Liverpool cruises into FA Cup fifth round
Liverpool eased into the fifth round of the FA Cup as Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah got on the scoresheet in a 3-0 win over Brighton at Anfield.
Brighton started positively without creating any truly clear-cut chances, though Liverpool began to take control as the first half wore on.
They thought they were in front when Cody Gakpo nodded Szoboszlai's wonderful free-kick home, only for the offside flag to go up, before Jason Steele kept out Salah and Milos Kerkez – the latter with a vital fingertip save after the left-back blasted towards the far corner.
Kerkez was the catalyst when Liverpool made the breakthrough in the 42nd minute, with his wonderful, first-time cross being steered home by Jones, who was deputising on the opposite side of the back four.
Alisson made a big save to deny Diego Gomez on the stroke of half-time and another to keep out Lewis Dunk's header early in the second period, and Liverpool made Brighton pay for those missed opportunities in the 56th minute.
The Reds' second goal was a thing of beauty as Kerkez floated a cross-field pass to Salah, who cushioned the ball into the path of Szoboszlai with his instep. Racing onto the ball on the right side of the area, the Hungarian blasted a rasping shot into the far corner.
Salah then got a goal – his first in domestic action since November – to go with his assist as he won and converted a 68th-minute penalty, firing into the top-right corner after being clumsily hauled down by Pascal Gross.
Seventeen-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha thought he had added a late fourth only to be marginally denied by the offside flag, as Liverpool were made to settle for 3-0.
