Cody Gakpo scored twice to propel holders Liverpool into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a thrilling win over Brighton.
After a goalless and quiet first half, Gakpo broke the deadlock just a minute into the second, cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable shot into the net.
The goal energized the match, with Liverpool’s debutant goalkeeper Vítezslav Jaros making a stunning one-handed save to deny Simon Adingra’s header shortly after.
Evan Ferguson then missed over the bar, while Liverpool’s counterattack on a three-on-one saw Gakpo pass to Dominik Szoboszlai, whose shot was blocked by the recovering Brighton defense.
Gakpo soon claimed his second when a defensive error by Tariq Lamptey allowed him to go unchallenged into the box, where he calmly fired home.
Brighton pushed hard in the final stages, pulling one back when Adingra capitalized on a Liverpool defensive lapse. The home crowd rallied, but Luis Diaz secured Liverpool’s victory with an 81st-minute third goal, despite a late deflected goal by Lamptey.
