Liverpool's hopes of back-to-back Premier League titles suffered a massive blow as Brighton claimed a shock 1-0 victory at Anfield on Wednesday while Manchester City restored their three-point lead at the top of the League with a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley.
Brighton followed up their weekend home win over Tottenham Hotspur with another disciplined display and a toothless Liverpool could not respond as they failed to score for the third successive home league game.
Steven Alzate was in the right place at the right time as a towering header by Dan Burn was cleared straight at him and he directed it past Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
While Liverpool pressed in a desperate bid to break down Brighton's blue defensive wall, they were occasionally exposed at the other end with Leandro Trossard and Yves Bissouma both going close to doubling Brighton's advantage.
Brighton held on comfortably to move 10 points above the relegation zone into 15th place.
In the meantime, Manchester City restored their three-point lead at the top of the League after goals from Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling secured a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley.
The routine victory at Turf Moor left City on 47 points from 21 games with second-placed Manchester United, who crushed Southampton 9-0 on Tuesday, three points behind having played one more match.
City have won 13 straight matches in all competitions and Pep Guardiola's side will head into Sunday's clash with Liverpool at Anfield in confident mood.
(L-R) Barcelona's Jordi Alba, Riqui Puig, Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi celebrate during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) quarter-final football match against Granada in Granada, February 3, 2021. /CFP
As for the Copa del Rey, Antoine Griezmann scored two goals and provided two assists as Barcelona staged a stunning last-gasp comeback before beating Granada 5-3 away after extra time to reach the semi-finals.
Granada were 2-0 up with two minutes remaining thanks to strikes from Kenedy and Roberto Soldado in either half.
But Griezmann, who had surrendered the ball in the build-up to Soldado's goal, pulled Barca back into contention in the 88th minute and then set up Jordi Alba's stoppage-time equalizer with a glancing header which the defender nodded home.
The French forward gave Barca the lead 10 minutes into extra time and even though a Fede Vico penalty moments later restored parity, Frenkie de Jong put Barca back in front in the 108th before a stunning volley from Alba, served up by a cross from Griezmann, clinched the Catalans' place in the last four.
(Cover image: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool with Brighton's Leandro Trossard and Adam Webster during a Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool, England, February 3, 2021. /CFP)