Anfield witnessed a statement of intent on Valentine’s Night as Liverpool dismantled Brighton in a 3-0 victory to secure their place in the FA Cup fifth round, driven by goals from Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Mohamed Salah.
Unlike the heavily rotated side that faltered against Plymouth at this stage last season, Arne Slot signalled his ambition with a formidable lineup. Barring starts for Federico Chiesa and Curtis Jones, Slot selected arguably his strongest available XI. The message resonated through the stadium: Liverpool are taking the FA Cup very seriously this year.
Kerkez and Jones break the deadlock
The first half belonged to Milos Kerkez. The left-back acted as a constant menace, nearly finding an early goal himself before the official flagged him offside in a “tight one to call.” However, he refused to let the frustration linger, and Liverpool continued to press.
In the 42nd minute, Kerkez whipped an undefendable low ball across the six-yard box. Curtis Jones, flourishing in an unconventional right-back role, arrived perfectly to sweep the ball home. The assist provided a just reward for Kerkez, who is rapidly silencing critics following his return into the starting XI after being rested in midweek in the 1-0 win v Sunderland, showing why Liverpool fans are thrilled with his impact.
The Szoboszlai show
Liverpool found another gear in the second half. In the 54th minute, Cody Gakpo pings a superb cross-field pass to find Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian’s first-time cushion touch perfectly invited Dominik Szoboszlai to charge into the box and unleash a thunderous right-foot finish. Liverpool have become renowned for moments like these, setting the standard.
Slot recently described the Hungarian as “ridiculously good,” and Szoboszlai’s 10th goal of the campaign blasted across Jason Steele before the keeper could react certainly vindicated that high praise. Notably, Liverpool supporters have been eager for these sorts of performances.
Salah seals the win
Brighton, treating the match as a “free hit” due to their league struggles, never truly recovered from the second blow. The misery compounded when Mohamed Salah went down under a challenge from Pascal Gross, and Liverpool quickly capitalised on the opportunity.
Despite Brighton’s protests regarding a potential foul by Salah on Kadioglu in the buildup, the referee pointed to the spot. Salah stepped up and rifled a confident left-footed penalty into the top-right corner. This strike marked his fourth goal involvement since returning from AFCON, proving he remains the clinical focal point of this Liverpool attack.
The 3-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of a dominant Liverpool performance that mirrored their midweek success against Sunderland. As the final whistle blew, Anfield celebrated a team that looks increasingly capable of a deep run in this competition. For their fans, Liverpool’s progress is inspiring.
