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Mohamed Salah returned but Hugo Ekitike got Liverpool’s goals as Cole Palmer notched on his return for Chelsea That concludes our clockwatch for today. Back on Sunday for more. Arne Slot spoke to Sky, and yes, there was a Salah question: ““I think he was a threat. The first ball he touched, he almost made an assist for Mac Allister. He was constantly involved in the fact we had Mo. Pleasing to see but not a surprise. “It was an easy decision to put him in the squad. I have said many times before what has been said between us will stay between us. We needed him and he assisted to the 2-0 which is nice for us. We have been so many times this season on the wrong side of the set-piece battle. “He goes to the Afcon and that means for us another player down. This is what we knew before the season started. Hopefully one or two players can come back from injury. ” Enzo Maresca, from the press conference at Stamford Bridge: “The last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because so many people didn’t support us. ” Uh oh. Some words from Hugo Ekitike, via the BBC: “I am just here and I do my job. Whether I play with Flo [Wirtz] or Alex [Isak] I do my best to complement them. “Mohamed [Salah] is a great, great professional. I look to him as an example. You can see how much he is involved in goals and assists. He is a legend here. To share the pitch is a blessing. That’s the kind of player who makes us like to watch football. ” Andy Hunter was there to see Mohamed Salah return and say goodbye – for now. Enzo Maresca spoke to Sky after Chelsea’s win: “I’m happy. It’s important to win games after two or three we didn’t win. It’s important for the players. We are happy. “I think the reaction was good. The players want to win every game. Sometimes we struggle a little bit more, sometimes we are able to win the game. I think in this moment it was very important for the players to win the game. ” Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s report from Stamford Bridge. Scottish Premiership full-time scores Dundee Utd 0-0 Motherwell Livingston 2-2 Dundee League Two full-time scores Accrington Stanley 0-1 Bromley Cheltenham 1-1 Harrogate Town Chesterfield 3-1 Barnet Crawley Town 2-2 Oldham Gillingham 2-2 Barrow Grimsby 0-2 Notts County Milton Keynes Dons 1-1 Cambridge Utd Newport County 0-2 Fleetwood Town Tranmere 1-4 Crewe Walsall 1-1 Shrewsbury League One full-time scores Barnsley 3-2 Leyton Orient Blackpool 3-2 Lincoln City Bolton 2-1 Exeter Bradford 2-0 Reading Burton Albion 0-0 Wycombe Cardiff 4-3 Doncaster Luton 2-2 Port Vale Peterborough 2-1 Northampton Plymouth 1-0 Rotherham Stockport County 1-3 Stevenage Championship full-time scores Birmingham 1-1 Charlton Coventry 1-0 Bristol City Leicester 3-1 Ipswich Middlesbrough 3-1 QPR Millwall 1-3 Hull Portsmouth 2-1 Blackburn Wrexham 2-2 Watford Before we run down the results, here’s our dispatches from Caledonia, via Simon Mc Mahon: “The goal that was coming at Tannadice got lost in transit, typical. Finished 0-0. Ten man Arbroath held on to beat Partick 2-1. And one other score of note from the Scottish Championship was Raith Rovers 6 Ross County 0. County were in the Scottish Premiership seven months ago but are now bottom of the Championship. ” The Premier League table, and also the top scorers. Salah shakes the hands of opponents, big hug with Alisson, and then applause for the Anfield Road end. Then he turns to the other stands, applauding. Is this goodbye? All eyes on Salah despite Hugo Ekitike winning a game, and buying Arne Slot some respite. The game closes with Robertson looking for Salah. Now, what reaction is there from Salah? Is there a lap of honour? Let’s see. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Chance for Salah, who is too eager, and too tired, having worked so hard. At least there’s a smile. He just couldn’t execute what he wanted. Perhaps that’s the tale of his season this season. And the reason for his leaving of Liverpool. He shinned it. Cole Palmer’s first home goal of the season in the Premier League and game won nice and early, and then managed well by Enzo Maresca’s team. That’s far better after the Atalanta loss. Championship: Big, big win for Coventry, much-needed as they beat Bristol City 1-0 after dropping points in their last two matches. Wrexham have an equaliser, it’s 2-2 with Watford, Olly Rathbone getting it. Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Chelsea seeing this out, despite an effort from Dibling. A nice, comfortable win over Everton, and it usually is in this fixture. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Correction via Bluesky, from Michael van Hulten: “Total football” is what the Dutch say too. “Total voetball” makes no sense and is spelled incorrectly. ” Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, speeds on and shoots from a Chiesa pass. His radar is incorrect, too. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Stewards are moving into action at Anfield, as the game moves into the last knockings. The suggestion is that this is to prevent a pitch invasion as Mohamed Salah waves goodbye. Or is it au revoir? Eight minutes added on. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Big cheers as James Milner comes on for Brighton, who have not quite seen the best of his ripening years, as he’s had plenty of injuries. Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Tyler Dibling and Tim Iroegbunam replace Jack Grealish and James Garner as Moyes chases something. Both players will get minutes when Everton lose Gueye and Ndiaye to Afcon. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Szoboszlai goes off, Federico Chiesa comes on and Curtis Jones takes the Spinal Tap drummers’ stool/right-back spot. Championship: Millwall have a goal back against Hull, from Aidomo Emakhu, after Oluwafemi Azeez was sent off for violent conduct. It’s 2-1. Portsmouth lead Blackburn 2-1, and it’s Ibane Bowat’s first goal for Pompey. