Two wins over Liverpool in 15 days – all things Brighton beautiful
Saturday 29th January 2023 was 39 years to the day at the old Goldstone Ground that Brighton famously beat Liverpool 2-0 to knock the all-conquering Reds out of the FA Cup.
The Albion goals that day came from Gerry Ryan and Terry Connor. The headline in the Daily Mirror sport pages on Monday read “All Things Brighton Beautiful” and the match report went onto say that Brighton were now Liverpool’s bogeymen, having also knocked the Reds out the FA Cup a season earlier at Anfield.
This time, the challenge for Brighton was to beat Liverpool twice in 15 days. And thanks to real grit, hard work, togetherness and a willingness to never give up, they did.
As I am still nursing a severe sprain to the right ankle, I would have been unable to make the walk from the car park at the Amex to the East Stand and so it was the sofa for me once again.
Frustrating, to say the least. But such a high-profile game meant plenty of coverage with Johnny Cantor broadcasting on BBC Radio Sussex as normal and the match also live on ITV.
Clive Tydlesley and Ally McCoist were the commentators but more thrilling was my hero Glenn Murray being a pundit. What fantastic insight he brought on the Brighton win.
ITV showed a great interview with young Alexis Mac Allister before the game. What an impressive young man he is, who continues to show real loyalty to the Albion and gratitude for the way the club helped him to become a World Cup star.
Right from kick off it was all go. Naby Keita started an early Liverpool attack and Adam Webster made an important block in a melee followed by a goal line clearance by Lewis Dunk.
Brighton also looked dangerous when they won the ball back. A great piece of play in midfield found its way to Solly March on the right.
He cut inside and put a low cross into the box which unfortunately fell to the wrong foot of Evan Ferguson, meaning a weak shot cleared off the line by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A Solly March effort flew over the bar. Kaoru Mitoma flipped the ball to Ferguson, who touched back to Mitoma for a shot saved by Alisson but not cleanly.
Then the incredible occured, Mo Salah breaking through the middle with the sort of chance we have seen him put away so many times in the past. This time though, he put the ball wide of Jason Steele’s post.
Cody Gakpo put a ball into Salah with Tariq Lamptey stepping up this time to make an interception. The ball slid back to Steel and right on cue, the Albion goalkeeper smothered it. Great stuff from Steele, as always.
It was fast turning into a classic cup tie when Liverpool scored their only goal of the game. Salah made the most of Dunk being out of position followed a rebound off another player, slotting the ball through the gap left to Harvey Elliott.
The Liverpool youngster made no mistake and beat Steele to make give the Reds the lead with 30 minutes played.
Half time was fast approaching but the backing from the Amex was superb and the crowd sounded in excellent voice, willing the Albion to find an equaliser before the break.
Ibrahima Konate gave away a corner which Brighton played short. When the ball was crossed into the box, it was headed away into space by Alexander-Arnold.
The space did not remain for long, however. Speedy Gonzalez Tariq Lamptey raced onto the ball and fired a shot into a group of players. It caught Dunk and deflected past Alisson, giving Rick O’Shea a goal for Brighton.
The Albion were attacking the North Stand in the second half and that seemed to inspire the players. Liverpool were the opposite and just seemed to become more and more desperate as the game went on. By the end, they resembled a group of bad players from a naughty boys school.
A Dunk free kick crept just outside of the far post after Mac Allister was brought to ground in the first of a huge number of fouls the Reds committed.
Pascal Gross turned and shot a little too high over the bar following great build up by our Japanese Bullet Train Mitoma, weaving his way around the back before slotting through to Gross.
March ended up in the back of the net but could not take the ball with him. The cross he just failed to convert came once again from, yes you have guessed it, Mitoma.
Ferguson let one rip from close range but could not find the back of the net. At this point, I thought to myself it was only a matter of time before Brighton scored a second goal.
Liverpool must have been thinking the same as they became even more violent. Mac Allister was away on goal when Konate used his right elbow to clump our World Cup winner across the neck.
It happened just outside the penalty away and Konate had already been yellow carded. How referee David Coote waved on is a mystery.
An even worse foul came next from Fabinho. He came on in the 85th minute and by the 86th minute was booked for dragging his studs right down the back of Ferguson’s Achilles.
Ferguson was in considerable pain and could not continue. Fabinho knew he should have been sent off, so much so that he laughed when the referee only showed a yellow.
Five minutes of added time were announced when Andrew Robertson produced another dirty Liverpool tackle to stop Mac Allister in his tracks.
Brighton never give up at the best of times and they certainly were not going to be kicked off the pitch if Liverpool felt that was the only way they could get a replay at Anfield.
Gross took the free kick and delivered the ball towards the far post. The running Pervis Estupinan let the ball bounced and chipped it back to the other side of the goal where Mitoma did a bit of juggling from left to right and volleyed home.
Watching on television, the noise which greeted the goal was so loud that it sounded like an explosion. Things quietened down when a VAR check was announced but after an agonising wait, it was deemed onside and Brighton led 2-1 in the 92nd minute.
My settee springs were still taking a bashing and there was a tear in my eye when the game restarted. Liverpool would have to do more than hack down the Albion now and despite every red shirt desperately charging forward, Brighton held on to move into the fifth round of the FA Cup.
We know that we will face Stoke City, nicknamed the Potters. There is some irony that Brighton will have to overcome Potters to take a step closer to the FA Cup final. Maybe I will get to see the new Wembley before I snuff it! Fingers crossed.
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
