Mitoma and Brighton continue to delight as Proper Cup Tie ends in more gloom for holders Liverpool

Right now, Brighton will quite rightly wish to just enjoy a thrilling last-gasp victory over Liverpool, delivered by an absurdly good goal from the absurdly good Kaoru Mitoma.

But watching the way this Brighton side continues to piss all over frequent and substantial adversity it’s almost impossible to resist the temptation to throw things a bit further forward. Brighton have never won a major trophy. They’ve got a chance here, haven’t they?

Thanks in some large part to Brighton’s own efforts here, four of the ‘Big Seven’ have gone. The draw is going to open up for someone, especially with the apparent rule this year that Manchester City must play all their games against other big bastards.

There aren’t many teams left in this competition playing better than Brighton, who will fear nobody in the last 16 and be absolutely nobody’s idea of a decent draw.

Until the last 10 minutes, this had been an absolutely lovely slice of vintage FA Cup. Both teams appeared determined to win on the day with attacking football to the fore. There were goalline clearances at both ends while the game remained goalless and it was a fine example of a game neither side deserved to lose.

But then those last 10 minutes happened, and it became a game that Brighton fully deserved to win in the face of what appeared some pretty cowardly officiating. Any one and very arguably all three of Ibrahima Konate, Fabinho and Andy Robertson could have seen red as Liverpool found themselves hanging on for a replay they didn’t desperately want. They’ve avoided that at least.

Fabinho’s was perhaps the most egregious escape, not least for the fact the player’s own reaction told you he knew he’d got away with one after raking his studs down Evan Ferguson’s Achilles. It would be a significant dampener on a glorious day for Brighton if any injury there is serious.

And not even giving a free-kick for Konate’s last-man swipe of the arm across Alexis Mac Allister looked distinctly “If I give a foul I’ve got to give a red”.

Liverpool rode their luck in the first game against Wolves before emerging triumphant in the replay and a similar story looked to be getting its Act I perfectly written here. Until the game’s best player settled matters with a goal that left Joe Gomez and, from the replays we’ve seen, at least two cameramen desperately trying to work out what on earth was happening to them.

There’s always something magical about last-minute winners, of…