Mohamed Salah found the net and contributed an assist as Liverpool defeated Brighton at Anfield to advance to the FA Cup fifth round.
The hosts gained an advantage in the first half thanks to Curtis Jones, then Salah assisted Dominik Szoboszlai after halftime, with the midfielder scoring vigorously to finish off a fluid play.
Ten minutes later, Salah was fouled in the area, and the Egyptian winger sent his penalty flying past Jason Steele to seal the match.
Brighton posed a threat at times but suffered for failing to convert their opportunities and have triumphed in just two of their last 15 matches.
Liverpool recovered from last Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City by achieving a remarkable victory at Sunderland during the week and delivering another strong performance against the Seagulls.
In spite of their difficulties during the campaign, there remains a lot of potential in their season.
Both Reds manager Arne Slot and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler avoided the temptation to implement extensive alterations after their midweek Premier League matches, with the visitors initiating the match more forcefully.
However, Liverpool gained confidence in the match, and in the 42nd minute, Jones—who began the game as a right-back and was making his first start since January 17—connected with Milos Kerkez’s cross and deftly placed a shot past Steele.
Brighton squandered two strong chances to equalize, as Alisson denied Diego Gomez and Lewis Dunk around the half-time mark.
In the 56th minute, Szoboszlai increased Liverpool’s advantage with his 10th goal of the season following slick team play.
Virgil van Dijk located Cody Gakpo, who sent a cross-field pass to Salah—and he executed a brilliant touch to set up the Hungarian, who scored with precision.
Hurzeler executed a triple substitution after trailing 2-0, but it had no effect as Salah was brought down in the box by Pascal Gross following a brilliant run.
The 33-year-old fired his penalty into the top corner for his seventh goal of the season and arguably his finest performance since coming back from the Africa Cup of Nations last month.
“It’s great to see him back on the scoresheet,” stated Slot. “However, what I appreciate most is his goal-scoring ability [which you] nearly anticipate—but he also contributes significantly to the team’s defense, and that is extremely beneficial.”
Rio Ngumoha still had time to enter the game and score with a charming curling shot, but it was disallowed for offside even though replays indicated differently.
With VAR not in use until the fifth round of the FA Cup, the 17-year-old was incredibly unfortunate not to score.
During this phase of the FA Cup last year, Slot fielded a reserve team for the match against Plymouth, resulting in Liverpool’s elimination by the lower-league contenders.
The Dutchman’s choices here conveyed a lot about the significance of this competition for Liverpool this season.
Securing the Champions League title will be challenging—thus, the FA Cup presents a viable opportunity for a trophy.
His choice was warranted as Liverpool showcased a confidence that has likely been absent for much of their season.
Their football had a rhythm, and the first two goals were truly commendable, especially Szoboszlai’s, which concluded a brilliant team effort.
Kerkez, who helped Jones, is getting better every week, while Salah called Szoboszlai “one of the best players in the world right now” during his talk with TNT Sports.
Salah also enjoyed an excellent evening—he worked hard without the ball, returned to the scoresheet, and exited to another standing ovation from the Anfield supporters.
Liverpool have achieved two consecutive clean sheets as well, making this an evening where many objectives were accomplished. It might be an exaggeration to claim they have returned—yet there are definitely promising indications.
