Arne Slot drops Wataru Endo hint after hooking Liverpool midfielder against Brighton

Arne "really liked" players against Brighton at the Amex on Wednesday.

After a quiet first half, took control of the cup tie following the interval. Cody Gakpo scored within seconds of the restart after cutting in from the left flank and smashing the ball into the far corner. The Dutch forward found the net again just after the hour mark with another emphatic finish, this time hitting the goalkeeper's near corner.

Brighton got back into the game in the 81st minute thanks to Simon Adingra's goal, but Luis Diaz scored moments later to restore Liverpool's two-goal cushion. Tariq Lamptey's deflected strike in the 90th minute reapplied the pressure, but Liverpool managed to hang on to book its place in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup.

Speaking at full-time, Slot was asked for his verdict on his team's performance. He referenced those players who have struggled for minutes in the Premier League this season, such as Endo. "If you have to come here, you know it's going to be a difficult game because of the style of play, because of the recruitment they had here over the last few years," said Slot. "And then to get away here with a win is very pleasing for the long term.

"I really liked what I saw from players that haven't played that much this season. They were able to play the similar style that we usually do and they brought quality into the game. That makes it even harder for me to make line-ups in the upcoming weeks."

Slot hooked Endo and Tyler Morton just after Liverpool's second goal to give Trey Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister some minutes. Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and Vitezslav Jaros were also handed starts in the win at Brighton.

Despite scoring a brace against Brighton, Gakpo is struggling to get ahead of Diaz this season in his preferred position of left wing. Slot also referenced the battle between the two stars in his post-match interview.

The Liverpool boss added: "He (Gakpo) has been a good player for Liverpool for a long time now and he continues doing that and that's a good thing. For me, he is a regular starter. He's not starting every game, but he started on a regular basis. And he's in a tough competition with Luis Diaz, who, when he went to the left, also scored a goal."

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, meanwhile, told Sky Sports: "It's disappointing to be knocked out in the cup, but we were not ruthless enough and that was a difference. Liverpool scored at the right moment, they scored out of nowhere with an unbelievable shot and they had their timing on their side. We were not able to reply in the right moments."

Liverpool will play Southampton in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup.