Behind 3-2: Liverpool s "Encounter" and the secret battle between Premier League and European qualifications

1. Pre-match background: It seems to be without desire, but in fact it has hidden mystery

On May 20, 2025, the 37th round of the Premier League ushered in a seemingly "insignificant" duel: Liverpool, who won the championship in advance, challenged Brighton, who ranked ninth in the away game. However, the practical significance of this game is far beyond the score itself - for the Reds, who have already locked in the Premier League championship, this game is a stage for core players to hit personal honors (such as Salah's competition for the European Golden Boot); for Brighton, the eighth position in the league may become a key springboard to the European Union, with fierce competition between millions of pounds of bonuses and European qualifications.

(I) Liverpool's double mission

As the absolute overlord of the Premier League this season, Liverpool won the championship early as three rounds, but there are still two major focus in the team's lineup:

Salah's milestone and the Golden Boot battle

This game is Salah's 400th official game for Liverpool, and it is also his 300th Premier League game (Chelsea 13 games + Liverpool 287 games). More importantly, he ranks third in the European Golden Boot list with 56 points (2.0 in the five major league goals scored, i.e. 28 goals), behind Yorke (58.5 points) and Mbappe (58 points). If he can score in the remaining two rounds, he still has the possibility of a comeback.

Rotation and record ending

Head coach Slott chose to let Van Dijk stand on standby, ending the latter's 69 consecutive Premier League starts and full attendance record. This move is not only to accumulate strength for the end of the season, but also imply to protect the main players.

(II) Brighton's European hopes

Although ranked ninth, Brighton still has the theoretical possibility of competing for the qualification of the European Union: According to the rules, if Chelsea wins the European Union championship this season and eventually ranks sixth or seventh in the Premier League, then the eighth place in the Premier League will be replaced to obtain the qualification of the European Union. This complex condition has caused teams such as Brighton, Brentford, and Fulham to fall into fierce competition - the eighth place in the league not only means a ranking bonus of 2.8 million pounds, but also may bring more than 10 million pounds of European competition benefits. To this end, Brighton has set up a full main lineup at home, trying to use the tradition of "strength when facing strong" (staying unbeaten against Liverpool at home in the past two seasons).

2. Game progress: ups and downs in the offensive battle

(I) First half: The Reds took the lead, and the Seagulls quickly equalized the game, showing a strong desire to attack:

In the 9th minute, Liverpool broke the deadlock. Young right back Bradley made a backward pass from the right after breaking through the right, and Elliott scored a push shot in front of the goal, 1-0. This goal showed the vitality of the new generation of Reds players and set a fast-paced tone for the game.

In the 31st minute, Brighton equalized the score. Midfielder Gruda made a precise pass, and Ayari inserted into the penalty area and pushed the shot from the far corner to score, 1-1. This goal exposed the loopholes in Liverpool's substitute defense line, and Kanssa made a mistake in cooperation with Konath. In the stoppage time, the Red Army once again led the way. Sobosloy suddenly made a cold arrow outside the penalty area, and the ball was in a dead corner, 2-1. This world wave demonstrates the scoring ability of the midfielder and also allows Liverpool to enter the locker room with an advantage.

(II) Second half: Seagulls reversed, the Reds "released the water". Suspected that

changed sides and fought again, Brighton showed a stronger desire to win, while Liverpool's defensive intensity dropped significantly, and was questioned by the outside world. "Intentional control of points":

In the 69th minute, Brighton equalized the score. After Velbeck's shot was saved by Alisson, Sansatsu completed a difficult volley outside the penalty area, 2-2. During this ball, Liverpool's back line collectively lost position and was criticized for "loose defensive attitude".

In the 85th minute, Brighton completed the reversal. Xinselwood, who came on as a substitute, scored 3-2 after receiving O'Reilly's cross. At this time, Liverpool players did not show a strong desire to counterattack. Salah, Garkepo and other attackers missed opportunities many times, causing controversy over "negative matches".

