Danny Welbeck’s double sinks Liverpool 2-1, denting their Champions League qualification hopes and piling pressure on manager Arne Slot.

DANNY Welbeck’s double dealt a major blow to Liverpool’s Premier League top-four ambitions as Brighton secured a 2-1 victory at the Amex Stadium.

The defeat leaves Arne Slot’s side fifth in the table, two points behind Aston Villa with their Champions League qualification hopes now in serious jeopardy.

Welbeck opened the scoring in the 14th minute, nodding home from close range to become the Premier League’s top English goalscorer this season.

Liverpool levelled through Milos Kerkez after a defensive error, but Welbeck struck again in the 56th minute to seal a fourth win in five games for the Seagulls.

The visitors’ woes were compounded by an early injury to top scorer Hugo Ekitike, further depleting their attacking options.

Slot acknowledged the growing pressure after a 10th league defeat of a faltering title defence.

“There is always pressure at Liverpool, on me, on the players — that is completely normal,” the Dutchman told TNT Sports.

“We have qualified for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League but in the league we need to make sure that in the end, we qualify for the Champions League.”

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler praised his team’s intensity after a performance that keeps their own European hopes alive.

“We pressed intense, we played intense, we had good energy on the pitch, we created a lot of chances, especially in the second half,” he said.

Liverpool now face a crucial run-in, with Champions League and FA Cup quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City respectively.

 The Sun Malaysia