Don’t say it too loud, but Liverpool are starting to become fun to watch again. It’s still not the most convincing Liverpool side, and there are plenty of worries about the effectiveness of the formation and some of the seemingly nailed on starters. Still, there was more emphasis on the attack in a fairly open match with Brighton that saw Liverpool deservedly take a 1-0 lead just ahead of halftime before blowing the game open in the second half as the Reds now advance to the quarterfinals of the FA
Cup.
Below, we take a look at some winners and losers on the night, and attempt to disentangle narrative from fact.
Winners
Milos Kerkez
The Hungarian left back has quite possibly his best performance for Liverpool to date. He was very solid with his positioning and 1v1 defending throughout the match, and showed great aggressiveness getting forward into the attack. He set up the first goal by running down a loose ball before it could go out of play and then sending in a perfect cross that was tapped home by Curtis Jones. Kerkez also forced a brilliant save with a rocket from distance after making himself available for a free kick sent over the top with a heads up early run down the left wing.
Curtis Jones
The Scouser got a rare start since the start of the new year, becoming the latest victim…er player…to slide into the seemingly cursed right back role. Curtis did what he needed to do defensively and was calm withstanding the press out of the back. He scored the opening goal with an instinctive finish from a midfielder’s late run, tapping in from close range after a sumptuous cross by Milos Kerkez. Jones shifted into midfield midway through the second half, and continued to be a strong presence. He finished with an almost 90% pass completion rate.
Dominik Szoboszlai
Szobo returned from his one match suspension, and was somewhat surprisingly unshackled into the midfield. The high press was immediately better than we have seen recently with his presence in the midfield. The Hungarian put in a peach of a set piece that was headed into the net by Cody Gakpo, but the attacker was offside. Szoboszlai made no mistake with his own opportunity as he steamed forward from midfield to get on the end of a perfect layoff by Mohamed Salah before slamming the ball past the goalkeeper from the top of the box. Szoboszlai finished with an almost perfect 47 for 48 passing.
Mohamed Salah
There were still plenty of worrying signs about the decline of Salah throughout the match, but he came up big in a couple of key moments to blow the match wide open. His cushioned first-time pass off of a crossfield ball from Cody Gakpo was perfectly weighted for the run of Szoboszlai that was finished off for the second goal of the match. Mo found a little bit of his old magic later in the second half, facing up a defender and just straight running through him on the dribble before forcing a clear foul in the box that was actually awarded as a penalty kick. Mo drilled the spot kick into the top corner to finish the match with a goal and an assist.
Alisson Becker
Ali had two huge interventions to preserve the lead when Liverpool were only up a goal. He made a fantastic 1v1 save after Curtis Jones slipped, allowing Diego Gomez through on goal. Alisson also made a perfectly timed punch on a header that was put back across the face of goal just ahead of several Brighton players could get a touch. In total, Alisson finished with 3 saves and a couple heart-in-mouth moments with the ball at his feet. All in a day’s work.
Losers
Cody Gakpo
Cody continues to be a ever present frustrating presence up top for the Reds. He did end up with a hockey assist for the second goal from a good crossfield ball for Mohamed Salah, but Gakpo’s only other real contributions was getting fouled. He was again offside in crucial situations where he really should have been able to get onside. He also was saved blushes after blocking a goalbound shot by Milos Kerkez after the flag went up for offside.
Federico Chiesa
Given a rare opportunity to start Chiesa failed to have any real impact on the match. His effervescent energy and boundless running seems a lot more effective when he comes on as a sub. He finished with just 14 touches during his 76 minutes, with one shot.
Dissecting the Narrative
With a midweek match, there were many who thought Arne Slot may rotate a decent number of players for the cup match to rest some weary legs. In the end, only Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike of the regular starters were rotated out, giving opportunities to Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa. It would appear that Slot feels the need to put forth a strong effort in the FA Cup competition after a disastrous fall and winter have put him on thin ice with most supporters. While there will rightfully be concerns about tired legs for the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Virgil van Dijk, the ability to start and build some positive momentum may just have been worth it with a week of rest before the next match.
What Happens Next
Liverpool will return to Premier League play next Sunday as they travel to face struggling Nottingham Forest. The hosts will be playing their first league match under new manager Vitor Pereira after Sean Dyche was sacked. Arne Slot will hope his side can continue their positive progression after winning four of their past five matches, and beginning to look like a side that is fun to watch again. Liverpool will need to start stacking up wins as they try to stay in the hunt for Champions League places in the table.
