Liverpool’s title ambitions were further dented as Brighton made it back-to-back defeats at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp’s team in a 1-0 victory.

Just as the defending champions looked to have got back to their relentless selves with away wins at Tottenham and West Ham, they were back in ponderous mood as Steven Alzate’s scrappy winner was enough for brilliant Brighton.

Graham Potter’s side were anything but scrappy in their performance levels, playing confidently and bravely in attack while defending with great cohesion at the back.

After going 68 games unbeaten at home, Liverpool, who were missing Alisson through illness, have now suffered straight defeats to Burnley and Brighton and have not scored in the last 348 minutes of action at Anfield. They had just one shot on target against the Seagulls in a toothless attacking showing.

The defeat leaves Liverpool seven points off league leaders Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s meeting between the two teams, 

A rejuvenated Jesse Lingard scored twice on his West Ham debut to fire David Moyes’ side to an impressive 3-1 win at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The one-time England international had been frozen out at Manchester United but looked sharp from the first whistle on his first Premier League start of the season, drilling in with his left and right feet (56 & 83) to take the visitors to victory at Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins had come close to opening the scoring in the first half, curling a shot onto the outside of the post, but West Ham were on top for long periods and Tomas Soucek (51) finished a fine team move for his eighth of the season to give them a deserved lead.

Lingard scored an impressive second himself five minutes later and although Watkins (81) pulled one back, it was the Hammers’ new boy who had the final say, shooting through Emiliano Martinez to make it three away wins on the spin for fifth-placed West Ham. Moyes’ men are just two points behind Liverpool in fourth, now, while Aston Villa stay ninth.First-half goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were enough to hand Everton a rare victory at Elland Road as Leeds were beaten 2-1 in a pulsating contest on Wednesday.

Sigurdsson tapped in Lucas Digne’s brilliant cross to hand the Toffees the lead inside nine minutes, before Calvert-Lewin ended his seven-game goal drought with a close-range header before the break.

Leeds were unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet in a frenetic first half, with Ezgjan Alioski rattling the post, but took just three minutes to halve the deficit in the second period as Raphinha’s crisp finish laid the foundations of a comeback.

Leeds laid siege to the Everton goal but found stand-in goalkeeper Robin Olsen in inspired form as he prevented Mateusz Klich, Raphinha and Jack Harrison from salvaging a point.

Everton’s second Premier League win away at Leeds was was their fifth in 50 top-flight visits to Elland Road and lifted Carlo Ancelotti’s side up to sixth in the table, while Leeds remain 11th after their valiant fightback fell short.