Brighton & Hove Albion showed few signs of a Europa League hangover as they fought back to steal a deserved point in a pulsating 2-2 Premier League draw with Liverpool at the Amex Stadium.
A sloppy Reds side deservedly went behind to Simon Adingra's opener, but a quickfire Mohamed Salah brace at the end of the half seemingly set Liverpool on their way to another quintessential come-from-behind success.
However, Lewis Dunk caught the visitors napping from a free kick to wipe out Liverpool's advantage 11 minutes before the end, and the Seagulls could have easily come away with maximum spoils as they consigned their 6-1 Aston Villa embarrassment to history.
Despite his starring role in midweek, Ryan Gravenberch lost out to Harvey Elliott in the battle to replace the suspended Curtis Jones, while Premier League novices Carlos Baleba and Igor Julio came in to a much-changed Brighton side.
Roberto De Zerbi's side - who were seeking a third successive win over Liverpool - started on the front foot and handed the Reds a few scares with a succession of corners in the opening five minutes, but Jurgen Klopp's charges survived.
However, Liverpool would not get away with a horror mistake in the 20th minute, as Virgil van Dijk's attempted pass to ex-Seagull Alexis Mac Allister was cut out by a lively Adingra, who saw Alisson Becker out of position and coolly side-footed the ball into the back of the net from distance.
All of Van Dijk, Alisson and Mac Allister - who failed to spot Adingra charging down the former's weak pass - were culpable for Brighton's opener, and Baleba was inches away from doubling the hosts' lead in the 31st minute, surging forward and cutting back onto his left foot before firing wide from 20 yards.
Liverpool had been outclassed for the majority of the first half, but after Reds captain Van Dijk was the architect of his side's downfall, Brighton skipper Dunk gifted the visitors an undeserved route back into the game in the 40th minute.
The Englishman's pass out from the back was intercepted by Mac Allister, and as Liverpool drove towards goal, Dunk was dragged out of position by Luis Diaz, who coolly gave the Brighton man the slip on the edge of the area.
Salah subsequently found himself in acres of space inside the Brighton box, and the Egyptian clinically found the far corner from Darwin Nunez's pass to level matters before doubling his tally and turning the tie on its head just five minutes later.
Bart Verbruggen had already raised a few Seagulls heart rates with risky plays out from the back, and the goalkeeper made the poor decision to pick out Pascal Gross, who was under pressure from Dominik Szoboszlai and dragged the Hungarian down from inside the area.
Baleba also cleaned out Diaz a few seconds later for good measure, presenting Salah with the opportunity to steer Liverpool ahead from 12 yards, which he did with an emphatic penalty into the bottom corner; Verbruggen dived the right way, but his efforts were futile.
Gravenberch was unsurprisingly introduced for the second period - replacing Elliott - and the Dutchman spurned a wonderful chance to add to Liverpool's lead in the 53rd minute, meeting Szoboszlai's cross to the back stick but rattling the woodwork with most of the goal at his mercy.
It did not take too long for De Zerbi to make a change of his own, as Jan Paul van Hecke came on for the injured Igor, and Brighton were up in arms in the 69th minute when the ball struck Van Dijk's hand inside the box, but having hit the Dutchman's thigh first, Liverpool escaped and De Zerbi was cautioned for his protests.
However, the Seagulls boss had his frown turned upside down in the 78th minute, as Solly March whipped in a free kick from the left, and Dunk ghosted just beyond the Liverpool backline to shin the ball home and level matters again.
Brighton could sense a third, which should have arrived in the 84th minute as Adingra - who caused Liverpool a world of problems all afternoon - picked out Joao Pedro unmarked inside the box, but the Brazilian leant back and fired a poor effort over the bar from a fabulous position.
Both sides tried to carve out late openings in the final third, but it was honours even at the end as Liverpool temporarily rise into third in the table above Arsenal, while Brighton stay sixth.
Liverpool will return to action with an Anfield Merseyside derby against Everton on October 21 following the international break, while Brighton have the small matter of a trip to Manchester City in two weeks' time. body check tags ::
