Liverpool reign with set-piece supremacy again
Leaders Liverpool's set-piece prowess came to the fore as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 on Saturday to go 11 points clear of English Premier League champions Manchester City.
Virgil van Dijk scored both the Reds' goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold deliveries to take Liverpool's tally of set-piece goals in the EPL since the start of last season to 40 - the best record in the league.
The league's all-time top scorer Alan Shearer said on the BBC: "It helps when you've got the king of assists in Trent Alexander-Arnold and you've got the defender who's scored more goals than any other defender since the start of last season, and that worked for them today...
"(For the second goal), it's almost impossible to defend when you're putting that much whip and pace on the ball."
Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, told Liverpool's website: "We've got big lads, and if we get the delivery right, then we've got a good chance of scoring goals...
"It's all about the delivery and putting it in areas and timing the runs."
Brighton's goal also came via a set-piece, earned after Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson was sent off for handling outside the penalty box - meaning he will miss Thursday morning's (Singapore time) Merseyside Derby against Everton.
Spanish replacement Adrian came on, but his first act was to pick the ball out of the net as Lewis Dunk rolled the free-kick past the Liverpool wall and an unprepared goalkeeper.
Said Brighton boss Graham Potter: "There are no weaknesses with Liverpool, that's the truth."
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