(III) Data comparison and controversy focus

According to technical statistics, Brighton has a ball possession rate of 58%, 16 shots (7 shots on the right), Liverpool has a ball possession rate of 42%, and 11 shots (5 shots on the right), and the Seagulls have obvious advantages. But the controversy centered on Liverpool's defensive performance - especially in the second half, the Reds made many low-level mistakes such as missing people and back pass mistakes, which was completely different from the iron-blooded defense of the championship season. After the game, head coach Slott admitted in an interview: "We respect the opponent's fighting spirit and hope to give more players a chance to play." This statement was interpreted by some media as "stoo agreeing to rotation leads to loose defense."

3. Chain reaction: A game stirs up the entire Premier League situation

(I) The suspense of the European Golden Boot Contest continues

Although Salah failed to score in this game, since Yorke's league has ended, Mbappe's Ligue 1 has only one round left (at least 2 goals are required to lock in the Golden Boot), Salah still has theoretical hope. If he scored twice in the final round against Southampton, he would take over Mbappe with 60 points (provided that the latter did not score), adding extra highlight to the Premier League final game.

(II) The battle for European qualifications is in full swing

Brighton rose to 58 points with this victory, surpassing Brentford (57 points) and Fulham (56 points) and temporarily occupying eighth place. But in the final round, they will face Tottenham, who just finished the Europa League final, while their competitors Brentford play Everton, Fulham play Crystal Palace, and the schedule is relatively difficult.. More importantly, whether Chelsea can defeat Nottingham Forest in the last round and lock in the Europa League qualification will directly determine whether the eighth place in the Premier League is of practical significance - if Chelsea advances to the Champions League, then all European qualification replacement rules will be invalid.

(III) Liverpool's "humanity and worldly style" controversy

In the last three rounds of the league, Liverpool lost 1-3 to Chelsea, draws Arsenal 2-2, and loses 2-3 to Brighton, losing 8 points at the same time, affecting the fate of many teams:

Losing to Chelsea, allowing the Blues to retain the hope of qualifying for the Champions League (it takes a final round and the results of other games are favorable);

draw with Arsenal, helping the Gunners to reduce the pressure on four (it originally required a net victory of 3 goals to ensure Champions League qualification);

Losing to Brighton directly helps the Seagulls to compete for the European qualification.

The performance of "precise score control" has been ridiculed by some fans as "the guardian of Premier League order", but it has also triggered discussions about "fairness in professional sports" - some comments pointed out that Liverpool, as the champion team, should maintain basic respect for the league, rather than negatively playing on the grounds of rotation.

4. In-depth analysis: N possible

(I) "Multiple nesting rules" for the UEFA qualifications

According to UEFA regulations, up to 5 teams in the Premier League can participate in European competitions this season (3 seats in the Champions League + 1 seat in the UEFA + 1 seat in the UEFA). However, due to Manchester City's FA Cup winning, if Chelsea wins the UEFA Champions League championship at the same time and ranks sixth or seventh in the league, the Premier League will receive an additional UEFA joint place (i.e., eighth place replacement). This complex rule leads to:

If Chelsea wins the championship and 6th/7th league: Eighth place in the Premier League directly qualifies for the Europa League;

If Chelsea fails to win the championship or ranks in the top five/8th league: Eighth place in the Premier League without European qualification;

If Chelsea wins the championship but the eighth place in the league points are lower than other association teams: qualifications may be deprived.

(II) The key match against

Brighton vs Tottenham Hotspur: Tottenham just experienced the UEFA Cup final, physical fitness may become a hidden danger, but if Kane returns, it may change the situation;

Brentford vs Everton: Everton needs to relegate and may strive to win, Brentford needs to be vigilant "Fast-for-death";

Fulham vs Crystal Palace: Crystal Palace has just won the FA Cup championship, and his mentality is relaxed, and Fulham is expected to score points;

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest: Chelsea needs to win to ensure European qualifications, the Forest needs to relegate, and the game may be red.

(III) The most likely outcome

The most likely situation is: Chelsea beat Forest to lock in the Champions League qualification, resulting in the 8th place in the Premier League UEFA Europa League qualification.