A good result for Liverpool in a largely mediocre performance, which will rightly be remembered for a truly beautiful second goal early in the second half. Dominik Szoboszlai’s rifled finish added to the close-range finish from Curtis Jones in the opening forty-five minutes. Mo Salah, with his 262nd Liverpool goal, added a third from the penalty spot in front of the Kop.
Maybe it was the presence of a huge seagull’s head in the away end that put a spring in the step of Brighton in the opening minutes, but whatever it was, they started brightly. Liverpool barely touched the ball, and even when they did, they were unable to retain it. Federico Chiesa, in particular, was abject, whilst Cody Gakpo continued his recent reincarnation as the invisible man.
Brighton, however neat and tidy they were in possession, never really looked like scoring and fell behind on twenty minutes. Jones, playing at right-back, finished high into the roof of the net from close range after a smart cross from Kerkez, who was Liverpool’s best player in the first half.
The second half began as the first: Brighton looking neat and tidy on the ball without ever really threatening. Liverpool were unable to keep the ball until Szoboszlai completed a stunning move. Gakpo found Salah with a raking cross-field pass; the Egyptian then played a superbly weighted first-time ball into an empty penalty box, with the Hungarian hammering a first-time shot beyond the Brighton goalkeeper.
Two up and with the pressure off, Salah then came to the party. Winning the penalty he converted comfortably, it marked only the second time this season he’s both scored and assisted in the same game. His spot-kick, clearly releasing some frustration, was thunderous as the Kop serenaded him while he thumped his chest, pointing to the badge on his shirt.
In the final minutes, Slot rang the changes. Trey Nyoni and Calvin Ramsay made an appearance, but it was young Rio Ngumoha the crowd were most excited to see. Cutting in from the left wing, he was wrongly flagged offside after a smart low finish as the 90th minute approached. The officials, not for the first time in the game, clearly got it wrong to deny him his first goal in the FA Cup.
So Liverpool, having had a very good week since their defeat by Manchester City, go into the hat for the fifth round. Just as importantly, their performances have improved, though 3-0 here at Anfield against a weakened Brighton side was perhaps a little flattering.
