Cody Gakpo scored twice in an action-packed second half, propelling Carabao Cup holders Liverpool into the quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Brighton. The thrilling encounter saw all five goals come after halftime, as Liverpool continued their pursuit of silverware under manager Arne Slot and extended Brighton’s longstanding struggles in the League Cup—Brighton hasn’t advanced past this stage since the 1978-79 season. Liverpool’s win sets up a quarter-final clash at Southampton.
Both teams rotated heavily from their Premier League lineups, with each side making eight changes. As a result, the first half lacked sharpness in the final third. Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey had the best opportunity to break the deadlock but was denied one-on-one by Liverpool’s stand-in goalkeeper, Vitezslav Jaros.
The game’s tempo shifted dramatically within the first minute of the second half. Gakpo seized the opening, cutting inside from the left and unleashing a powerful strike into the top right corner to give Liverpool the lead. Although Liverpool missed a golden opportunity to further extend their advantage when Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot was saved on a three-on-one breakaway, Gakpo quickly redeemed the miss by scoring his second goal, calmly finishing past Jason Steele.
Just as Liverpool seemed to be cruising to victory, Brighton’s Adringra pulled one back in the 81st minute with a well-taken rebound. However, Liverpool responded swiftly, as Luis Diaz restored their two-goal cushion by drilling a shot off the post.
