Frustrated Klopp gives reaction as 92nd-minute Brighton winner sees Liverpool crash out of FA Cup

Liverpool were defeated 2-1 by Brighton in a thrilling FA Cup clash today, with a 92nd-minute winner by in-form Kaoru Mitoma proving to be the difference.

It was an open, entertaining game throughout, with chances going begging for both sides, leaving Reds boss Jurgen Klopp frustrated by another poor result.

Harvey Elliot opened the scoring in the 30th minute, beating Brighton keeper Jason Steele in a one-on-one after an effective through ball from Mohamed Salah.

However, Liverpool’s lead did not last long, with a Tariq Lamptey shot from the edge of the box deflecting off Lewis Dunk past a sprawling Allisson.

The second half was slightly more cagey but still had plenty of opportunities for both sides. Fittingly, the tie was decided with a fantastic goal from Mitoma, who controlled a cross from Pervis Estupinan, beating Joe Gomez and then finished the chance confidently.

Speaking to BBC Five Live, Klopp said: “We came here after a game a few weeks ago when we weren’t even close to ourselves.

“Today we played a better game but we concede two goals from set-pieces and that is not allowed in any way.

“On the left side, Robbo was ok because we helped him but on the other side Trent didn’t get the support.

“Mitoma is really good so, of course, it was tough.

“We could have defended both goals better.

“The first is deflected but we can probably block the shot.

“It doesn’t feel great. In time we might see the positives but we wanted to get the next round. Congratulations to Brighton.”

Anthony Robertson also voiced his frustration as the FA Cup holders crashed out at the hands of Brighton, despite saying it was a better performance than their previous match against Brighton, which saw them defeated 3-0.

“Bitterly disappointing. I thought it was a good cup tie, end to end and both had chances.

“We were more competitive than two weeks ago but that didn’t take much. We created chances and were more compact but at the end of the day, we are out of the cup.

“At a club like Liverpool, fans expect a lot and to lose with the last kick of the ball it’s disappointing. We need to start winning games. It’s easy to say but harder to fix.

“This season has been nowhere near good enough. At the start of the year, we wanted a fresh start but that hasn’t happened. We’ve been worse. In the league, we haven’t been good enough and now we’re out of both cups now.

“You can’t put your finger on one thing, it’s more than that. You can tell we’re not as confident in front of goal and in defence we are a wee bit open. We had two clean sheets coming into today but then go and concede two goals.

“We need to get the confidence back, it’s easier said than done, and that’s how we will get results.

“We need to do it quick and we’re not. That it doesn’t help the fans, I’m sorry for them and the way we are putting on a show. We let them down again.”

READ MORE: Brighton 2-1 Liverpool: Mitoma scores wonderful winner to knock the holders out of FA Cup