Liverpool turn their attention to the FA Cup and Brighton on Saturday evening – an opponent Arne Slot has fond memories against.
This is the point where the FA Cup goes from a competition in which to give minutes to youngsters and breeze past lower-league opposition to a high-stakes, prestigious tournament that every team in England wants to win.
Liverpool have Brighton to get past. The Seagulls have been in woeful form, winning just two games since December.
Discuss: Jones’ Liverpool career is CLEARLY coming to an end if he doesn’t start vs Brighton
Curtis Jones in action during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
Credit: Gaspafotos/MB Media/ Getty Images
That’s encouraging. Also encouraging is looking at what happened the last time these two sides met in a high-stakes environment.
Liverpool won the title against Brighton, kind of
Slot needs to keep Liverpool’s trophy hopes alive by staying in the FA Cup and making a deep run in the Champions League.
Well, recent history suggests a win against Brighton at Anfield will put them on track.
The last time they met with silverware on the line was at the start of November last season.
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Salah sunk Brighton with a wondergoal just days after knocking them out of the Carabao Cup. That win took them to the top of the table and they didn’t leave that perch thereafter.
Liverpool FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier League
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
For Slot, it was a defining moment in his short Liverpool career, and this late-night meeting on Saturday has the potential to be another.
Losing to Brighton would be far worse than a Premier League slip
Even in the league where no fixture is do or die, anything but a win tends to ramp up pressure on Slot.
In a knockout format, the stakes are obviously higher.
Is winning the FA Cup enough to keep Arne Slot in a job beyond 2025/26? If not, why? 🤔
Jordan Henderson of Liverpool lifts The Emirates FA Cup trophy after their sides victory during The FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
Photo by Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
It could easily happen, but losing to Brighton would put ever more pressure on the Dutchman.
The only thing keeping Liverpool fans sane is the prospect of ending the season with a trophy. Halving those odds would do him no favours.
Let’s hope we get the version of Liverpool that we have seen in Europe, not more of the drab league form.
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