Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate has reassured fans that the arm injury he sustained during Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory against Brighton & Hove Albion is not as severe as initially feared. The 25-year-old France international was forced off at half-time, but following a scan, he announced on Instagram, “My injury isn’t serious, thankfully. I’ll be ready for the next game.”
Liverpool, currently sitting atop the Premier League table, faced Brighton at Anfield without several key players, including first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielders Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota. With injuries taking a toll on the squad, Konate’s quick recovery is a much-needed boost as they prepare for upcoming matches against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League and Aston Villa in the league.
In addition to Konate’s positive news, Liverpool’s perfect day was further sweetened by the misfortunes of their title rivals. Manchester City, the defending champions, suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth—marking their first league loss in 11 months—while Arsenal fell 1-0 to Newcastle United, managing just one point from their last three games.
Liverpool now leads the Premier League with 25 points from 10 matches, two points clear of City, while Nottingham Forest’s impressive start sees them in third place with 19 points. Arsenal sits fourth with 18 points but could slip out of the top four if Aston Villa avoids defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
Read also: Ruud van Nistelrooy expresses desire to stay with Manchester United
Arne Slot has enjoyed a remarkable start as Liverpool’s new manager, achieving the best results of any new boss since the departure of Juergen Klopp. The win over Brighton marked Slot’s 13th victory in just 15 matches across all competitions. “Not because of those results, but it feels special because we faced Arsenal last week, who are a very tough team,” Slot said. “Today we faced the same quality and idea about football, and both times we had to come from behind to get a result.”
The match against Brighton was tense, with Liverpool trailing after just 14 minutes when Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu scored a stunning opener for the visitors. However, the Reds turned the tide in the second half when Cody Gakpo’s 69th-minute cross unexpectedly found the net, leveling the score. Three minutes later, Mohamed Salah netted a brilliant goal from the right side of the penalty area, sealing the win for Liverpool. “The second goal was a Mo Salah special,” Slot commented.
As Liverpool aims to maintain their lead in the Premier League, the return of key players and continued performances like this will be crucial in their pursuit of the title.
