Isak strikes again as Liverpool hand Brighton only their second defeat of the season

Alexander Isak scored for a third successive Premier League game as Liverpool beat Brighton at Anfield. The striker finished emphatically from Bradley Barcola's right-wing cut-back, four first-half minutes after Pascal Gross had turned a Florian Wirtz shot into his own net. It was only Brighton's second loss of the campaign.

  • Competition: Premier League
  • Venue: Anfield
  • Result: Liverpool beat Brighton
  • Key scorers: Pascal Gross (own goal) and Alexander Isak for Liverpool
  • Milestone: First Premier League home win under Andoni Iraola
  • Brighton context: Second defeat of the season, one shot on target

The numbers

  • Brighton had scored 23 goals in their first seven games of the season before arriving at Anfield.
  • Brighton finished the match with just one shot on target.
  • Isak has now scored in three straight Premier League games.
  • This was Brighton's second loss of the season.
  • Liverpool's opener came four first-half minutes after Gross's own goal.

How Liverpool's first-half flurry decided it

The game turned on a short burst before the interval. Florian Wirtz drove a shot towards goal and Pascal Gross, defending, diverted it past his own goalkeeper. Four minutes later Bradley Barcola worked space on the right and cut the ball back for Alexander Isak, who finished with conviction. Two goals, four minutes, and a platform Liverpool never surrendered.

Brighton had travelled with real attacking form — 23 goals in seven league games — but the clinical edge deserted them. Yasin Ayari blazed a golden chance over the bar moments before the opener, and later curled an effort against the post from outside the box. Those two moments framed Brighton's afternoon: the positions were found, the finishing was not.

Liverpool, by contrast, could and perhaps should have won by more. Several counter-attacks were wasted, and Bart Verbruggen made saves from Ronald Araujo and Cody Gakpo. The home side's willingness to break at speed after winning the ball will please Andoni Iraola, whose side secured a first Premier League home win under him.

Why Brighton's shot count tells the real story

Brighton's season has been built on volume and fluency going forward, and the pre-match figure of 23 goals in seven games underlines that. At Anfield, though, the same structure produced a single shot on target. When Yasin Ayari blazed over with the game goalless, Brighton had the chance to make their possession count. They did not take it, and Liverpool punished them within minutes.

The own goal from Pascal Gross was unfortunate, but the second was the more instructive. Bradley Barcola was allowed to reach the byline on the right, and Alexander Isak's movement across the defender gave him a simple conversion. Brighton's back line had defended well for long spells but switched off for the one cross that mattered.

For Liverpool, the balance was right. They absorbed pressure, kept their shape when Brighton circulated the ball, then attacked the space behind with direct running. Wasting counters and forcing saves from Bart Verbruggen through Ronald Araujo and Cody Gakpo shows a team creating more than it converted — a problem Iraola will want solved, but a far better one than creating nothing.

Talking points

  • Brighton's 23 goals in seven games meant nothing at Anfield: one shot on target suggests their attacking fluency has a ceiling against organised sides.
  • Isak scoring in three straight games changes Liverpool's season — a reliable centre-forward makes Iraola's counter-attacking plan work.
  • Ayari's miss and post strike will haunt Brighton, but the bigger issue is a defence that let Barcola's cut-back through.
  • A first home league win under Iraola lifts Liverpool; the fact they should have scored more is both a warning and a promise.

What happens next

Liverpool will look to build on their first Premier League home win under Andoni Iraola in their next fixture, with Alexander Isak chasing a fourth consecutive scoring appearance. Brighton, beaten for only the second time this season, must rediscover the finishing that brought 23 goals in seven games before this trip to Anfield.

Frequently asked questions

Who scored for Liverpool against Brighton?

Alexander Isak scored four first-half minutes after a Pascal Gross own goal, which came from a Florian Wirtz shot.

How many shots on target did Brighton have at Anfield?

Brighton finished the game with only one shot on target, having earlier scored 23 goals in seven league games this season.

Was this Andoni Iraola's first home league win as Liverpool manager?

Yes. The victory over Brighton was Liverpool's first Premier League home win under Andoni Iraola.

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