Liverpool 3-0 Brighton: Goals from Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah help Arne Slott’s side beat the Seagulls and reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Mohamed Salah claps his chest after scoring (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Liverpool comfortably defeated a struggling Brighton at Anfield and advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup. The Reds followed up their impressive away win at Sunderland with a more routine game on Saturday night.
Liverpool took the lead in the 42nd minute when Curtis Jones ran in with perfect timing to slot in Milos Kerkes’ cross after Kodi Gakpo’s header was ruled out for offside. Brighton had two chances in the first half, but Diego Gomez had just a shot at Alisson and Jack Hinshelwood sent a header over the bar from a corner.
Those missed chances proved costly as Dominik Szoboszlai wrapped up Liverpool’s incredible move with a powerful finish to make it 2-0 early in the second half. Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 after a clumsy foul on Pascal Gros had his shot stopped.
Substitute Rio Ngmoha’s wonderful curling effort was ruled out for a slight offside and with no VAR at this stage of the FA Cup there was no chance of reprieve. However, Arne Slot still breezed his way to the next round. Here’s the talking point.
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read more: Furious Alan Shearer slams referee over Newcastle penalty howler, shares VAR theoryread more: Arne Slott warns Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai “dreams” of playing for Real Madrid
1. Revolving door at the rear right
Manager Arne Slott’s starting XI had hinted that Szoboszlai, who returned to the squad following his suspension for the game against Sunderland and that honor was given to Wataru Endo, will once again play at right-back. But in reality, it was Jones who dropped into the backline, a position that any Reds midfielder would have challenged.
He showed the benefits of having a midfielder in that position when he made a perfectly timed run, evading a Brighton defender and cutting into the end of his fellow full-back’s shot. Jones’ deft touch, deflecting the ball onto the underside of the bar, was befitting a veteran goalscorer, let alone a player who hadn’t scored in 58 games.
Curtis Jones scored the opening goal from right-back (Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
2. Szoboszlai’s status is undeniable.
Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s best player so far this season. And it’s not even close. In a season when that was lacking, the Hungarian played in several different positions and was surprisingly consistent. His hard-hitting free kicks will undoubtedly dominate highlight reels in the 2025/26 season, but his work rate, athleticism, pinpoint passing, and dead-eye finishing make him an all-round package.
His goal tonight was a perfect example of what he is capable of. Szoboszlai got on his bike as soon as he saw the switch of play to Salah, giving Jason Steele no chance with the Thunderbolt finish. It was his 10th goal of the season and he had seven assists.
Dominik Szoboszlai hits the ball to make it 2-0 (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
3. Salah showing signs
Since returning from the African Cup of Nations in January, Salah’s form has been stable but without any notable action, with three assists and one goal in six games. His performances continued in another productive game against Brighton, although the commanding panache he displayed at Liverpool is gone.
The first pass to Szoboszlai was cushioned and very pleasing to the eye. And the way he dribbled past (and eventually past) Ferdi Kadioglu and cut inside to win a penalty from Gross hinted at halcyon days in the red shirt. Salah is now quietly returning to near his personal best, although his numbers have been modest this season and his slot row clearly hasn’t helped things.
4. Hürzeller heading for the exit?
Fabian Hürzeler is under pressure (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Brighton went into this game with one win in 13 Premier League games, but there is growing chatter over Fabian Hürzeler’s departure. Not much was expected of their trip to Anfield in the FA Cup, but their performance did nothing to dispel the growing rumors surrounding the Seagulls, who have been both goal-shy and leaky at the back in recent months.
The Telegraph reported this week that although Brighton currently maintain internal support as they sit 14th and seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, Hürzeler could be shown the door at the end of the season when the team is adrift.
5. Is the FA Cup a priority for the Reds?
Liverpool sit sixth in the Premier League table and are struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League via the league, with strong performances from Manchester United and Chelsea keeping them out of the top four. Will the FA Cup be Slott’s path to glory this season, with no title defense left?
The game is not as tough as the 4-1 third-round win over League One side Barnsley, but the FA Cup may be the easiest option for silver – and there will be an even bigger challenge ahead if they are to secure their first win at Wembley since 2022 in the world’s oldest competition.
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