Kaoro Mitoma: Brighton Star Who Ended Liverpool’s FA Cup Dream Studied Dribbling at University

• Kaoro Mitoma has made a name for himself as one of the best dribblers in the Premier League
• Apparently, dribbling is something that the winger took so seriously that he opted to study it at university
• Mitoma was on target for Brighton during their FA Cup win over Liverpool on Sunday, January 29
• The 25-year-old scored his goal with some level of skill as the Seagulls dumped Liverpool out of the tournament

For Brighton fans, Kaoro Mitoma has been one of their heroes, at least for the better part of their impressive season thus far.

However, for Liverpool supporters, the Japanese football star who has taken the Premier League by storm, is their worst enemy.

On Sunday, January 29, the 25-year-old became a major talking point after his wonderful strike ended Liverpool's FA Cup dream.

Brighton and the Reds faced off in a thrilling clash in the fourth round of the tournament, with the Seagulls emerging as the victors with a 2-1 win.

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The match looked set to end in a 1-1 draw after regulation time after Lewis Dun cancelled out Harvey Elliott's earlier opener.

However, Mitoma had other plans as he netted the winner at stoppage time to leave Liverpool fans heartbroken.

Mitoma's studied dribbling at university

Mitoma's goals did not come easily for the Japanese star as he employed a stunning piece of skill to find the back of the net.

According to The Guardian, the winger used technique, imagination, style, and a resting heart rate to settle the tie.

Apparently, Mitoma's piece of skill is not associated with only his talent - but also intelligence.

Born in Kanagawa, the former Kawasaki Frontale actually studied dribbling at the university.

Sportbible reports that Mitoma rejected the chance to go professional at 16 so he could attend university.

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He went on to write an intriguing graduation thesis on dribbling that involved fixing a GoPro to his head.

By fixing a GoPro camera to his head, the highly-rated forward was able to record his movements and examine which ones enabled him to get past opponents.

Years later, his effort and research seem to be paying off, with the forward currently one of the best dribblers in the Premier League.

When did Mitoma join Brighton?

Incredibly, it is his insane dribbling skills that have earned him a big reputation in the English top flight.

Brighton completed the signing of Mitoma in the summer of 2021 but opted to send him on loan to Belgian side Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.

At the time, the winger had just returned from the Olympics, with BBC reporting that he was part of the squad that lost the bronze-medal match to Mexico.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that the stage is now set for Arsenal and Chelsea to get into a serious bidding war for Moises Caicedo's signature.

The Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder released a statement indicating his desire to try a new challenge.

Caicedo's rise in the Premier League has been meteoric and he has always been linked with a transfer to a top-six side. Liverpool are also interested.