Cody Gakpo's brilliant brace beats battling Brighton as Liverpool advance - 5 talking points

BRIGHTON 2-3 LIVERPOOL: Cody Gakpo scored doubly arsenic Arne Slot's broadside saw disconnected the Seagulls to scope the quarter-finals of a contention they won past season

Cody Gakpo drove holders Liverpool into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a brace that lit up Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium and acceptable up a stunning 2nd half.

After a choky archetypal play which featured chances for some sides, Gakpo exploded into the 2nd with a thunderous onslaught from the country of the punishment country which flew past Jason Steele.

The Dutchman past drove location a debased changeable to marque it 2-0 midway done the half, earlier Simon Adingra pulled 1 backmost for the hosts. Luis Diaz past added a 3rd for the Reds, earlier Tariq Lamptey's effort deflected disconnected Jarell Quansah for Brighton to propulsion different 1 back.

Liverpool held connected for a triumph though, and a spot successful the past 8 of the competition. Here are the main talking points.

1. Vitezslav Jaros announces himself again

Having travel successful from obscurity to marque his archetypal elder quality for Liverpool successful the triumph astatine Crystal Palace astatine the commencement of the month, Vitezslav Jaros was backmost successful the Reds extremity astatine the extremity of it, taking up the presumption of Carabao Cup keeper fixed Caoimhin Kelleher's caller promotion.

At Selhurst Park Jaros was coagulated erstwhile helium needed to be, but astatine Brighton helium was capable to showcase much of his abilities. He was bully with the shot astatine his feet aboriginal on, stood up impressively to contradict Tariq Lamptey erstwhile the Brighton antheral raced done successful the archetypal fractional and past produced a rather superb prevention from Adingra astatine the commencement of the second. He could person done amended for Adingra's goal, but looks primed for a bully career.

2. Julio Enciso showcases his promise

This was lone Julio Enciso's 3rd commencement of the play for the Seagulls, with each of them coming successful the Carabao Cup, and he's a endowment who deserves much of an opportunity.

Having seen astir the full of past play ruined by a superior genu injury, the Paraguayan has been incapable to physique connected the breathtaking committedness helium showed astatine the process extremity of the 2022-23 run erstwhile helium scored a stunning extremity astatine Chelsea and an adjacent amended 1 astatine location to Manchester City. He tried to repetition the second successful the archetypal fractional but his effort from region flew implicit Jaros' crossbar.

3. Cody Gakpo lights up the Carabao Cup again

He won't privation to beryllium known arsenic Liverpool's Carabao Cup forward, but you can't contradict Gakpo's interaction erstwhile the sides are rotated and the stakes lowered somewhat. The Dutchman has repeatedly travel up trumps for Liverpool successful the competition, and this became his crippled successful the 2nd half.

His archetypal was stunning, blasting successful from scope connected the angle, and past came the 2nd erstwhile - moments aft messing up a three-on-one interruption - helium robbed Lamptey and blasted debased into the net. On nights similar this Gakpo is electrical and specified a invaluable subordinate for Liverpool to have. He'll person much to accidental this season.

4. Brighton's openness indispensable beryllium a concern

As ever Brighton showed their willingness to play retired from the backmost and invitation Liverpool onto them, but that wasn't truly the main interest for Fabian Hurzeler. It was losing the shot successful the mediate 3rd and so erstwhile they were attacking which became the issue, with the Reds capable to instrumentality the shot astatine easiness and often portion done their opponents.

Both Luis Diaz and Andy Robertson could person scored fantastic goals successful the archetypal fractional earlier Gakpo took implicit successful the second, and disconnected the backmost their illness against Wolves astatine the weekend, and with Liverpool to travel again connected Saturday, Hurzeler volition person to beryllium acrophobic that his broadside are looking brittle.

5. Arne Slot sticks to his strengths

At 2-0 down and demoralised pursuing Gakpo's brace, Brighton's players looked implicit to the sidelines and saw Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez coming on. It was different antithetic quirk to this Arne Slot commencement astatine Liverpool, with the Dutchman much than consenting to usage his stars whenever helium can.

Slot's determination to workplace retired galore of Liverpool's breathtaking youngsters connected indebtedness pursuing his accomplishment this summer, alternatively focusing connected the elder players astatine his disposal arsenic helium got to grips with the job, is precise antithetic to Jurgen Klopp's approach, and wasn't wholly fashionable with fans who retrieve 'Klopp's kids' and their relation successful winning this contention past season.

It isn't each astir the elder stars, arsenic the commencement for Tyler Morton and quality for 17-year-old Trey Nyoni showed, but Slot's streamlining shows helium means concern this season. Liverpool could person wilted aft Adingra pulled a extremity backmost but they had the spot connected the transportation to spot things retired with the 3rd from Diaz.

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