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Liverpool's troubles in the Premier League intensified with a 2-1 loss at Brighton on Saturday, leaving the stuttering defending champion on a three-match winless run and under threat of dropping out of the Champions League qualification spots.
Danny Welbeck scored twice for Brighton at Amex Stadium, either side of Milos Kerkez's equalizer for Liverpool in its latest disjointed display under manager Arne Slot.
Liverpool has taken just one point from its last three league games and is in fifth place, one point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea ahead of its match at Everton later. Like last season, the top five finishers in the Premier League are expected to qualify for the Champions League.
"It's not good enough, no matter how many excuses I come up with," said Slot, whose position is coming under scrutiny less than a year after leading Liverpool to a record-tying 20th English top-flight title.
Among those excuses might be Liverpool's injury problems, which worsened when striker Hugo Ekitike hobbled off in the eighth minute with a dead leg. Slot said it wasn't serious. The Dutch coach was already without star winger Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who was hurt this week, while Alexander Isak — signed for $170 million last summer — has been out since December and hasn't been fully fit all season.
Still, few could have expected Liverpool's title defense to be so underwhelming when the club spent a record $570 million in last summer's transfer window to bolster a championship-winning squad.
Welbeck — the evergreen 35-year-old striker — rose above Ibrahima Konate to nod home the opening goal for Brighton in the 14th minute.
Liverpool responded in the 30th when Kerkez intercepted a headed backpass by Lewis Dunk and flicked a lob over goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Welbeck tapped in the winner in the 56th for a goal that survived a VAR check.
"They were the better team," Slot said of Brighton.
Next-to-last Burnley slipped closer to relegation by squandering the lead and losing at Fulham 3-1.
Josh King, Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez — with a stoppage-time penalty — scored for Fulham after Zian Flemming put Burnley ahead in the 60th.
Burnley was nine points from safety with seven games remaining and only three points above last-placed Wolverhampton.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
