Cody Gakpo Liverpool Brighton ratings GFXGetty

Liverpool player ratings vs Brighton: Cody Gakpo, the Carabao Cup king! Dutch star's double keeps up superb League Cup record and sends Reds to quarter-finals

Just call Cody Gakpo the King of the Carabao Cup! The Dutchman's double helped Liverpool kick-off their title defence with a 5-1 rout of West Ham at the tail end of September, and he bagged another brace in Wednesday's 3-2 fourth-round win at Brighton, meaning he now has eight goals in the competition since the start of last season.

Gakpo's 46th-minute opener at the Amex was a stunner, with the versatile winger cutting inside onto his favoured right foot before whipping the ball past Jason Steele from the left-hand side of the area. Gakpo struck again midway through the second half, this time rifling home after pouncing on some sloppy play from Tariq Lamptey.

Brighton pulled a goal back with 10 minutes to go through Simon Adingra, but Arne Slot's side promptly restored their two-goal advantage thanks to Luis Diaz - which was just as well for the visitors, as Lamptey's deflected effort found its way past Vitezslav Jaros in the final minute.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Reds on show as the reigning champions progressed to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup...

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