Liverpool coach Arne Slot appeared in a press statement after the 2-0 victory over Brighton in the sixteenth round of the Premier League at Anfield Stadium.

The coach said: "We put in a great effort. We had to work hard to achieve this victory because we faced a very strong team that kept fighting until the end. For the first time in weeks, I feel we were a bit lucky today. We kept a clean sheet, whereas in other matches we conceded three goals without the opposing team having many chances."

He added: "In the second half, at the moments they had opportunities, when we were compact inside and around our penalty area, we had chances on counterattacks, but I was impressed with the way we played. Perhaps we deserved this luck, given the mentality we showed and the injuries and other factors."

About Hugo Ekitike: "I think he was brilliant at times today. The goals he scored were beautiful, and there were other moments when I thought, 'What a player!' This is, of course, why we wanted to sign him, in addition to the goals. It's great to see him and the others who joined us in the summer making progress."

He continued about Florian Wirtz: "The way he handles the ball. His confidence in doing so." I believe he is one of the players whose performance I have noticed continuously improving. He is becoming stronger and more energetic. All the effort the players have put in over the past months is paying off."

He added, "After all these matches, we will have a week of rest to regain some of our fitness. There will also be time for training."

He concluded about Mohamed Salah: "I believe he was a source of danger; on his first touch of the ball, he almost set up a goal for McAlister. It was a pleasure to see him, but this was not surprising. Including him in the squad was an easy decision. I have said repeatedly that what happened between us will stay between us. We needed him, and he contributed to the second goal, which is good for us. We have been in a very difficult position this season with set pieces. He will participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, which means another player will be absent from the team. This is something we knew before the season started. We hope one or two players will recover from injury."