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Liverpool 3 – 0 Brighton – FA Cup Postmortem

After a week that hinted at revival and renewed momentum, Liverpool were presented with an opportunity to turn promise into progress. The FA Cup may not carry the weight of a league campaign, but in a season of fluctuating form, it represents clarity — a tangible route to silverware.

Against a Brighton side that enjoyed more of the ball and fired more shots, Liverpool delivered something far more important: control of the decisive moments.

The Starting Eleven

Liverpool XI

• GK – Alisson Becker

• RB – Curtis Jones

• CB – Ibrahima Konaté

• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

• LB – Milos Kerkez

• CM – Alexis Mac Allister

• CM – Dominik Szoboszlai

• RW – Mohamed Salah

• AM – Florian Wirtz

• LW – Cody Gakpo

• CF – Federico Chiesa

Substitutes Used

Joe Gomez → Florian Wirtz (70’)

Rio Ngumoha → Federico Chiesa (76’)

Hugo Ekitike → Mohamed Salah (76’)

Trey Nyoni → Curtis Jones (88’)

Calvin Ramsay → Cody Gakpo (88’)

Goals

Liverpool 1–0 Brighton – Curtis Jones (Milos Kerkez) – 42’

A brilliantly instinctive first-time cross from Kerkez met by Jones’ perfectly timed surge from deep. Precision, timing, composure.

Liverpool 2–0 Brighton – Dominik Szoboszlai (Mohamed Salah) – 56’

Salah’s awareness and weight of pass were immaculate. Szoboszlai strode onto it and unleashed a venomous strike beyond the goalkeeper.

Liverpool 3–0 Brighton – Mohamed Salah (Penalty) – 68’

Sharp footwork to draw the foul, ruthless execution from the spot. Game state secured.

Match Statistics

• Possession – Liverpool 47% | Brighton 53%

• xG – Liverpool 1.82 | Brighton 1.22

• Total Shots – Liverpool 13 | Brighton 17

• Shots on Target – Liverpool 2 | Brighton 6

• Fouls – Liverpool 15 | Brighton 19

• Corners – Liverpool 5 | Brighton 6

First Half

The opening half was measured rather than frantic. Brighton enjoyed marginally more possession, but Liverpool’s defensive structure — marshalled by Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté — ensured that control did not translate into chaos.

Curtis Jones’ deployment at right-back once again provided fluidity in build-up. He stepped into midfield zones, allowing Mac Allister and Szoboszlai to rotate intelligently. Milos Kerkez, meanwhile, was relentless on the opposite flank, combining defensive aggression with forward thrust.

Brighton fired more shots overall, yet many were speculative or comfortably managed by Alisson. Liverpool’s threat felt sharper. The breakthrough, when it arrived at 42 minutes, was deserved. Kerkez’s whipped delivery and Jones’ clinical finish represented Liverpool at their most synchronised.

Second Half

The second half brought clarity. Liverpool were more direct, more decisive, and ruthless in the key moments.

Szoboszlai’s strike on 56 minutes was emblematic of confidence. The move flowed through Salah, whose vision unlocked Brighton’s line, and the Hungarian’s finish left no doubt.

Despite Brighton recording six shots on target to Liverpool’s two, game management was evident. Alisson intervened when required, and the defensive line remained compact. The penalty on 68 minutes effectively ended the contest, Salah dispatching it with trademark authority.

Substitutions were pragmatic rather than reactive — a welcome sign. Fresh legs entered without destabilising the structure, something that has not always been the case this season.

Final Thoughts

This was a performance where clarity was needed — and clarity was delivered.

The statistics suggest a closer encounter than the scoreline, yet Liverpool controlled the narrative. They were efficient rather than extravagant. Clinical rather than chaotic. The defensive spine stood firm, the fullbacks influenced both ends, and the attacking leaders executed when it mattered.

In cup football, that is often the difference between progress and regret.

If this was not perfection, it was purpose. And purpose, at this stage of the season, may be even more valuable.

Steven Smith’s Pre-Match Prediction:

Liverpool 3 – 1 Brighton