'Cody Gakpo is not listening' - National media make same point over Liverpool issue for Arne Slot
The quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup beckon once more for Liverpool after a hard-earned 3-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night.
Cody Gakpo struck twice before Luis Diaz registered, while the hosts responded with efforts from Simon Adingra and Tariq Lamptey. The Reds will now play Southampton in the last eight as the holders look to secure another semi-final spot in the competition they have won more than any other team.
The ECHO was at the Amex Stadium to provide its usual mix of player ratings, big-match verdict and analysis, while our colleagues from the national media also ran the rule over proceedings on the night. Here's what they made of it.
READ MORE: 'Out of nowhere' - Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler makes 'unbelievable' Liverpool admission
READ MORE: What Liverpool end did while exiting Amex Stadium is clear as Arne Slot makes mockery of theories
The Guardian's Ed Aarons writes: "The Arne Slot roadshow keeps rolling on. Cody Gakpo’s double helped the Liverpool manager to make it seven wins from his first eight away matches in all competitions as the holders moved into the quarter‑finals despite making wholesale changes.
"Slot could not have wished for a better start to life in English football and he rightly singled out the performance of the Czech goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, who made a spectacular save on his full debut when the game was finely poised at 1-0.
"This was the first real setback for Slot’s opposite number Fabian Hürzeler since his arrival on these shores, with Brighton once again failing to get past this stage of the competition for the first time in approaching 50 years. To their credit, they kept fighting and pulled one back through Simon Adingra and another through Tariq Lamptey after Luis Díaz seemed to have settled matters, but the hosts could not find a precious equaliser.
"Slot expressed his concern this week about Liverpool’s lack of forward options after Diogo Jota was ruled out until after the next international break, with Federico Chiesa also sidelined. But with Gakpo in this kind of form, Slot may not need to worry as the Netherlands forward and several other fringe players made a strong case to be included from the start when Brighton are the visitors to Anfield on Saturday in the Premier League."
On The Mirror's pages, Neil McLeman writes: "Carabao specialist Cody Gakpo scored twice - including a stunning strike into the top corner - before the holders held off a late Brighton fightback to reach the last eight.
"The Dutch star netted four on the way to winning the trophy last season -and two in the previous round against West Ham. And after a goalless first half at the Amex Stadium, the former PSV forward blew the tie wide open by his sensational opener just 40 seconds after the break.
"Gakpo netted a second and Luis Diaz scored a late third as Simon Adingra and Tariq Lamptey netted for the hosts in a frenetic finale. But Arne Slot remains unbeaten in cup competitions at the Anfield club while Brighton have still not got beyond the fourth round of this competition since 1978-79."
Riath Al-samarrai, of the Daily Mail, scribes: "Whatever disparaging words are said about the Carabao Cup, Cody Gakpo is not listening. To Liverpool, that will be a source of some relief after a challenging evening in Brighton.
"His two goals here, added to the pair he collected in the previous round, were converted with such quality and force they might just persuade Arne Slot to spare more playing time in the formats of greater consequence.
"With only two Premier League starts to his name this season, that would no doubt be welcomed by Gakpo as a suitable reward for extending Liverpool’s defence of the League Cup to the quarter-final stage.
"For a time that progression appeared to be in doubt on the south coast, first in a ropey, goalless first half, and then after Gakpo’s strikes had made it 2-0. What should have been a canter for home ahead of Saturday’s rematch in the league instead became a chaotic final 10 minutes when Simon Adingra pulled one back."
And writing in his ECHO analysis piece, Ian Doyle remarked: "No striker? No problem. Whatever the question, Arne Slot keeps on finding the answers during his still embryonic Liverpool reign.
"With Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa missing and wary of overloading Darwin Nunez, the Reds head coach had pondered his lack of central attacking options ahead of this League Cup clash at Brighton.
"The solution was simply to go without a recognised number nine, with Liverpool employing a box midfield that had been seen during pre-season given the absence of so many senior players but was never really expected to be used in competitive action.
"And after 45 rather tame minutes in terms of attacking threat, it was easy to see why, the Reds comfortable in possession but almost completely toothless in the final third.
"That all changed less than 30 seconds into the second half when Cody Gakpo, in what is becoming a trademark move, cut inside off the right flank before thrashing in a superb strike into the far corner beyond Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele."