Mitoma's moment of magic darkens Liverpool's gloom

Just when Jürgen Klopp thought that things could not get any worse for his Liverpool team and, especially, here on the south coast.

- David Hytner

When they were last at Brighton two weeks ago, the 3-0 Premier League defeat was, to paraphrase the manager, a historic low. Klopp could not remember a worst performance, Liverpool's traumatic season suffering one of its deepest cuts.

It was a big reason why this FA Cup tie mattered so much. And yet from a position of strength, a goal to the good through Harvey Elliott, they were reeled in by a Brighton team that are attracting fresh superlatives from week to week.

Lewis Dunk scored to make it 1-1 before half-time and it was Brighton who pushed in the final 20 minutes of the second half, sensing vulnerability in a Liverpool team which has been exactly that for much of the season.

It looked as though Liverpool would hang on. Alisson had denied the outstanding Solly March at close quarters, the rebound flying back off the Brighton winger and going wide, while Ibrahima Konaté had threw himself into a block to keep out Evan Ferguson.