Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Brighton in the FA CupGetty Images
At a glance
Curtis Jones opens scoring just before half-time with smart finish
Dominik Szoboszlai doubles hosts' lead with thumping strike
Mohamed Salah adds third from penalty spot after being brought down
Draw for FA Cup fifth round takes place on Monday
Aadam Patel
Football reporter at Anfield
Mohamed Salah scored and provided an assist as Liverpool brushed aside Brighton at Anfield to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
The hosts took a first-half lead through Curtis Jones before Salah set up Dominik Szoboszlai after the break, with the midfielder thumping home to cap a sweeping move.
Ten minutes later Salah was brought down in the box and the Egypt winger blasted his penalty past Jason Steele to put the tie to bed.
Brighton threatened in phases but paid the price for not taking their chances and have now only won two of their past 15 games.
Liverpool have bounced back from losing to Manchester City last Sunday with an impressive win at Sunderland in midweek and another positive display against the Seagulls. Despite their struggles throughout the campaign, there is still plenty of life in their season.
Both Reds boss Arne Slot and his Brighton counterpart Fabian Hurzeler resisted the urge to make wholesale changes from their midweek Premier League games and it was the visitors who made the stronger start.
But Liverpool grew into the match and in the 42nd minute, Jones - 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 and guided a finish past Steele.
Brighton missed two good opportunities to level, with Alisson saving from Diego Gomez and Lewis Dunk either side of half-time.
In the 56th minute, Szoboszlai doubled Liverpool's lead when he capped a fine team move with his 10th goal of the campaign.
Virgil van Dijk found Cody Gakpo, who played a cross-field ball to Salah - and he delivered a superb touch to tee up the Hungarian, who finished emphatically.
Hurzeler made three changes but to no avail as Salah was bundled over in the box by Pascal Gross after a dazzling run. And the Liverpool forward rifled his penalty into the top corner for his seventh goal of the season.
There was still time for Rio Ngumoha to come off the bench and put the ball in the back of the net with a delightful curling finish, but it was ruled out for offside despite replays suggesting otherwise.
And with no VAR in operation until the fifth round of the FA Cup, the 17-year-old was desperately unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.
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1 Give it up
10 Pure perfection
Liverpool
Brighton & Hove Albion
Starting XI
1Alisson Becker
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6M. Kerkez
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4V. van Dijk
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5I. Konaté
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17C. Jones
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10A. Mac Allister
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8D. Szoboszlai
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18C. Gakpo
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7F. Wirtz
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11Mohamed Salah
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14F. Chiesa
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22H. Ekitiké
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2J. Gomez
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73R. Ngumoha
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42T. Nyoni
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47C. Ramsay
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Starting XI
23J. Steele
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24F. Kadıoğlu
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5L. Dunk
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6J. van Hecke
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34J. Veltman
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13J. Hinshelwood
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17C. Baleba
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30P. Groß
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25D. Gómez
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19C. Kostoulas
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53H. Howell
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21O. Boscagli
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11Y. Minteh
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22K. Mitoma
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10G. Rutter
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27M. Wieffer
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After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
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