Liverpool’s reign as FA Cup holders came to a crashing end on Saturday evening, as a last-gasp goal from Kaoru Mitoma saw Brighton & Hove Albion progress to the fifth round of the competition.
The Seagulls earned their win after looking at the more dangerous side for the entire 90 minutes, but it was a cruel blow for Jurgen Klopp’s side to suffer in this manner.
The Reds had started the game brightly, with Mohamed Salah again looking dangerous, and he assisted Harvey Elliott in opening the scoring for the visitors .
However, their lead was short-lived as a deflected effort from Tariq Lamptey found its way to Lewis Dunk, who fired home an equalizer for Brighton.
Liverpool continued to look for a second goal, and Klopp introduced a trio of substitutes, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Darwin Nunez, to force the issue.
But it was Brighton who had the final say as Mitoma fired a superb winner past Alisson in injury time.
After the game, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi spoke highly of his players’ performance and praised the contribution of Mitoma.
“We’re delighted to be through to the next round,” he said. “Kaoru was outstanding all game and his goal was the difference.”
The win was a massive boost to Brighton, who has been in excellent form in recent weeks and are now firmly in contention for a top-six finish in the Premier League.
For Liverpool, the loss will be a bitter pill to swallow, having been outplayed by a team they would have expected to beat.
Klopp was understandably disappointed after the game but admitted that his side had been second-best on the night. “Brighton was the better team they deserved the win,” he said.
The result leaves Liverpool’s season on a knife edge, with their title defense in tatters and the Champions League now their only realistic chance of silverware this season.
The Reds will now turn their attention to the premier league game against Wolves against Everton on Saturday, 4th Feb 2023, and Klopp will be hoping to lift his side’s spirits ahead of what is sure to be a fiercely contested encounter.
Brighton will focus on building on their impressive recent form and securing a European place for next season.
They will face Bournemouth in their next game, and De Zerbi hopes his side can continue their impressive run of form.
Saturday’s result will go down as one of the shocks of the season, with Brighton dumping holders Liverpool out of the FA Cup in some style.
But while it was a disappointing evening for the Reds, it was a night to remember for the Seagulls, who continue their impressive rise up the Premier League table.