Liverpool were indebted to Caoimhin Kelleher for ensuring that their half-time deficit against Brighton wasn’t even wider.
The Reds went in at the interval deservedly trailing 0-1 courtesy of a 14th-minute Ferdi Kadioglu goal, and the Turkey international ought to have doubled his tally later in the match, only for him to blaze a shot into the Kop from close range.
That wasn’t the only chance that Fabian Hurzeler will feel that his team should’ve dispatched, either.
In the 27th minute at Anfield, one long-range pass from Brighton’s half of the pitch completely split Liverpool, leaving Georginio Rutter through on goal despite the close attention of Virgil van Dijk.
The Seagulls forward looked set to score from the edge of the penalty area, but Kelleher got out brilliantly to block the shot and the ball eventually fell to the safety of Kostas Tsimikas.
The Irishman’s stock has once again risen during his latest spell covering for the injured Alisson Becker, having deputised commendably for Liverpool’s number 1 last season also.
Just as the Reds’ third-choice goalkeepr Vitezslav Jaros stepped up brilliantly against Brighton in the Carabao Cup in midweek, Kelleher was at his best to frustrate the Seagulls during the first half at Anfield this afternoon.
The likelihood is that the Brazil international will go straight back into the starting line-up once he’s fit again, but such a fate would seem harsh on his immediate deputy, who spared his team from an even bleaker situation at half-time today.
Kelleher has made no secret of his desire to establish himself as a first-choice starter, and his latest spell in the Liverpool team will further fuel his belief that he deserves to be playing on a weekly basis all season round.
How much longer he’ll stay at Anfield remains to be seen, but for now let’s just be thankful that we didn’t cash in on him during the summer despite a late bid from Nottingham Forest.
You can view Kelleher’s save from Rutter below, taken from Sky Sport’s match coverage and shared via @Winamino on X:
— @anfieldsociaI (@Winamino) November 2, 2024
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