After the worst performance Jurgen Klopp could remember came Liverpool’s best of 2023. They had set the bar so low against Brentford and Brighton, plus their previous meeting with Wolves, that it is not saying much but at least they offered a reminder of why they are the FA Cup holders. An imperfect display at least contained a show of spirit and they ended with bodies strewn on the pitch in their own box in exhaustion.
It was a sight Klopp could savour after Harvey Elliott’s glorious goal spared him a third exit to Wolves in his reign and brought the kind of prize he may not really want: beaten 3-0 at Brighton on Saturday, Liverpool now return to Sussex in the fourth round. If they are to retain their trophy, they will have to do it the hard way.
