Liverpool overcame a strong Brighton and Hove Albion start to beat them 3-0 at Anfield and advance to the FA Cup fifth round.
It could have been more as well, as Rio Ngumoha looked onside when scoring late on. But despite the goal difference, it was by no means an easy game for the Reds. They saw the Seagulls have no regard for venue or crowd and take control of the match straight from kick-off.
In fact, for around 20-30 minutes, it’s fair to say Brighton were considerably better – just not enough to deserve a lead. Fabian Hurzeler’s men lined up in a very organised manner and had promising sequences of all kinds early on.
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Of course, Liverpool’s midfield duo wasn’t the most physically imposing and defensively aware (Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister). But it doesn’t take away how well the visitors started the game.
Arne Slot had his side often switching back and forth between zonal and man-marking, but Brighton dissecated both versions. They connected their forwards between the lines a number of times within the first 5 minutes, but ultimately failed to turn those dangerous touches into true goalscoring opportunities (just one all night to Liverpool’s two).
But it was an impressive away performance in the first half, dominating possession (56% to 44%), pressing high up the pitch and recovering the ball quickly. Liverpool went to the break ahead, but definitely not comfortable.
How did Liverpool beat Brighton?
Liverpool accept Brighton’s dominance
Arne Slot had no shame leaving the ball to Brighton. It did take a while for him to adjust, though. Their usual relentless approach played into the opponent’s hand and it left them running large distances back and forth, leaving Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate exposed and busy.
But once they started leaning on long balls without committing too many players forward, things started getting better. It left less gaps for Brighton to exploit, but also put mot responsibility on the forwards to generate chances on their own.
Mo Salah was the main target and had two good deep runs that ended in shots, one of his own and the other by Federico Chiesa. Though it was a positional attack that gave them the lead through Curtis Jones.
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But the second goal was the product of an artificial transition highlighted by a long ball from Cody Gakpo to, yet again, Salah. A beautiful touch from the Egyptian got Szoboszlai through on goal and he made no mistake.
The No.11 would receive another long pass from the left, this time from Milos Kerkez, before taking two defenders on and winning a penalty.
Arne Slot inverts the logic of possession
Usually, teams use possession as a means to not only get closer to scoring, but also keeping the opposition away. Nowadays, many managers adapt to game-state scenarios and try to keep the ball until scoring but then give it away to defend.
Arne Slot did the exact opposite. When it was 0-0, he was happy to let Brighton have the ball, but immediately tried dominating possession after going 1-0 up.
| Possession | 0′-42′ (Jones’ goal) | 42′-68′ (Salah’s goal) |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 46% | 58% |
| Brighton | 54% | 42% |
It didn’t seem to be in Slot’s plans to have the ball in order to get the lead over the Seagulls. But it was critical for managing – and even extending – it in the second half.
Individual performances
Mo Salah had one of his best performances of the season tonight. A goal from a penalty that he won himself after a brilliant solo run and a wonderful assist to Dominik Szoboszlai. But there were other performances that stood out.
Szoboszlai himself had a little trouble dealing with Brighton’s relentless waves early on. But he was integral to Liverpool turning the game on its head to get the lead. His limitless passing range will always be a weapon while Salah is sharing the pitch with him.
Milos Kerkez assisted the opener and had great attacking touches. His work-rate allowed him to be a constant presence in the final third while also being present to defend at the back.
But his awareness to close down harder when Brighton players were taking a touch with their back to goal while turning around to run forward helped to slow them down and allowed Liverpool to breathe. He was the first one to change the defensive approach and get more aggressive while the Seagulls piled the pressure on.
Curtis Jones was the latest in line of Liverpool players filling in for another one at right-back. He was fine defensively but the decision to charge forward while Diego Gomez tucked inside to close the midfield line and Kadioglu was too busy worrying about Salah was precisely what led to him scoring.
The Reds had evened the game at that time but still hadn’t managed to create any concrete chances. At the back, they were never comfortable in the first half. So the goal wasn’t exactly against the run of play, but completely changed the outlook of the match.