Jürgen Klopp felt Liverpool were deserved 3-1 victors over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night, but acknowledged the home side caused concern for his team.
The Reds raced into a two-goal lead inside nine minutes at the Amex Stadium as Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson struck for the champions.
However, Graham Potter’s team showed a positive reaction and, after a spell of sustained pressure on the visitors’ goal, pulled one back before the break through Leandro Trossard’s neat finish.
Both teams had opportunities after the interval, but Salah’s second ultimately settled the contest on 76 minutes when he headed in from a corner.