Liverpool’s Andy Robertson issued a fuming apology to the fans after the Reds got dumped out of the FA Cup against Brighton. The in-form Kaoru Mitoma’s stunning injury-time goal meant Liverpool lost to Brighton for the second time in 15 days, this time also knocking them out of another cup competition after the League Cup. Liverpool’s chances of winning a trophy this season are at an all-time low as they find themselves out of both the domestic cup.
The only remaining chance for the Reds to win a trophy after being eliminated from FA Cup and the League Cup, which they are holders of, and sitting ninth in the Premier League (ten points off the top four spots) is the Champions League, where they will play defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16. Andy Roberson launched a staunching attack on Liverpool’s season, as the left-back was apparently frustrated over missing out on another chance of a trophy.
Andy Robertson brands Liverpool’s season ‘nowhere good enough’
Liverpool good as they took the lead at the half-hour mark through Harvey Elliot. A brilliantly weighed pass from Mohamed Salah saw Elliot do the only thing that was needed to be done; take the shot and slot it past the Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele. However, both their lead and joy lasted only nine minutes, as Lewis Dunk deflected a Tariq Lamptey shot from outside of the box to put into the back of Alisson’s net.
With Jurgen Klopp staring at back to back FA Cup replays after the one against Wolves in the third round, Mitoma produced a moment of magic with stunning close control in a crowded Liverpool box to fire in the winner in the last minute of the stoppage time. With the Reds out of another cup competition, Andy Robertson gave a furious and blatant assessment of their season so far, as he said after the game:
“This season has been nowhere near good enough. We wanted a new start at the turn of the year. If anything, we’ve been worse. You can’t put your finger on one thing that’s gone wrong, it’s more than that. You can tell we’re not confident in front of goal; we’re still a bit open defensively.
“We need to get our confidence back. I feel sorry for the fans. They were unbelievable today and we’ve let them down again. I thought it was a proper cup tie – end to end, both teams had chances. We were slightly better than two weeks ago, but we’re out of the cup and it’s bitterly disappointing. We need to start winning games. It’s easy to say and harder to fix.”
Liverpool next face a trip to Molineux to take on Wolves in the Premier League as they look to climb up in the table. They are currently sat ninth, with chances of qualifying for the Champions League through a top four finishing turning into mere hopes. Moreover, at this rate, Liverpool could even find it tough to trade deal in Europe next season with the likes of Newcastle United, Brighton and Fulham fancying a shot at the seven spots of European competitions.