Liverpool downed Brighton to reach the FA Cup’s fifth round.
Curtis Jones broke the deadlock just before half time, meeting Milos Kerkez’s cross to the middle of the box to score his first goal since December 2024.
The Reds doubled their lead after the interval as Dominik Szoboszlai drilled home from Mohamed Salah’s knockdown of a cross-field Cody Gakpo pass.
Provider turned poacher midway through the half as the Egyptian extended the advantage from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Pascal Gross.
Arne Slot’s side will discover who awaits them in the next round of the world’s most famous club cup competition when the draw is made on Monday night.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
An unusual January transfer window saw Liverpool entertain two potential first-team departures that, in truth, made little financial or footballing sense.
The first head-scratcher from Anfield’s power brokers came in the form of mulling over whether to offload Andy Robertson to a troubled Tottenham.
Granted, the vice-captain is out of contract this summer but a £5 million fee seemed excessively low given his experience and ability to still contribute.
Mounting injuries put paid to that idea as well as the equally eyebrow-raising prospect of Inter Milan securing Curtis Jones on an initial season-long loan.
The Serie A champions-elect failed to prise the Reds’ homegrown midfielder away but his long-term future remains the subject of transfer speculation.
But Jones offered a timely reminder why Europe’s elite are continuing to keep tabs on him by opening the scoring to end a 57-game stretch without a goal.
His auxiliary defensive role was not without its faults, as a rare mistake which gifted Diego Gomez a one-on-one with Alisson late in the first half proved.
Overall, though, Jones sent a statement out to those watching in the corridors of power at Anfield and further afield that he is still an asset worth having.
Arne Slot knows that his side’s every misstep will be seized upon, whether by opponents or his army of detractors in the stands as much as the media.
So it made sense that the Liverpool head coach guarded against a potential humiliation against Brighton with a strong yet balanced starting line-up.
Jones’ role at a seemingly cursed right-back position facilitated the return of Dominik Szoboszlai to midfield after suspension alongside an attack reshuffle.
Federico Chiesa was afforded a rare starting berth while Cody Gakpo led the line to afford Hugo Ekitike some respite by coming off the substitutes’ bench.
Curiously, the Dutchman decided against starting Giorgi Mamardashvili in back-to-back FA Cup outings with Alisson instead preferred in the line-up.
Spurning the option to give Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper minutes in what remains of this season illustrated the severity of Slot’s situation.
He had already avoided the mistake of last season’s exit to Plymouth with a largely strong side putting Barnsley to the sword in January’s opening round.
This, however, was a clear sign of where Liverpool’s priorities will lie between now and the end of the season as a top four finish currently ebbs away.
Brighton’s last visit to Anfield saw Mohamed Salah firmly under the spotlight.
A week on from explosively suggesting his Liverpool career was all but over, the forward’s future appeared no clearer after his cameo in the hosts’ 2-0 win.
No one could have foreseen the Egypt international’s successful reintegration as he prepared to head off to the Africa Cup of Nations in mid-December.
Exactly two months later, Salah lined up against the same opposition again as a man on a mission; out to prove he was not a fading force back then, or now.
The Seagulls’ defence regularlly found itself on the back foot as the joint Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker holder did what he does best.
Salah did not simply drive at their backline but led them in a merry dance to the point that Pascal Gross’ best hope of limiting him was to take him down.
The 33-year-old seized his opportunity from the penalty spot after already producing his fourth assist since returning from AFCON to tee up Szoboszlai.
He may not be scaling the same heights that Kopites became accustomed in previous seasons but Salah’s influence on Slot’s side is again undeniable.