Mohamed Salah returned to action with an assist as Liverpool defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2–0 at Anfield on Saturday to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to five matches.

The Egyptian forward came on as a substitute in the 26th minute to replace the injured Joe Gomez, receiving a warm reception from the home fans. His return followed a week of controversy after he criticised the club for benching him in recent matches and claimed he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot.

Liverpool took the lead just 46 seconds into the match when Hugo Ekitike capitalised on a defensive lapse to score his ninth goal of the season. Brighton pushed for an equaliser after the break, with Diego Gomez hitting the post and Yankuba Minteh testing the Liverpool defence.

The hosts sealed the win on the hour mark when Ekitike headed in a corner delivered by Salah to make it 2–0. Salah also had a late chance to score, but his effort went over the bar.

The victory moves Liverpool up to sixth place in the Premier League standings and eases pressure on manager Arne Slot.

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract in April, is expected to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco later this month. His return date will depend on how far Egypt progress in the tournament.

The 33-year-old is Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time with 250 goals, though he has scored only four league goals so far this season.