First it was Mohamed Salah, then Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones. Naby Keita and Fabinho followed on before Thiago Alcantara and Ibrahima Konate and the rest of the Liverpool team, one by one, joined them in trudging slowly down the Brighton tunnel.
To a man, they all looked vaguely downbeat and mildly unenthused, like they'd just seen the No.82 bus pull away from their stop after attempting an unsuccessful charge towards it.
For all the glum faces, however, they did not look like their defence of the FA Cup had just ended. Or like a bunch of players who had just suffered defeat through a stoppage-time winner. They certainly didn't appear like a Liverpool team who had just experienced their ninth loss of a wretched campaign. In fact, it just didn't appear like any of it hurt all that much.
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Or perhaps, given the frequency at which all those setbacks have come this term, it is simply a sensation they are now used to feeling? Where has the fire, and the passion and the all raging against their fate gone? Has it all just been sapped out of this group of players once and for all?
To anyone who has followed Liverpool closely since things got underway in August, this 2-1 loss was no surprise in the slightest. Another Brighton win here at the Amex Stadium means the Seagulls have now registered eight goals against the Reds in three games. How Roberto de Zerbi must wish he could line up against this group of players most weeks.
That Liverpool used to be the team no-one wanted to play against was once the proud feather in Jurgen Klopp's baseball cap. He made them one of the most fearsome outfits in all of European football but right now, there can't be too many more accommodating sides around.
Klopp made just the one change from the goalless draw with Chelsea last week as Trent Alexander-Arnold returned in place of James Milner. It meant Stefan Bajcetic, fresh from his new contract earlier in the week, became the youngest midfielder to ever start three successive games for the Reds at just 18 years and 99 days.
That statistic is indicative, to some extent, of where a lot of Liverpool's struggles have emanated from this term but it is undoubtedly a glowing pointer towards just how talented the Spanish youth international is too.
The defensive-minded teenager turned in another eye-catching performance, snapping into tackles and making some vital interceptions while using the ball intelligently before his eventual departure for Fabinho. His ongoing ascension is testament to the work going on at the club's academy base in Kirkby.
Both teams had big chances cleared off the line inside the first 15 minutes. First it was Mohamed Salah, who was thwarted by Adam Webster before Evan Ferguson's effort was knocked away by Alexander-Arnold.
Another, more presentable chance came the way of Salah before the half-hour mark after a superbly threaded pass from Harvey Elliott but after steadying himself, the Egyptian could only roll it past Jason Steele's left-hand post.
An improved attacking display found its reward when Elliott scored for the second successive round after good work from Naby Keita and Salah. A smart right-footed finish angered Brighton, who felt Keita had handled it before releasing Salah, but the effort stood.
Brighton's equaliser summed up how things are for Klopp just now. Tariq Lamptey's speculative strike was probably going wide before it hit Lewis Dunk and deflected past Alisson Becker. The hour mark saw the introduction of a trio of substitutions as Darwin Nunez, Milner and Jordan Henderson all came on for Alexander-Arnold, Elliott and Keita.
Veteran vice-captain Milner made a difference at right-back, getting into more advanced positions than Alexander-Arnold was able to in the Reds' attempts to unlock the home defence, while Nunez, inevitably, made himself a nuisance.
Fabinho was lucky to stay on the pitch after being booked just seconds after coming on. After losing the ball to set Brighton up on the counter-attack, the Brazil midfielder was only cautioned for a poor challenge on Ferguson moments later. The 29-year-old was only on the pitch for a few minutes but somehow managed to shine further spotlight on his alarming, perplexing slump.
It was left to the outstanding Kaoru Mitoma to win it when he somehow found the time to flick the ball up inside the area before dispatching into the top corner. Joe Gomez, whose back-turn was Sunday league level defending, may not want to watch the highlights on Sunday evening.
For all the right messages sent out to the press, the social media rallying cries and the earnest promises of imminent improvement, this joyless season continues to lurch on with few signs that the major turning point is on its way. Is this just Liverpool's level now? How deep does this rot really go?
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