Chris Hughton: why Liverpool are as good as Manchester City

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  • Brighton manager Chris Hughton believes Liverpool are as good as Manchester City going forward
  • Reds cruised to 5-1 rout against the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium on Saturday
  • Hughton hails Liverpool’s pace as key component
  • SEE MORE: Barcelona plan insulting January bid for Philippe Coutinho

Chris Hughton believes the quality of Liverpool’s attacking football is on par with that of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

The Brighton boss watched on as his side slumped to a 5-1 defeat on Saturday after being outclassed and outperformed by Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Liverpool’s lacklustre record against newly-promoted teams warned no signs of haunting the Reds, as a fine exhibition of counterattacking football helped the away side extend their unbeaten run to eight games.

Speaking after the game, Hughton told Sky Sports: “It is hard to organise against counter attacks but you’ve got to organise before that. That is not something that we didn’t know. Up with Man City, Liverpool offensively are the best in the division.”

“They have got similar pace to Man City and that’s the hardest thing to deal with. The players have had a harsh lesson today. We’ve been good so far this season and this was arguably our toughest test and we fell short at home.”

“We are still learning and coming to terms with the division and occasionally we are going to have days like today. What’s more important is how we bounce back from it.”

Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring against Brighton

Liverpool have unearthed their confidence and rediscovered their form in drastic fashion since the crushing 4-1 defeat to Tottenham at Wembley in October.

Four of the team’s goals at the Amex came courtesy of devastating breaks, with the most notable being Roberto Firmino’s emphatic finish just seconds after Glenn Murray had missed a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back for the hosts.

Besides their eight-game unbeaten run, the Reds have scored 15 goals in their last five games across all competitions as well as rising to fourth place in the Premier League.

Klopp’s new-found focus on team rotation is paying dividends, with key attacking players all being granted valuable rest over the past couple of weeks.

The freedom to keep Sadio Mane as an unused substitute on Saturday typified the embarrassment of attacking riches Klopp currently has at his disposal, with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Daniel Sturridge and Dominic Solanke having all been afforded starts recently.

With Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho both in stunning form and Adam Lallana back from injury, Liverpool look in promising shape ahead of the Christmas period.

More Stories Brighton Chris Hughton Jürgen Klopp Liverpool Philippe Coutinho Roberto Firmino