Carabao Cup: Brighton 2 Liverpool 3
The Arne Slot roadshow continues to impress. Cody Gakpo’s quick-fire double helped the Liverpool manager make it seven wins from his first eight away matches in all competitions as the holders moved into the quarter-finals despite making wholesale changes on the south coast.
Slot could not have wished for a better start to life in English football and he will have been mightily impressed with the performance of the Czech goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, who made a spectacular save on his debut when the game was finely poised at 1-0. This was the first real setback for opposite number Fabian Hürzeler since his arrival on these shores, with Brighton once again failing to get past this stage of the competition for the first time in approaching 50 years.
To their credit, they kept fighting and pulled one back through Simon Adingra and another through Tariq Lamptey after Luis Díaz seemed to have settled matters but the hosts could not find a precious equaliser ahead of their trip to Anfield at the weekend.
Slot expressed his concern this week over Liverpool’s lack of forward options after Diogo Jota was ruled out until after the next international break, with Federico Chiesa also sidelined. That meant Dominik Szoboszlai was tasked with leading the line as Mohamed Salah was one of eight changes from the team which drew with Arsenal on Sunday. Third-choice goalkeeper Jaros – wearing the number 57 shirt – made his full debut while Tyler Morton started alongside Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones in central midfield.
Any Brighton supporters still reeling from conceding two late goals against Wolves on Saturday would have been pleased to see Republic of Ireland international Evan Ferguson handed another opportunity after breaking his 11-month goal drought. Hürzeler – who also made eight changes including a first start for the lively Brajan Gruda, a £25 million signing from Mainz in the summer – said there is no reason why his side should not target this competition given that they have not got past this stage since 1979 when they lost to eventual winners Nottingham Forest in the last eight.
Yet Brighton seemed intent on giving their opponents a helping hand in the opening stages, with Szoboszlai nearly making Jason Steele pay for trying to play out from the back. It was Joe Gomez who was caught napping when Jan Paul van Hecke’s ball over the top picked out Adingra and Lamptey raced on to his pass. But, to the relief of a packed away end behind his goal, Jaros was able to block his shot.
Brighton’s second string looked keen to prove a point as they jostle for starting spots under their youthful manager and enjoyed more of the ball as the first half progressed. Julio Enciso’s curler from 30 yards out had Jaros rooted to the spot as it dipped just over the crossbar. Liverpool still looked dangerous on the break and Steele did well to save Szoboszlai’s shot with his legs after he had combined with Andy Robertson before Luis Díaz headed the rebound wide. In another rare moment of quality that lifted Slot on to his feet in the technical area, a slick break downfield ended with Robertson forcing Steele into another save at his near post. Given the number of changes on both sides, it was perhaps no surprise that they looked so disjointed.
Ferdi Kadioglu did not return for the second half but it was down Brighton’s right flank that Liverpool found the breakthrough less than a minute after the restart. Morton latched on to a loose ball from a goal kick and Gakpo did the rest, cutting in from the wing and unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Brighton would have been level immediately if it had not been for an outstanding reaction save from Jaros to somehow tip Adingra’s header from a Lamptey cross into the post. Ferguson then fired over from close range before Gruda was inches away with a curling effort from distance.
Liverpool were living on the edge but they were presented with a perfect opportunity to settle their nerves when Lamptey lost possession. Suddenly Gakpo was bearing down on goal but he opted to set up Szoboszlai instead, which allowed Steele to make the save. There was no such unselfishness a minute later after the Dutchman beat the unfortunate Lamptey to the ball: the ball flew into the net after Gakpo hammered it low past the Brighton goalkeeper.
Brighton were handed a lifeline when Jarell Quansah misplaced a pass and Adingra bundled home from close range after Jaros had saved the initial shot. Díaz seemed to have ended any hopes of a comeback when he slammed home from Joël Veltman’s poor clearance but Lamptey’s deflected shot set up a nervy finale that Slot will be relieved to have come through. – Guardian
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