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: From an observer of the game at Anfield: “think ekitike said “cramp” to the guy on the sideline. ” Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Ekitike and Wirtz off, the former looked to have a knock. Isak comes on, as does Andy Robertson. Perhaps to play full-back. Kerkez is ahead of him. Or is it the other way round. Total voetball from Arne Slot. Closing down Minteh seems the plan. Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Dominik Szoboszlai seems OK to continue or is at least trying to play through the pain barrier. Needs must. He’s quite the warrior. and is nailed on for player of the year. There’s goals to come here, maybe. Brighton are a very fit, young team. They concede late often, too. Simon Mc Mahon from over the border: “Still 0-0 at Tannadice, John, but a goal is in the post. Who for, I’m not sure. Both teams been much better second half, with chances at both ends. Arbroath are now two up at home to Partick. ” Chelsea 2-0 Everton: A game opening up, and Jack Grealish has missed a decent chance at the post. Enzo Fernandez goes close after a fresh air effort from Joao Pedro. Colum Fordham gets in touch: “Nice to see Mo Salah come on after the hoo-ha of this week. If this really should prove to be his last outing at Anfield, after what has been an extraordinary period in which he exploded for Liverpool and became their talismanic player, I salute him for everything he has done. He has scored some remarkable goals (and, lest we forget, provided marvellous assists), one of my favourite being the thunderous shot against Chelsea. I do hope he gets a goal today against Brighton. He really seems up for it, showing characteristic bursts of pace. In Naples (where I reside), he is even celebrated as a Christmas crib figure! ” Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Kaoru Mitoma is on for Brighton, and in a clash with the Japanese flier, Dominik Szoboszlai has taken a knock. Arne Slot’s kingdom for a right-back. Championship: QPR have a goal back, a Nicolas Madsen penalty. Big goal for Nathan Jones as Tyreece Campbell equalises for Charlton at Birmingham. Cold gravel from Mark “Scrooge” Woldin: ”Keepers should study film of baseball outfielders. When the problem is a fly ball that is going over the head, the fielder turns his back on the ball and SPRINTS to a place — the landing zone — then he turns back and finds the ball in the air. Football keepers always look like chumps, dazed and confused. ” To be fair, they don’t have a “mitt” to catch with. Championship: It’s Portsmouth 1-1 Blackburn, Callum Lang getting it. Pompey need to improve, and fast. Championship: Ephron Mason-Clark has scored for Coventry against Bristol City, just as Middlesbrough seemed to be closing in on the leaders. A cheaply conceded penalty corner, and Ekitike nods in. The supplier: Mohamed Salah’s corner. Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Chance for Salah, though the ball was behind him. Lewis Dunk has been booked, and is set to miss next week, against Sunderland. Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Bit of a no-contest at the Bridge. Everton fell behind and have no way back. They’re a better smash and grab team but no grab to be had. Chelsea seem to be putting recent wobbles behind them. Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Gruda, a player of latent talent, with more to come, smashes just wide, with Alisson beaten. Brighton have started so brightly, and Liverpool are fading. Tony Hughes gets in touch: “Perhaps a deliberate decision by Slot to sub Salah on in the first half so he can’t really sub him off in the second, thus denying Salah the opportunity of waving to a packed crowd? ” Back, and to the left. Championship: It was only last week that someone – OK, me – was writing about Leicester being a crisis club. Jordan Ayew has scored their 52nd minute goal against Ipswich. Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Huge miss from Diego Gomez at the back post! Liverpool fans had their mouths open as that one slid by. Marcus Taylor gets in touch: “Don’t look now John, but Walsall are once again opening a lead at the top of League Two. The Saddlers couldn’t be expertly setting up another choke job for the ages, could they? ” Championship: Middlesbrough have a penalty against QPR, and can go 3-0 up. Tommy Conway takes, and scores right down the middle. Four wins from four since Rob Edwards departed. Oh Rob! From Caledonia, Simon Mc Mahon: “Nothing much to report from Tannadice as we approach half time, John. 0-0. Goalless between Arbroath and Partick too. ” Back underway in the second half in the Premier League. Alexander Isak was seen warming up, but Arne Slot hasn’t made any further changes beyond introducing Mohamed Salah in the first half. Scottish Premiership half-time scores Dundee Utd 0-0 Motherwell Livingston 0-2 Dundee League Two half-time scores Accrington Stanley 0-0 Bromley Cheltenham 0-0 Harrogate Town Chesterfield 2-1 Barnet Crawley Town 1-0 Oldham Gillingham 2-0 Barrow Grimsby 1-0 Notts County Milton Keynes Dons 0-0 Cambridge Utd Newport County 0-2 Fleetwood Town Tranmere 0-2 Crewe Walsall 1-0 Shrewsbury League One half-time scores Barnsley 1-2 Leyton Orient Blackpool 1-2 Lincoln City Bolton 0-1 Exeter Bradford 0-0 Reading Burton Albion 0-0 Wycombe Cardiff 2-2 Doncaster Luton 1-1 Port Vale Peterborough 1-0 Northampton Plymouth 1-0 Rotherham Stockport County 0-1 Stevenage Championship half-time scores Birmingham 1-0 Charlton Coventry 0-0 Bristol City Leicester 2-0 Ipswich Middlesbrough 2-0 QPR Millwall 0-2 Hull Portsmouth 0-1 Blackburn Wrexham 1-2 Watford Live golden boot standings Euro roundup, with more to follow. Chelsea 2-0 Everton Liverpool 1-0 Brighton Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Diego Gomez has fouled Wirtz, and it’s reckless, with VAR having a check. It’s yellow but it will not be red. That’s the last action of the half.