The Reds entered the fifth round of the FA Cup when they defeated the Seagulls at Anfield, with Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mo Salah grabbing the goals for Arne Slot’s side.
The Scouse midfielder’s opener shortly before half-time saw him get on the end of a sublime Milos Kerkez cross, with the Hungarian capping his great performance tonight with a second assist in his last three games.
Kerkez had ‘his best 45 minutes’ for Liverpool tonight
In a joint article for The Athletics Reflecting on Liverpool’s victory over Brighton, Dan Sheldon was keen to highlight the 22-year-old’s contribution to a hugely satisfying result for the Reds.
He wrote: ‘Watching Milos Kerkez against Brighton & Hove Albion reminded us why Liverpool paid £40 million to sign him from Bournemouth last summer.
‘The left-back was at his best for Bournemouth in Liverpool’s victory, providing a steady presence in defense and a constant threat on the overlap going forward. He radiated energy at Anfield and got his just reward with a fine first cross that set up Jones for the opening goal late in the first half.”
Sheldon added: ‘It may have taken a few months for Kerkez to establish himself at Liverpool, but you could argue that the first half was his best 45 minutes for the club, which will only further boost his confidence after a string of good performances.’
Kerkez was fantastic for Liverpool all evening
The Hungarian left-back had to endure some tough moments in his first few months on Merseyside. He was substituted after just 38 minutes in the win over Burnley in September and saw Gary Neville compare his performance to that of a ten-year-old.
Had the Sky Sports pundit watched tonight’s match, it’s safe to say he would have had a much more positive assessment of Liverpool’s number six, who not only set up Jones’ opener but also scored a fine save from Jason Steele in the first half and provided a constant threat from the left flank.
Paul Gorst awarded Kerkez 8/10 in his post-match player ratings for the Liverpool echowith the journalist proclaiming that the 22-year-old is ‘growing in stature by the week’ at Anfield, and the stats from the match against Brighton (according to Bank score) support that.
| Passing completion | 79% |
| Duels won | 6 |
| Tackles made | 4 |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Key cards | 1 |
| ‘Great opportunities’ created | 1 |
The Hungary international has a tough job to fill in Andy Robertson, and another head coach might have listened to some external pleas to drop him in favor of the long-serving Scot after a difficult few weeks in the autumn.
Instead, Slot continued to have faith in the ex-Bournemouth giant and has now been rewarded with a series of increasingly mature and influential statements from a player who is now proving to be a vital presence in this Liverpool team.
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