Liverpool 3-0 Brighton: Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah on target in FA Cup tie
In the end Liverpool were through and there was healing all around. This was a difficult cup tie, even if it was against a Brighton team who have been guilty of underperforming, perhaps the least impressive Brighton team in years and accused of not playing for their manager Fabian Hurzeler.
But here Arne Slot’s Liverpool had a task, to go into the fifth round, to continue challenging, to banish as far as possible any hint of the difficulties they have faced over the past four months. The last time Liverpool faced Brighton Mohamed Salah’s future was unclear. His assist for Hugo Ekitike’s goal was followed by a heart-rending applause for the Kop that did little to dispel the fears that he would not be staying at Anfield beyond the winter window.
Here Salah had an assist again; here Salah was running down the right wing, scoring from the spot, Liverpool reclaiming much of the authority that has eluded them to sink Brighton and go through.
It was by no means perfect. And Curtis Jones starting at right-back encapsulated the injury problems Liverpool have faced. Slot said his side had been “unlucky” and they may have. “You can hardly believe what this right full-back position brings us this season,” he said, referring to the number of players who have featured in that position: Conor Bradley, now injured and out of season; and Jeremie Frimpong, in and out of the squad with injuries of his own; then it was Wataru Endo who played there and lasted just about an hour.
Dominik Szoboszlai has also played there. And here against Brighton it was Jones who bore the burden. But it was also Jones who left the stadium in the end happier than most. He had gone 57 games without a goal, stretching back over a year, but he scored Liverpool’s opener with an excellent touch in the first half, before Szoboszlai and Salah put the game beyond their visitors in the second half.
Into the #EmiratesFACup Fifth Round ✊ pic.twitter.com/6bU2QwsZto
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 14, 2026
Jones had sent an early warning to Brighton when he unloaded with his weak foot from outside the area, helped by a deflection, and the ball flew just inches wide of the top corner.
Salah seemed like his old self again when he raced past Ferdi Kadioglu on the right in pursuit of a long ball, although his subsequent tame shot failed to trouble Jason Steele. Moments later it was Milos Kerkez blasting a half volley just over the bar, causing much anxiety for Steele as Liverpool rallied following a lukewarm starting half of an hour where Brighton had looked better but failed to create anything.
Then the Reds backed up their performance with a goal. Cody Gakpo was dispossessed in the left half space but Kerkez chased down the loose ball, sending a one-time cross to the far post, where Jones connected and Liverpool were ahead.
Brighton of course had their moments. Diego Gomez could have capitalised on Jones’ slip to leave him space at the edge of the box but to score he had to outwit the onrushing Alisson. He could not, the goalkeeper expertly spreading himself and saving with his foot. Lewis Dunk’s header from a Pascal Gross freekick seemed like it was flying into the far corner but there again was Alisson, intervening with a mighty paw.
As cool as they come 🥶
Mohamed Salah from the spot for @LFC 🎯#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/xgY0ut3FAz
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 15, 2026
Liverpool soon eased nerves at Anfield when they doubled in their lead in the second period. It was a thing of beauty, a perfect blend of teamwork and individual quality. Gakpo, perpetually buzzing on the left wing, sent a cross-field pass into Salah, who cushioned the ball into the path of Szoboszlai. The Hungarian, arriving, hit it first time and it flew past Steele into the corner.
At this point the result was looking certain. Brighton seemed to have no way back even before Gross was found guilty of wrestling down Salah in the box, and then moments later, the winger leathered a shot into the top right corner from the spot.
