Salah Shines as Liverpool Crush Brighton to Move Into FA Cup Round Five
Mohamed Salah returned to the scoresheet and set up another goal as Liverpool put Brighton to the sword in a 3-0 win at Anfield, a result that sends the Reds into round five of the fa cup and offers a timely boost to their momentum.
Clinical performance at Anfield
Liverpool delivered a controlled, professional display, opening the scoring through Curtis Jones before Dominik Szoboszlai added a spectacular second. Salah wrapped up the victory from the penalty spot after creating danger throughout the tie, also notching an assist earlier in the contest. The trio of goals underlined a clear attacking edge and saw Liverpool keep a clean sheet, with goalkeeper Alisson producing a key stop when Brighton threatened in moments of pressure.
Brighton had patches of possession and showed confidence on the ball, but they repeatedly lacked the cutting edge in the final third. A late effort that seemed to pull a goal back was ultimately ruled out for offside, removing any late drama and sealing a convincing win for the hosts.
Slot praises Salah’s all‑round shift and team intensity
Manager Arne Slot was fulsome in his praise for Salah after the match, highlighting not just the forward’s finishing and creativity but his willingness to contribute defensively. Slot said: “It’s very nice to have Mo on the scoresheet again and him having an assist. But I think what I like the most at the moment, that he’s scoring goals is something you can almost expect, but he also helps the team a lot defensively. That is something very positive – what the team also needs – and I think more and more players are now capable of playing at this intensity level every three days. That is where we struggled a lot in the beginning of the season, where it was sometimes hard for us to bring the intensity level once a week, let alone every three days. But now we’re able to do so, we see more and more the quality we have. That’s why I’ve said so many times already that the future looks really bright for this club with these players, and I think the recent seven, eight, nine, 10 games are showing that as well. ”
The manager’s comments underlined a tactical shift that has seen Liverpool demand more defensive work from their forwards and greater collective intensity. That balance paid dividends on the night: pressing moments forced turnovers in dangerous areas and rapid transitions opened space for Szoboszlai’s decisive strike and the movement that created Jones’s opener.
What the win means and what comes next
Beyond progression in the competition, the result offers Liverpool a confidence injection at a time when consistency has been a recurring concern. The victory demonstrated the squad’s ability to execute a game plan, with several players contributing beyond headline names and a spine of the team showing improved cohesion.
For Brighton, the defeat exposes the familiar problem of finishing opportunities in high-stakes ties. The visitors showed tactical structure and composure in possession but ultimately failed to convert promising sequences into goals. Their focus will now return to finding the cutting edge required to reverse a run of matches without a goal.
Liverpool will take the momentum from this win into their upcoming fixtures, aiming to string together results and build on the defensive solidity and attacking fluency displayed at Anfield. With Salah recapturing form and the squad showing signs of greater collective intensity, the Reds head into the next phase of the season with renewed belief.
