ANFIELD’S NEW ROBERTSON: HOW MILOS KERKEZ SILENCED THE CRITICS AGAINST BRIGHTON
Liverpool beat Brighton 3-0! Read about Milos Kerkez's masterclass and the Rio Ngumoha goal controversy in the 2026 FA Cup now.
Liverpool could’ve easily let that painful finish against Manchester City drag them down. Instead, they bounced back with real grit, a tough Premier League win over Sunderland and then a smooth FA Cup victory against Brighton on Saturday night.
That win over Brighton felt solid. Sure, they’re struggling in the league, but let’s not forget, they knocked out Manchester United in the last round, and, on their day, they can push anyone.
Honestly, Liverpool deserved even more goals. The officials got a couple of calls wrong, and Rio Ngumoha was especially unlucky to have his goal ruled out.
I have to mention that the first goal – I loved it. Milos Kerkez set up Curtis Jones, and you just don’t see full-backs combining like that very often. Real awareness from both of them. Special stuff.
I’d been hoping Arne Slot would take the FA Cup seriously, so it was good to see him name such a strong lineup, even with a few changes mixed in.
Alisson Becker's start was a bit of a shock, but it paid off. That save from Diego Gomez before halftime kept things steady. That’s two clean sheets on the bounce, which has to boost the defenders’ confidence.
You could see the difference late on at Sunderland, too. There wasn’t that familiar sense of panic as they protected a narrow lead. That’s how it needs to be for the rest of the season.
There’s just no room for big mistakes now. With so much riding on these last three competitions, one slip in a cup and you’re out. Mess up in the league, and top-four hopes are toast.
One thing still nags at me: Liverpool keeps starting games so slowly. It’s almost a running joke now.
Maybe that’s just Slot’s way; he likes control, not the wild, fast starts you’d see with Klopp. But this season, it’s way more obvious.
It definitely takes the edge off home games sometimes. The crowd doesn’t have much to get excited about early on. Clearly, Slot wants Liverpool to figure out the opponent’s plan, then turn up the tempo once they’ve got a grip on things.
But other teams have noticed. Some are coming out flying, trying to catch us cold. It can feel like Liverpool is showing too much respect instead of just backing themselves.
I get the cautious approach after those poor results earlier this season, but that’s behind us. It’s time to come out of the blocks faster.
Now that the title race is done, Liverpool should go all out for the FA Cup. It’s a real shot at a trophy.
Kerkez is growing in confidence.
What a turnaround for Milos Kerkez. Against Brighton, he was Liverpool’s best player, and it’s not the first game he’s stood out lately.
People forget how tough it is to step up and play for Liverpool. Sure, Kerkez has Premier League experience, but playing in front of 10,000 at Bournemouth every other week is nothing like the pressure and spotlight you get at Anfield.
Only Manchester United comes close to matching Liverpool’s intensity in that sense. The sheer size of the club – it’s massive.
Kerkez struggled at first, and playing in a team that wasn’t firing didn’t help. But now you can see his confidence. He’s proving that the signings Liverpool made last summer have huge potential; they’re already starting to deliver.
And as a left-back, Kerkez is bringing some of that same energy and drive Andy Robertson has given the team for years. He’s showing he’s a more than worthy replacement.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
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