Liverpool vs. Brighton: Hugo Ekitike emulates Reds flop with fastest Premier League goal of season

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike emulated a Reds flop as the France international scored the earliest goal of the Premier League season against Brighton & Hove Albion.

With Alexander Isak picking up a recent knock, Ekitike was given the nod to spearhead the Reds' attack against the Seagulls, joining Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister in the final third.

While Mohamed Salah was included in the matchday squad, the 33-year-old was benched for the fourth game running, although Arne Slot's decision paid off inside just one minute.

Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh attempted to clear his lines close to the corner flag, but the winger's hoof instead ballooned into the air and landed on the head of Liverpool right-back Joe Gomez.

The Englishman immediately nodded the ball down to Ekitike into space, and the former Paris Saint-Germain striker executed an inch-perfect volley into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Hugo Ekitike emulates Naby Keita with early Liverpool goal

In doing so, Ekitike netted the fastest goal of the 2025-26 Premier League after just 46 seconds, and also netted the quickest Reds goal in the Premier League since the pre-COVID days.

Prior to today's visit of Brighton, Liverpool had not scored in the first minute of a Premier League game since April 2019, when midfield flop Naby Keita netted the Reds' quickest-ever goal in the competition.

The Guinea international needed just 15 seconds to break the deadlock against Huddersfield Town, setting Jurgen Klopp's side on their way to a 5-0 win before his Reds career took a downward turn.

Keita can now be found plying his trade with Ferencvaros in Hungary, but fellow big-money signing Ekitike has enjoyed a much stronger start since his summer switch from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The striker's early opener against Brighton was his ninth goal of the season in all competitions, and his third in two Premier League games after his brace against Leeds United.

Hugo Ekitike goal may be bad omen for Liverpool

1 - Hugo Ekitike has scored Liverpool's first goal in the opening minute of a Premier League game since Naby Keïta netted their fastest ever goal in the competition after 15 seconds v Huddersfield in April 2019. Lightning. pic.twitter.com/RTDKCdjiel
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 13, 2025

Keita's early goal against Huddersfield six years ago was a harbinger of doom for the Terriers, but Ekitike's first-minute opener today could still prove to be a bad omen for the Reds themselves.

Indeed, in each of the last four completed Premier League meetings between Liverpool and Brighton, the team scoring the first goal has failed to win the game.

Last season, Brighton struck first at Anfield only to fall to a 2-1 loss, before Liverpool broke the deadlock at the Amex before Fabian Hurzeler's team fought back in a 3-2 victory.

In 2023-24, Liverpool and Brighton both won 2-1 on home soil after conceding the first goal, although the Reds did succeed 3-2 in the EFL Cup after drawing first blood on the South Coast.