Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he leaves the game, substituted during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 14, 2026. AFP
The Egyptian forward set up Liverpool’s second goal with a well-judged volley that found Dominik Szoboszlai, before winning and scoring a penalty to wrap up the tie. Curtis Jones had earlier opened the scoring with his first goal in 58 matches.
Salah’s strike was only his second for the club since 1 November in what has been a subdued campaign by his standards.
However, since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, the 33-year-old has looked refreshed, taking on a more complete role in Slot’s system after earlier tensions that had raised doubts about his future.
“It is very nice to have him on the scoresheet again, but what I like the most is that he is scoring goals — you can almost expect that — but he also helps the team a lot defensively, and that is something very positive,” Slot said.
Salah’s assist for Szoboszlai highlighted his creative impact. He gently guided the ball into the Hungarian midfielder’s path, allowing him to fire a powerful shot that doubled Liverpool’s lead and put the hosts firmly in control.
After the match, Salah described Szoboszlai, a close friend, as one of the best players in the world, a view his manager endorsed.
“I think there are a lot of very good to elite football players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that Dom is one of them,” Slot added.
The Dutch coach pointed to Szoboszlai as an example of Liverpool’s recruitment approach, praising his progress since joining from RB Leipzig.
“The player we brought in was already good, but where is he now? He is much better than where he was two-and-a-half years ago,” Slot said. “That is what you get if you sign young players, give them a bit of time and let them play a lot.”
He added that recent signings from the Bundesliga, including Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, could follow a similar trajectory.
For Brighton, the defeat marked a fourth loss in five matches. Head coach Fabian Hurzeler lamented missed opportunities late in the first half, when Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez both failed to convert promising chances.
“Moments decided the game, unfortunately, in the wrong direction,” Hurzeler said. “They had the quality to use their chances. We weren’t able to be that effective. It was a disappointing result for us.”
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