Welbeck Strikes as Brighton Dent Liverpool’s Champions League Hopes

March 21, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

Brighton & Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck scored twice to defeat Liverpool 2-1, intensifying the debate over his potential inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Welbeck’s goals, taking his Premier League tally for the season to 12 – the most by an Englishman in the competition – came as a direct response to being omitted from Tuchel’s recent squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. The 35-year-old’s performance against Liverpool marked his most prolific league campaign to date, surpassing previous personal bests.

“Control what I can control,” Welbeck told BBC Match of the Day after the game, acknowledging his England aspirations. “It’s really nice that my name is being mentioned. That’s a positive for me. I don’t like to give energy to things I can’t control. For me, I’m just happy, I’m enjoying my football and I focus on what I can control.”

Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler emphasized Welbeck’s value extends beyond goals. “Even more important for a team is how he functions as a connector,” Hürzeler said. “He’s always there to connect the different ages. To connect the different cultures we have in our team. To be there as a social leader. If you want to achieve something in a World Cup that’s an attitude that definitely helps. Therefore we keep pushing him, we keep trying to support him and hopefully one day he gets the rewards for what he’s doing on and off the pitch.”

The defeat was Liverpool’s 10th in the Premier League this season, a figure not seen since the 2015-16 campaign. The result further complicates their pursuit of Champions League qualification. Liverpool were without key players Mohamed Salah and Alisson due to injury, and lost Hugo Ekitiké to a leg injury in the eighth minute.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot attributed the loss to a recurring pattern of inconsistency. “As has happened so many times this season, after we’ve played a quality game, we couldn’t bring that level again,” Slot said. “That has happened so many times to us this season.”

Brighton opened the scoring after a misplaced pass from Curtis Jones led to a throw-in. A subsequent cross was headed back across goal by Diego Gómez, allowing Welbeck to score from close range. Welbeck’s second goal came from a cross by Yankuba Minteh, with Jack Hinshelwood unmarked at the back post, leaving Welbeck free to convert.

Liverpool briefly equalized through Milos Kerkez, who capitalized on a misjudgement from Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, flicking the ball over Bart Verbruggen. But, Brighton’s defensive organization and Welbeck’s clinical finishing proved decisive.

Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, making his debut after Alisson’s injury, made several key saves but struggled with distribution. Slot indicated Ekitiké’s injury was not serious, stating he “could play tomorrow if he needed to.”

Brighton 2-1 Liverpool key facts:

  • Liverpool have lost 10 Premier League games in a season for the first time since 2015-16.
  • Danny Welbeck’s double for Brighton took his tally of Premier League goals this season to 12, his outright most in a single campaign.
  • Virgil van Dijk made his 265th appearance for Liverpool in the Premier League, all of which have been starts; the most appearances for an outfield player at a club while starting all of them in the competition’s history.