Liverpool End Salah's Goal Drought with Commanding FA Cup Victory
Liverpool, 14 February 2026
Mohamed Salah broke his lengthy scoring drought against English clubs with a penalty in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup triumph over Brighton on Valentine’s Day. The Egyptian forward hadn’t found the net against a Premier League side since November 2025, making his 252nd Liverpool goal particularly significant. Curtis Jones also ended his own barren spell, scoring his first goal in 57 matches to open the scoring at Anfield. Dominik Szoboszlai completed the rout with a thunderous strike, as Liverpool cruised into the fifth round draw scheduled for Monday.
A Breakthrough Night for Jones and Salah
The victory on 14 February 2026 marked a particularly emotional evening for Curtis Jones, who was named player of the match by Ally McCoist after ending his lengthy goal drought [2]. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Jones expressed his satisfaction with the performance: “It was a good game … we scored three very good goals … a clean sheet as well … that’s all you can ask for” [2]. The midfielder, who started the game at right-back and was making his first start since 17 January, got on the end of Milos Kerkez’s cross in the 42nd minute to guide a finish past Jason Steele [3]. For Salah, the penalty conversion in the 68th minute represented his seventh goal of the season and crucially broke a barren run that had seen him score only once in his previous 12 games, against Qarabag [1]. The Egyptian acknowledged the pressure he felt: “There was pressure for sure [on the penalty] … I’m glad we managed to win the game … a very important win for us … for confidence for upcoming games” [2].
Szoboszlai’s Growing Influence
Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderous strike in the 56th minute showcased the Hungarian midfielder’s growing importance to Liverpool’s attacking play, marking his 10th goal of the campaign [3]. The goal came from a flowing team move that began with Virgil van Dijk finding Cody Gakpo, who played a cross-field ball to Salah, before the Egyptian delivered a superb touch to tee up Szoboszlai for an emphatic finish [3]. Post-match, the midfielder demonstrated his ambitions while respectfully addressing comparisons to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard: “I just want to keep going .. score as many as I can … I’m not playing a Steven Gerrard season … I am trying to do my own story … try to do my best every game … hopefully we can go on to the end” [2]. Salah was effusive in his praise for his teammate, describing Szoboszlai as “one of the best players in the world right now” and noting how much the team relies on him [2].
Brighton’s Missed Opportunities and Mounting Pressure
Despite the comfortable scoreline, Brighton created several promising opportunities that could have altered the match’s trajectory. The visitors threatened in phases throughout the game, with Alisson making crucial saves from Diego Gomez and Lewis Dunk either side of half-time [3]. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler acknowledged his team’s profligacy in front of goal, telling TNT Sports: “Very disappointed … we started the game well … good on the ball … big chances in the first half … big moments decided the game … good quality from Liverpool … we tried to come back … in the end we lost a little bit of belief … the penalty decided the game and we were not able to come back” [2]. The defeat extends Brighton’s poor run of form, having now won only two of their past 15 games [3]. Hurzeler faces mounting pressure with what have been described as “crunch games against Brentford and Forest” on the horizon [1].
Liverpool’s Cup Ambitions and Tactical Resilience
Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged that the victory margin perhaps flattered his side, telling TNT that “the margins were maybe smaller than the 3-0 looks like … at 1-0 just before half-time they got a big chance … that fell good for us, or I should say, great save from Ali … second half, two good goals … in the end it feels like a comfortable win but it was closer than the 3-0 scoreline shows” [2]. The match demonstrated Liverpool’s tactical adaptability, with both managers resisting wholesale changes from their midweek Premier League commitments [3]. Curtis Jones expressed the squad’s silverware ambitions, stating his desire to win both the FA Cup and Champions League this season [1]. The victory represents Liverpool’s successful bounce-back from losing to Manchester City the previous Sunday, following an impressive midweek win at Sunderland [3]. Liverpool will now await Monday’s fifth-round draw with considerable interest, as they continue their pursuit of multiple trophies this season [1]. The absence of VAR until the fifth round was highlighted when 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha saw a delightful curling finish ruled out for offside despite replays suggesting otherwise [3].