Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Liverpool: VAR rescues Seagulls as Reds pay penalty

 Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Liverpool: VAR rescues Seagulls as Reds pay penalty

Liverpool were denied victory by VAR as Andrew Robertson was penalised late on to allow Brighton and Hove Albion to rescue a 1-1 Premier League draw at the AMEX Stadium.

Diogo Jota's ninth Liverpool goal looked set to prove enough for the Reds to move three points clear of Tottenham at the top of the table, but the Reds' work was undone in stoppage time.

Robertson swung out a foot and clipped Danny Welbeck and, though referee Stuart Attwell spotted no infringement, he changed his decision once he checked the pitch-side monitor.

Unlike Neal Maupay, who drilled wide from 12 yards to let Liverpool off the hook in the first half, Pascal Gross made no mistake.

It was a third VAR call of the game that went against Liverpool, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane having goals rightly ruled out for offside as Jurgen Klopp was left to rue the technology once more.

Brighton should have been ahead in the 10th minute, only for Aaron Connolly to slice wide when one-on-one with Liverpool centurion Alisson.

Connolly atoned nine minutes later, drawing a clumsy tackle from Neco Williams in the area, only for Maupay to side-foot a dreadful penalty wide of the right-hand upright.

Maupay lasted just another three minutes before succumbing to an apparent hamstring injury, and Brighton looked to have been made to pay when Salah latched onto Roberto Firmino's pass and lobbed Mathew Ryan, but VAR ruled the goal out for a marginal offside.

Substitute Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool wrest control, and the pressure told on the hour – Jota dispatching into the left-hand corner after Salah's deft touch.

Connolly was seething when he was replaced by Adam Lallana, who lasted just eight minutes, and Salah looked equally as infuriated after he made way.

Salah's replacement Mane had a fine header disallowed as Liverpool seemed set to clinch the points, but the Reds' hopes of a win were snatched away in the closing moments.

Robertson hit Welbeck and, after VAR Kevin Friend advised Attwell to check the screen, Brighton were awarded their second spot-kick – Gross sending a cool finish down the middle to salvage a point.