Brighton 2-3 Liverpool: Player ratings as Reds progress to Carabao Cup quarter-final

Liverpool progressed to the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 at the AMEX Stadium.

An entertaining first half couldn't separate the two much-changed sides but a flurry of second-half strikes ultimately saw Liverpool come out on top.

Cody Gakpo bagged an excellent brace and Luis Diaz also scored as Liverpool held off a late Brighton fightback following goals from Simon Adingra and Tariq Lamptey.

The two sides will lock horns again this Saturday as the Seagulls travel to Anfield in the Premier League.

How the game unfolded

Both sides made sweeping changes to their starting lineups following weekend draws in the Premier League and it was Brighton who forged the first significant opening of the evening. Vitezslav Jaros was tested on his first start for the Reds and did well to smother Lamptey's close-range effort in the 13th minute.

Liverpool dominated the ball for much of the opening stages but had to wait until the half-hour mark for their first high-quality chance. A slick move saw Dominik Szoboszlai's low strike rebuffed by Jason Steele and Diaz was unable to convert his headed rebound after missing the target from ten yards.

Liverpool were quick to slice through Brighton when the opportunity arose and came close to sneaking a lead before the half-time whistle. A marauding run form Andy Robertson eventually culminated in the Scotsman firing a shot at Steele's near-post, but the Brighton goalkeeper matched the effort with a strong right boot.

It took the Reds less than a minute to break the deadlock after the break and it was an absolute stunner from Gakpo that handed them the advantage. The Dutchman latched on to Tyler Morton's pass before cutting inside and driving a spectacular shot into the top corner from an acute angle.

Brighton almost produced an equaliser just three minutes later. Lamptey burst down the right flank and found Adingra in the penalty area, with the Ivorian's header provoking a fantastic fingertip save from Jaros that brushed the Czech goalkeeper's far post.

Szoboszlai missed the chance to double Liverpool's advantage but was bailed out by his teammate Gakpo less than a minute later as the Dutchman secured his brace. The winger robbed Lamptey of possession deep in Brighton territory before driving a venomous strike past Steele at his near post.

The game appeared to be petering out but a Jarell Quansah error let Brighton back into the match. Evan Ferguson intercepted the defender's pass and his tame shot was parried by Jaros, with Adingra reacting quickest and prodding home from close range to reduce the deficit.

However, Liverpool would restore their two-goal advantage through Diaz three minutes later. The Colombian weaved away from several Brighton challenges in the penalty area before firing in off the inside of the post.

Brighton did pull another back in the closing stages as Lamptey's strike deflected off the unfortunate Quansah and trickled beyond Jaros, but the Reds held firm in stoppage time to secure their spot in the quarter-final draw.

Brighton player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Jason Steele - 5/10 - Some incredibly shaky moments in possession early doors and conceded twice at his near post.

RB: Tariq Lamptey - 4/10 - Created plenty for Brighton in the final third but was dismal defensively. Out of position for the first goal and surrendered possession far too easily for Gakpo's second having almost cost Brighton a goal a minute earlier. A deflected goal can't save him here.

CB: Jan Paul van Hecke - 5/10 - Not his finest hour as Brighton struggled defensively, misplacing one too many passes in his own half.

CB: Igor - 6/10 - Confident in possession of the ball despite Liverpool's press and was Brighton's strongest defensive performer - albeit that was a low bar.

LB: Ferdi Kadioglu - 6/10 - Showed plenty of energy when pressing Liverpool in the first half but was withdrawn at the break after sustaining a knock.

CM: Jakub Moder - 5/10 - Finished with just 80% pass accuracy as Liverpool's intensity forced him into errors. A tame and forgettable outing.

CM: Mats Wieffer - 6/10 - Thrived under Slot at Feyenoord and performed well against his former boss. An improved display after a difficult weekend.

RW: Brajan Gruda - 6/10 - Showed glimpses of his immense potential with some excellent driving runs but wilted as the game wore on.

AM: Julio Enciso - 5/10 - A quiet evening for the Paraguayan, who seldom caused Liverpool any problems in and around their penalty area.

LW: Simon Adingra - 7/10 - Scored to set up a nervy ending and was a bright spark for the Seagulls on a dim night.

ST: Evan Ferguson - 5/10 - Touched the ball just five times in the first half and offered very, very little after the break.

Substitutes

SUB: Pervis Estupinan (46' for Kadioglu) - 6/10 - Helped Brighton improve down the left-hand side going forward.

SUB: Joel Veltman (68' for Van Hecke) - 5/10

SUB: Jack Hinshelwood (68' for Moder) - 6/10

SUB: Kaoru Mitoma (76' for Gruda) - 7/10

SUB: Danny Welbeck (76' for Enciso) - 6/10

Subs not used: Bart Verbruggen (GK), Ed Turns, Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari.

Manager

Fabian Hurzeler - 5/10 - There were a few positives to take from this one but considerably more negatives. Brighton's second-string side struggled defensively and lacked quality in the decisive moments.

Liverpool player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Vitezlsav Jaros - 7/10 - A first start for the Liverpool goalkeeper and he produced some impressive saves, including one of the stops of the season to deny Adingra. Should have done better for Brighton's first goal, though.

RB: Conor Bradley - 6/10 - Frequently sprinted beyond the forward line but occasionally struggled with Brighton's speedy forwards in the latter stages.

CB: Jarell Quansah - 5/10 - Quansah was undone by an unnecessary moment of madness that ultimately gifted Brighton a goal.

CB: Joe Gomez - 6/10 - A fall off from Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool struggled to ever look convincing defensively. Didn't do much wrong on an individual level.

LB: Andy Robertson - 6/10 - Similarly to Bradley, there were plenty of lung-busting runs up the flank from Robertson. Looked susceptible defensively in the second half but still an improvement on the weekend's display.

DM: Wataru Endo - 5/10 - Never looked entirely comfortable in possession as Brighton pressed, hence why he's dropped down the pecking order under Slot. Booked for a late challenge in the second half.

DM: Tyler Morton - 6/10 - Surrendered possession too easily in the first half but showed his quality by setting Gakpo up for Liverpool's opener with a lofted through ball.

RW: Luis Diaz - 7/10 - Quiet by his standards until his well-taken goal but ultimately produced the winning strike.

AM: Curtis Jones - 6/10 - Often drifted forward to partner Szoboszlai up front and was lively in the final third with some neat touches and lay-offs.

LW: Cody Gakpo - 9/10 - After a quiet first half, Gakpo stunned the home crowd with a world-class fizzer moments after half-time. Produced another excellent effort to continue his impressive Carabao Cup form.

ST: Dominik Szoboszlai - 6/10 - An unorthodox role for the Hungarian, who struggled to make much of an impact. Missed a big chance before Gakpo's second.

Substitutes

SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (64' for Endo) - 6/10

SUB: Trey Nyoni (64' for Morton) - 6/10

SUB: Mohamed Salah (71' for Gakpo) - 6/10

SUB: Darwin Nunez (71' for Szoboszlai) - 6/10

Subs not used: Caoimhin Kelleher (GK), Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas, Ranel Young.

Manager

Arne Slot - 6/10 - Not the cleanest display from his side but they got the job done thanks to a positive attacking performance. The Dutchman's changes actually made Liverpool worse, though.

Player of the match: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)

READ THE LATEST CARABAO CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE