Roberto Firmino Scores Brace in Liverpool's 5-1 Premier League Win over Brighton

Liverpool continued their good run in the Premier League on Saturday, beating hosts Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1. Roberto Firmino bagged a brace at the American Express Community Stadium.

Emre Can and Firmino gave the visitors a two-goal lead in the span of minutes, and the Brazilian struck again early in the second half. Glenn Murray reduced the deficit from the penalty spot, but it wasn't enough to start a rally. Philippe Coutinho added a fourth goal in the final minutes, and an own-goal from Lewis Dunk completed the rout.

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo shared the teamsheet:  

Both teams were eager to show off their athleticism early, leading to a fast and chaotic start where neither side was able to keep possession for long. Firmino headed the first chance of the match over the bar, but other than the early look on goal, chances were rare.

The Reds took control as the half wore on, but they failed to truly threaten the hosts, who were confident sitting back. When the Seagulls did venture forward, Murray fired a shot over the bar, with team-mate Pascal Gross waiting for the pass in a better position.

Brighton comfortably held on for half an hour, but a quick double from the Reds completely changed the momentum. First, Can was left wide open to head home a corner, and shortly after, Firmino doubled the advantage, courtesy of a great assist from Coutinho.

Pearce noted the second goal in particular was a thing of beauty:

The Reds took control of possession even more after those two quick goals, seeing out the half in style. The final chance also fell to the visitors, but a quick Coutinho free-kick was aimed right at goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.

If the first half was a bit of a slow affair, the second started with a bang. Murray drew a fantastic save from Simon Mignolet after just minutes, and the resulting counter saw Firmino double his tally, as the Brazilian again timed his run to perfection.

Empire of the Kop loved it:

But the celebrations didn't last long, as Jordan Henderson was punished for a light shove in the box, with the official pointing to the penalty spot. Murray converted the spot-kick to bring his team back within two goals.

The goal was exactly what Brighton needed, and suddenly, the Amex came to life. The Reds remained in control, however, and the best chances fell to the visitors, with Ryan making a strong save to deny Mohamed Salah.

Brighton also had their looks, and a volley from Murray only just missed the target. Trent Alexander-Arnold made a stunning tackle to deny Jose Izquierdo, before Coutinho added his name to the scoresheet with a free-kick underneath the wall. 

There was time for one more goal late on, and the unfortunate Dunk diverted a shot from Coutinho into his own net.