Liverpool’s winless league run to three matches. Brighton hit the front inside the opening 15 minutes through Welbeck’s towering header, but Milos Kerkez equalised soon after following a mistake by Brighton captain Lewis Dunk. However, Fabian Hurzeler’s side would retake the lead early in the second half, thanks to Welbeck’s simple finish to hand Liverpool a second defeat in three matches. The result sees Liverpool stay in fifth on 49 points, but they could drop a place if Chelsea beat Everton later in the day. Brighton, meanwhile, jumped up to ninth, on 43 points, and within six points of the Reds. How the match unfolded After losing Hugo Ekitike to injury early on, Liverpool found themselves behind in the 14th minute when Welbeck rose above Ibrahima Konate and nodded in at the back post. But Arne Slot’s side hauled themselves level through Kerkez on the half-hour mark, with the full-back stealing in to lift the ball over goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and punish Dunk’s slack backwards header. Brighton upped the pressure after the break and only a fine stop from Giorgi Mamardashvili stopped Ferdi Kadioglu’s shot from nestling into the goal, with Mats Wieffer heading narrowly wide from the resulting corner. The Seagulls’ persistence was rewarded, though, when Yankuba Minteh’s brilliant cross picked out Jack Hinshelwood, who squared for Welbeck to double his, and Brighton’s, tally. Marmadashvilli was then called into action to deny Minteh from a 1v1, with Yasin Ayari seeing his late effort cleared off the line by Curtis Jones as Brighton claimed the win.