Arne Slot Drops Wataru Endo Hint After Substituting Liverpool Midfielder in Carabao Cup Win Against Brighton

Liverpool progressed to the next round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-2 win over Brighton on Wednesday. Cody Gakpo netted twice, and Luis Diaz also found the back of the net to secure the Reds’ victory.

Arne Slot shared his positive impressions of Wataru Endo and other Liverpool rotation players following the 3-2 triumph at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday. Slot mentioned he “really liked” the performance of those players who saw more action in the cup match.

After a relatively quiet first half, Liverpool gained control of the match in the second half. Cody Gakpo opened the scoring immediately after the break, cutting in from the left side and striking a powerful shot into the far corner. The Dutch forward doubled his tally just after the 60-minute mark, finishing with precision at the goalkeeper’s near post.

Brighton narrowed the gap in the 81st minute with a goal from Simon Adingra, but Liverpool quickly responded as Luis Diaz scored to reestablish a two-goal lead.

Tariq Lamptey’s deflected strike in the 90th minute brought the pressure back on Liverpool, yet they held firm to claim a place in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.

At full-time, Slot reflected on Liverpool’s performance and specifically praised players like Endo, who have not seen as much playing time in the Premier League this season.

“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 substituted Endo and Tyler Morton shortly after Liverpool’s second goal, bringing on Trey Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister for some playing time.

Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and Vitezslav Jaros were also given starting roles in the victory over Brighton.

Although Gakpo scored twice against Brighton, he has faced challenges this season in surpassing Diaz for his favourite position on the left wing. Slot also commented on the competition between the two players 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.

In other news, Ballon d’Or Rankings Highlight Smart Liverpool Move for the 2025/26 Season