Brighton 2-1 Liverpool: Mitoma brings magic to FA Cup ratings
The history and tradition of the FA Cup mean that magic moments which occur in the competition tend to stay in the memory for longer. Nobody who witnessed Kaoru Mitoma storm to the top of the Brighton 2-1 Liverpool player ratings is likely to forget the performance of the Japanese Bullet Train anytime soon.
Where do you start? How about Jurgen Klopp hauling Trent Alexander-Arnold to protect him from suffering some form of PTSD as a result of the run around Mitoma was giving the England international?
Or with that unbelievable outside of the right boot pass to March worthy of a Kevin De Bruyne highlight reel? Oh, and you might be aware that Mitoma scored too.
Not just any goal, but one involving an outrageous piece of skill to chop the ball in the air so it evaded Joe Gomez followed by a crashing volley past Alisson to win it for the Albion in injury time.
Brighton were not at their best but with Mitoma in this sort of form, they can afford to be below par and still have enough in the tank to beat the once-mighty Redmen.
Here is how the Albion fared in the Brighton 2-1 Liverpool player ratings.
Jason Steele – 7.36
That Steele was the only backup player to start tells you the confidence Roberto De Zerbi has in his number two goalkeeper. Got a hand on the Liverpool goal but wasn’t quite strong enough to keep it out. Other than that, he made some important interventions and looked good with the ball at his feet.
Tariq Lamptey – 8.64
Ended a week which began with him being linked with a move away from the Amex by reminding everyone of the talent he possesses. His frequent forays forward kept Andy Robertson occupied and it was his powerful 30 yard drive which Lewis Dunk deflected in for the equaliser. At the other end, he made two important blocks to prevent Liverpool adding to Harvey Elliott’s opener.
Adam Webster – 6.18
Completed a solid enough 45 minutes before illness struck and he was withdrawn at half time. His return from injury has given De Zerbi a decision to make over who partners Dunk when Brighton are back in Premier League action against Plucky Little Bournemouth.
Lewis Dunk – 8.36
A brilliant goal line clearance from Mo Salah prevented an early Liverpool goal. Only he will know whether the deflection which took Lamptey’s shot away from Alisson was intentional. What we can say with certainty is that he now has scored both against and for Liverpool in the Premier League and FA Cup.
Pervis Estupinan – 7.91
He is good for a defensive mistake every now and again with questions asked about his role in the Elliott goal. More than makes up for that when going forward however, summed up by the huge part he played in Mitoma’s winner.
Pascal Gross – 6.82
Deployed alongside Mac Allister in midfield rather than the right back role he has occupied in recent weeks. Kept possession well but should have done better with a chance put over the bar.
Alexis Mac Allister – 7.00
Brighton 2-1 Liverpool represents one of his lowest ratings of the season which tells you how good he has been throughout 2022-23 so far. Still managed to dazzle with his footwork and had a competent set of officials been present, he would have causedIbrahima Konate to be sent off after being shoved to the ground by the Reds defender.
Solly March – 7.36
Liverpool will be glad to see the back of March. He gave the visiting defence another torrid time following the two-goal salvo of 15 days earlier, creating chances for his teammates and squandering one of his own.
Danny Welbeck – 6.09
Where Welbeck would fit into De Zerbi’s normal 4-2-3-1 formation with Evan Ferguson also in the starting XI was the biggest question before kick off. The answer was by starting off as a number 10 but very quickly joining Ferguson in attack with a shape which effectively became 4-2-4. His score being the worst of all Albion players suggests the jury is very much out on whether it worked or not.
KAORU MITOMA – 9.18
Don’t think there is much to add to the Mitoma praise which constituted the opening five paragraphs of our Brighton 2-1 Liverpool ratings. If the rest of football is surprised that the Albion want £100 million for Moises Caicedo, they are going to be even more shocked when Mitoma is commanding a fee of several billion in 18 months time.
Evan Ferguson – 7.27
Was having another good game until he had the studs of Fabinho planted on the back of his ankle which somehow was not deemed a red card offence. De Zerbi and Brighton face a nervous wait to find out the extent of an injury which left Ferguson leaving the Amex on crutches.
Joel Veltman – 7.09
Replaced Webster at the break and was extremely composed alongside Dunk. His dependability gave the Albion captain the freedom to step forward a little more and show his range of passing.
Billy Gilmour – 6.82
His introduction for Welbeck allowed Mac Allister to push into the number 10 role as Brighton reverted to their normal 4-2-3-1. The Albion were better for the change. Gilmour did his chances of coming in no harm when Mac Allister is suspended for the Bournemouth match.
The WAB Player Ratings are formulated using marks out of 10 given by Brighton fans via Twitter. To have your scores included, follow We Are Brighton on Twitter and look out for the player rating thread after each game.
