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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit picks five Liverpool players 'not at right level'

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has listed five Liverpool players who are not performing at the “right level”.

The Reds were forced to settle for a point as they were held to a 3-3 draw with Brighton on Saturday afternoon. Roberto Firmino scored a brace, with an Adam Webster own goal adding to Liverpool’s goal tally.

However, Leandro Trossard scored a hat-trick for the visitors at Anfield. It means that Liverpool have just 10 points from their opening seven league matches this season.

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Ex-Arsenal defender Petit was analysing Liverpool’s performances, and identified five players who are not performing at the “right level”. The former Gunners centre-back had words about Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara.

“They took the Reds by the neck and I think Liverpool were very sloppy in the first 25 minutes, they made so many mistakes defensively and Brighton used it,” Petit told Premier League Productions.

“They (Brighton) played brilliantly and they deserved their point. To be frank, I think they deserved more from that.

“If you take away Firmino, who scored two goals and saved the afternoon for Liverpool, the best player after him was Alisson.

“That tells you a lot about how difficult it was for the Reds this afternoon.”

Petit added: “I think there are top players at Liverpool that are not at the right level that they should be; Van Dijk and Salah, as well.

“Then in the midfield as well - Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago - they are used to controlling the game and the tempo all of the time, and we didn’t see that today.”

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