Liverpool's troubles in the Premier League intensified with a 2-1 loss at Brighton on Saturday, leaving the stuttering defending champions on a three-match winless run and under threat of dropping out of the Champions League qualification spots.

Danny Welbeck scored twice for Brighton at the Amex Stadium, either side of Milos Kerkez's equalizer for Liverpool in its latest disjointed display under manager Arne Slot.

Liverpool has taken just one point from its last three league games and is in fifth place, one point ahead of sixth-place Chelsea.

The top five finishers in the Premier League are expected to qualify for the Champions League.

"It's not good enough, no matter how many excuses I come up with," said Slot, whose position is coming under scrutiny less than a year after leading Liverpool to a record-tying 20th English top-flight title.

Among those excuses might be Liverpool's injury problems, which worsened Saturday when striker Hugo Ekitike hobbled off in the eighth minute with a dead leg, though Slot said after the match it wasn't serious. The Dutch coach was already without star winger Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who got hurt this week, while Alexander Isak — signed for $170 million last summer — has been out since December and hasn't been fully fit all season.

Still, few could have expected Liverpool's title defense to be so underwhelming when the club spent a record $570 million in last summer's transfer window to bolster a championship-winning squad.

Welbeck — the evergreen, 35-year-old striker — rose above Ibrahima Konate to nod home the opening goal for Brighton in the 14th minute.

Liverpool responded in the 30th when Kerkez intercepted a headed backpass by Lewis Dunk and flicked a lob over goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

But Welbeck tapped in the winner in the 56th for a goal that survived a VAR check.

"They were the better team," Slot said of Brighton.

But Slot feels no added pressure.

"There is always pressure at Liverpool. On me, on the players. That is completely normal," Slot told TNT Sports. "We have qualified for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and the Champions League but in the league we need to make sure that in the end, we qualify for the Champions League.

"As much as I dislike us losing here, Brighton away will always be a difficult one as long as they keep bringing in so many good players.

"But there are other games where we should have picked up more points, like last week against Tottenham. That is far more unacceptable than this. But even away at Brighton, a club like Liverpool should be able to get a result."

Slot admitted his side has struggled after European matches, having dispatched Galatasaray 4-0 in the Champions League last week.

"It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe. I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is, but we also have to give credit to Brighton. In the second half, they were the better team," he said.

Slot also bemoaned his side's injury luck.

"Him (Ekitike) going off and not being able to help the team, it is just a bit of bad luck," Slot said.

"It is not like he will be out for three months but it was bad enough that he wasn't able to continue. It was a blow for him and a blow for us."

"Disappointed," Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo told TNT Sports."We wanted to win which is important in the situation we are in but it didn't go that way, so it's a difficult afternoon."We have to fight to win (the last) seven games."

Agencies