Liverpool Routs Brighton 3-0 As Szoboszlai, Jones And Salah Seal FA Cup Progress

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Liverpool reached the FA Cup fifth round with a controlled 3-0 home victory over Brighton, as Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah all scored. The win capped a strong team display at Anfield and kept Liverpool on course in domestic cup competition.

While Brighton produced more attempts on goal, Liverpool showed greater sharpness in both penalty areas. The hosts limited Brighton’s clear chances, relied on key interventions from Alisson, and capitalised ruthlessly on decisive moments to secure progress in the FA Cup.

The result carried extra meaning for Jones and Salah, who both ended long scoring waits. Jones had gone 57 Liverpool matches without a goal, last scoring against Leicester City in December 2024. Salah netted his first domestic club goal since facing Aston Villa on November 1, 2025.

During that spell, Salah was left out and later restored by Arne Slot, while scoring four times at the Africa Cup of Nations. This match underlined Salah’s influence again, as the forward scored, assisted and won a penalty in the same Liverpool appearance for only the third time.

Brighton began confidently, pressing high and seeing more of the ball, yet failed to create clear openings. Liverpool gradually settled, and Cody Gakpo thought the deadlock was broken after heading in Szoboszlai’s free-kick, but the flag went up for offside following the close-range finish.

Jason Steele then denied Salah from close range, before producing a fingertip stop from Milos Kerkez’s fierce drive towards the far corner. Brighton’s resistance finally fell on 42 minutes when Kerkez delivered a first-time cross from the left, which stand-in right-back Jones guided past Steele at the near post.

Liverpool Brighton FA Cup second-half surge and Salah penalty

Brighton almost replied immediately either side of half-time. Alisson saved well from Diego Gomez on the stroke of the interval, then reacted sharply to push away Lewis Dunk’s powerful header early in the second period, keeping Liverpool ahead during Brighton’s most threatening spell of pressure.

Liverpool punished those misses in the 56th minute with a flowing second goal. Kerkez clipped a diagonal ball towards Salah on the right, and Salah cushioned it into Szoboszlai’s path. The Hungary international burst into the box and drilled a fierce shot across Steele into the far corner.

Salah then added Liverpool’s third from the penalty spot after being pulled down by Pascal Gross in the 68th minute. Salah drove the kick into the top-right corner, claiming a first domestic goal since 2025 and completing a performance that also included an assist and the won spot-kick.

There was late frustration for 17-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha, who thought a composed finish had brought a fourth goal, only for the assistant’s flag to rule the effort marginally offside. Liverpool therefore closed out the tie at 3-0 despite continued pressure on Brighton’s tiring defence.

Liverpool Brighton FA Cup statistics and attacking efficiency

Shot numbers favoured Brighton, who registered 17 attempts to Liverpool’s 13, yet the visitors’ efforts produced only 1.22 expected goals. Liverpool’s attacking play generated 1.82 expected goals, boosted by Salah’s penalty, and highlighted a more clinical edge when good situations appeared around the Brighton area.

This fixture also added a statistical landmark for Salah. Across 428 Liverpool matches, this was only the third time Salah had scored, assisted and won a penalty in one game, with the previous instances both coming in December 2018 against Newcastle United and Arsenal in successive fixtures.

Liverpool’s blend of resilient defending, timely saves from Alisson and sharp finishing from Jones, Szoboszlai and Salah proved enough to advance. Brighton’s higher shot count and periods of control did not bring a breakthrough, leaving Liverpool safely in the FA Cup fifth round draw.