Brighton scored an injury time penalty to deny Liverpool all three points in the early Saturday kick off.
In an eventful game, Brighton were awarded two penalties whilst the reds saw two goals ruled out after VAR.
The reds were back in action just two and a half days after defeat by Atalanta in the Champions League and there was only minor improvement in the reds injury situation.
Curtis Jones was named on the bench after being unable to train on Friday and Jordan Henderson did return to the substitutes bench. Joel Matip was rested - Fabinho and Nat Phillips utilised in central defence.
Up front, it was Sadio Mane's turn to relax on the bench - Minamino joining Salah, Firmino and Jota. James Milner captaining the reds alongside Gini Wijnaldum.
Although Liverpool started well, Brighton's week off compared to Liverpool seemed to be an important difference and they were a constant menace throughout - with poor finishing one of their main enemies.
One of them isn’t it. pic.twitter.com/yoVgpxqbdM
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) 28 November 2020
Within the first three minutes the reds broke through the Brighton back line twice - Salah's shot going wide of the goal in these early stages. A period of Brighton pressure followed before Neco Williams fouled Aaron Connolly in the area to concede a penalty. Up stepped Neal Maupay, ready to add to his four Premier League goals, but he put the ball wide of the goal. Minutes later he was off after taking an injury - a disappointing half hour for the French forward.
Liverpool thought they had broken the deadlock when Mo Salah latched on to a Firmino flick to put the reds 1-0 up. But out came the VAR with the 3D lines and eventually declared Salah's goal as offside - by the width of a hair. Another farcical over-analysis of the offside rule.
Very, very, very marginal.
At half time the ineffective Neco Williams was replaced by Jordan Henderson but it was still Brighton in the ascendancy until Mo Salah's clever touch fed Diogo Jota who calmly placed the ball in the corner. VAR couldn't chalk that one off.
As it happened: Brighton 1-1 LFC
Substitute Sadio Mane thought he had made it 2-0 from an Andy Robertson free kick but he was adjudged to have also been offside with his header. Disallowed.
In the final five minutes of injury time Andy Robertson caught Danny Welbeck going for the ball but the referee waved played on. He was instructed to watch again on the pitchside monitor and that ends in one outcome. Another penalty for the home side and this time Pascal Gross fired it past Alisson to make it 1-1.
There were more injury concerns when James Milner had to depart with a suspected hamstring injury and the reds now face 9 games in the next 32 days with a tough game against Ajax first on the list.
The reds will be hoping to welcome some fans back to Anfield next weekend. At this rate, some of them might be getting a game.
Liverpool move top of the league, temporarily at least with 21 points from their opening 10 games, but worryingly no wins away from home since September.
