FA Cup: Middlesbrough 1-5 Brighton: Alexis Mac Allister scores twice

Alexis Mac Allister scored twice, including a superb finish, as the World Cup winner helped Brighton beat Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.

Pascal Gross gave the Premier League side an early lead, but Chuba Akpom quickly responded with a high header.

Adam Lallana scored from close range to make it 2-1 before Deniz Undav added to Mac Allister’s late goals.

Hosts Middlesbrough reached the quarter-finals last season but were thoroughly outplayed as Brighton progressed to the fourth round.

Great Brighton and magnificent Mac Allister

Brighton lost manager Graham Potter to Chelsea earlier this season but continue to impress under new boss Roberto de Zerbi, finishing eighth in the Premier League and going into the next round of the cup.

The Seagulls were stunned by Charlton on penalties in the Carabao Cup but it proved to be a rare day off and they showed their top class by dominating Michael Carrick’s Championship side.

The south coast side play comfortable football and are full of talented individuals who come together as a unit.

Gross put Brighton ahead after just seven minutes, slotting in after Solly March’s effort was saved by Zac Steffen, but the in-form Akpom equalized shortly after, scoring his 14th goal of a prolific campaign.

Brighton, however, showed their dominance in the contest after that, with Lallana denying the impressive Kaoru Mitomi a goal by pushing the ball over the line when the Japan striker was already in.

In second-half substitute Mac Allister, they have a player who won world football’s biggest prize last month and is unsurprisingly brimming with confidence.

He could have scored a hat-trick in his 45 minutes on the pitch, an instinctive Cruyff-style finish for his first goal showing his excellent form, technique and flair.

Mac Allister hit the post with a curling free-kick but got his second by completing a clever team move after Gross’ cut-back.

There was still time for Undav to come off the bench and poke a low finish into the bottom as Brighton secured a comfortable passage to the fourth round.