Not done yet: Mohamed Salah sparkles as Liverpool breeze past Brighton in FA Cup
Saturday night ET — Mohamed Salah looked every bit the match-winner once more as Liverpool produced a dominant 3-0 victory over Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round at Anfield. The Egypt international both created and finished chances, playing a central role in a performance that offered a timely lift for Arne Slot’s side.
Salah leads the charge
Salah provided the assist for Dominik Szoboszlai’s superb strike before winning and calmly converting a second-half penalty to seal Liverpool’s passage to the fifth round. It was a performance that suggested the forward has set aside recent off-field frustrations and refocused on contributing to the team. Across all competitions, this was the 15th time since the start of last season that Salah has both scored and assisted in the same match for Liverpool — a tally that outpaces every other Premier League player in that period by a wide margin.
The assist for Szoboszlai was a measured, perfectly weighted pass that underlined Salah’s ongoing creative value. Since returning from international duty, he has added several key final-third contributions; only one Premier League player has more assists for their club in all competitions since mid-December. That Salah is delivering such output despite missing more than a month for his national team speaks to his durability and footballing intelligence.
Team performance and tactical takeaways
The opener arrived shortly before half-time after a fine sequence involving Milos Kerkez and Curtis Jones. Kerkez’s revival continued as the left-back teed up Jones, who tucked home from close range while deputising on the right side of the backline amid Liverpool’s injury crisis. Jones’ composed finish capped a first-half period in which Liverpool finally found the intensity that had been missing in recent weeks.
The second-half surge began with a sweeping team move finished by Szoboszlai, his 10th goal of the campaign, which showcased the fluid pressing and rapid transitional play that made Liverpool so dangerous last season. Szoboszlai’s finish was the result of coordinated movement and precision passing — a reminder of the midfielder’s growing influence in Slot’s system.
Brighton had moments, notably a one-on-one that Alisson denied, and a late disallowed goal that would have reduced the deficit. But the visitors’ lack of clinical edge and an inability to convert promising sequences into goals left them exposed to Liverpool’s more incisive finishing. Defensively, Liverpool looked compact and alert, with signings such as Kerkez contributing both offensively and defensively.
Where this leaves Liverpool
The result offers a boost at a pivotal point in the season. For Salah, the night was further evidence that he remains a critical asset, even if his role has shifted from primary creator to an experienced, multifaceted contributor who can both create and finish. For Slot, the challenge will be to build on this display, maintaining intensity and consistency across competitions as the fixture list grows tighter.
With a fifth-round tie secured, Liverpool can take confidence from a night that blended individual quality with collective fluency. The Reds showed they can still turn in cohesive, high-quality performances when their key players are aligned — and that could prove decisive as the season progresses.
