Ruthless Liverpool Sweep Past Brighton 3-0

By Akins Wandex 

Liverpool produced one of their most authoritative performances of the season to sweep aside Brighton and secure progression to the FA Cup fifth round. Goals from Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Mohamed Salah ensured Arne Slot's side cruised into Monday's draw, extending their unbeaten domestic run and providing further evidence of a team finding its rhythm at a crucial stage of the campaign .

After an evenly contested opening half-hour, Liverpool thought they had broken the deadlock in the 36th minute when Cody Gakpo headed home Szoboszlai's wicked free-kick, only for a delayed offside flag to cut short the celebrations . The frustration lasted barely five minutes.

In the 42nd minute, left-back Milos Kerkez—enduring a growing influence at Anfield after a shaky start to his Liverpool career—delivered a perfectly weighted low cross from the left touchline. Jones, deployed as a makeshift right-back due to Liverpool's injury problems in that position, ghosted into the six-yard box and opened his body to divert the ball goalwards, watching it clip the underside of the bar on its way in . It was the academy graduate's first goal in over a year, ending a 57-match drought across all competitions .

Brighton emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and twice came close to levelling. Jack Hinshelwood headed over from a corner before Diego Gómez forced a sharp save from Alisson Becker . The Brazilian goalkeeper then produced the save of the match in the 54th minute, clawing away Lewis Dunk's dangerous header back across goal with Jan Paul van Hecke waiting for a tap-in .

That intervention proved pivotal. Just two minutes later, Liverpool delivered the move of the match. Gakpo switched play expertly to Salah on the right flank, and the Egyptian cushioned a first-time pass perfectly into the path of Szoboszlai's surging run. The Hungarian midfielder, without breaking stride, smashed an emphatic finish past Jason Steele to double the lead . It was his 10th goal of the campaign and his fifth in his last eight appearances .

Any lingering hope of a Brighton comeback was extinguished in the 68th minute. Salah, restored to peak form after his post-Africa Cup of Nations adjustment period, skipped past Ferdi Kadioglu and drew a challenge inside the area from Pascal Gross. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation, and Salah dispatched the penalty into the top-right corner, thumping the Liverpool crest on his chest in front of the Kop .

Late substitute Rio Ngumoha thought he had added a fourth with an audacious finish, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside . The 3-0 scoreline, however, accurately reflected Liverpool's dominance in front of a crowd of 60,227 at Anfield .

Arne Slot (Liverpool head coach) praised his side's adaptability and the growing cohesion within his squad.

"It is satisfying because we scored three, and that's not really been coming for us. To create a lot of chances has been, but to score three with the chances we did has not happened that many times this season. I am really pleased with that."

Slot was particularly effusive about the performance of Salah, who contributed both an assist and a goal.

"It's very nice to have him on the scoresheet again, but what I like the most is he is scoring goals you can almost expect, but he also helps the team a lot defensively. That is something very positive—what the team also needs."

Slot added: "The future looks really bright. Most of these players are young, so there is a lot more to come from them. We are much more able to bring the intensity levels that are needed in the Premier League and Champions League after two days' rest."

Dominik Szoboszlai, speaking to TNT Sports after collecting his man-of-the-match accolades, dismissed comparisons to club legends while acknowledging his rich vein of form.

"I just want to keep going and score as many as I can. I'm not playing a Steven Gerrard season. Although he was a legend at the club, I'm trying to write my own story. I try to do my best every game. Hopefully we can go on until the end."

Slot later endorsed Salah's assessment that Szoboszlai ranks among the world's best, stating: "I definitely agree with Mo that Dominik is one of them. He is a great example of the model we are using here—signing young players from other leagues and giving them time to develop."

Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton head coach) rued his side's failure to capitalise on promising moments.

"We started the game well, controlled the ball, and the game changed a little bit when they scored. The goal came out of nowhere. We had two big chances in the first half and we didn't use them. Liverpool were more effective. We can't feel sorry for ourselves—it is about us taking responsibility and working for it."

Tactical Analysis and Key Performances

Milos Kerkez (Liverpool left-back) emerged as perhaps the most significant individual story from the evening. After a difficult start to his Liverpool career following his £40million move, the Hungarian has begun to justify his fee with two assists in his last three games—more goal contributions than he managed in his previous 30 appearances . Against Brighton, he won six of 11 ground duels and delivered the kind of tenacious, direct performance that fans have been waiting to see . One supporter on social media captured the mood: "Kerkez plays like he can go through the wall for this team. It seems natural; it's like he was born with the dog in him."

Curtis Jones also earned plaudits for his versatility and composure. Deployed at right-back due to ongoing injury concerns, the midfielder recorded 89% pass completion and demonstrated the football intelligence that Slot values so highly . "He can take the ball anywhere and he never really looks flustered or rushed," analyst David Lynch noted on his YouTube channel .

For Mohamed Salah, this was only his second goal since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in December, but his overall performance—four chances created, three completed dribbles, and tireless defensive work—suggested a player regaining his sharpness at precisely the right moment .

This Result Means Liverpool secures a place in Monday's fifth-round draw and extends a run of improved form that now stretches eight to ten games . Having been eliminated by Plymouth at this stage last season with an understrength side, Slot's decision to field a strong lineup underscored the importance he places on cup competition . The Reds remain in contention for honours on three fronts.

For Brighton, the defeat extends a worrying run to five games without a win across all competitions . While Hurzeler's side showed flashes of their quality in possession, their inability to convert promising positions into goals remains a concern as they prepare for a crucial run of league fixtures.

Liverpool will discover their fifth-round opponents when the FA Cup draw takes place on Monday evening. With the Premier League top-four race intensifying and a Champions League campaign to navigate, Slot's rotation policy will face its sternest tests in the weeks ahead. On this evidence, however, the depth and quality at his disposal are more than capable of meeting the challenge.