If Liverpool had defeated Tottenham Hotspur in London last Saturday, a 2-2 draw with Brighton might have felt like a better result, especially because Arsenal then defeated Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

As it stands, the Reds have only one point from the last six available following a tragic end to the Tottenham game that included VAR controversy and two Liverpool sendings-off.

The fact that Liverpool is a level above both Spurs and Brighton but failed to show it in successive games for various reasons only adds to the aggravation, but at least this time it was the Reds’ fault rather than the referee’s or VAR’s.

To be honest, Liverpool was fortunate to be ahead at the halftime break. The two plays that led to Mohamed Salah’s goals, the second of which came from a penalty spot, were magnificent, but Brighton had been on top.

The Seagulls then surged on in the second session, although Liverpool did not do enough. As Jürgen Klopp stated at the end, a point apiece reflected the battle fairly. Here’s what Liverpool.com discovered and what you could have overlooked.

One thing we discovered

When everything falls into place for Liverpool, they may be a very remarkable team. Klopp’s side were missing three key players in Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo (as well as midfield combination Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajeti), but there were still flashes of true quality — just not enough to get the points.

If Liverpool can improve its defense (which may include purchasing a world-class holding midfielder to allow Alexis MacAllister to play higher up the pitch), it will make a significant difference. It may be a little early for Liverpool to be considered title challengers — though Manchester City is also dropping points on a regular basis — but the Reds are not far behind.

The most important takeaway

Simply said, Mac Allister is not a defensive midfielder. He played in a similar capacity at Brighton at times, but generally with someone — possibly even Moisés Caicedo — alongside him in a double pivot.

There will be games where he is asked to do too much on his own, and today was possibly one of them (Chelsea away was probably another, and Manchester City might be next month). That became clear fast, and even then, Wataru End was not turned to, indicating his position in the pecking order.

Liverpool understood that Mac Allister was superior higher upfield when he arrived. The goal was to keep Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, but Caicedo and Roméo Lavia selected Chelsea instead. That shows that a top holding midfielder is a priority for the Reds, but harsh judgments on Mac Allister must be avoided in the interim.

A chance encounter you might have missed

Ryan Gravenberch may have missed an open goal, but he put up a good effort in terms of getting into the proper spots. He was seen yelling in frustration after that miss, and he also kicked the advertising boards.

However, the Dutch arrival from Bayern Munich will be a fantastic player for Liverpool. While Gravenberch needs to be finding the back of the net with gilt-edged chances like the one he squandered here to end the game and secure the outcome, the fact that he popped up inside the penalty area was encouraging.

That he got into that position more than once spoke eloquently about the freedom he currently has following a tough year in Germany with few opportunities. It was also encouraging to see him try some flicks, tricks, and rotations that only experienced midfielders would attempt.

Liverpool has its number eights covered for the next few seasons with Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, and Dominik Szoboszlai. Mac Allister, at 24, is the oldest of the bunch, and he only needs a more comfortable defensive head behind him to reveal his real class.