Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 as Isak scores and Wirtz leaves with ankle injury

Liverpool recorded their fourth straight win in all competitions by defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday. A Pascal Groß own-goal and a second-half strike from Alexander Isak gave manager Andoni Iraola’s side a clean sheet and moved them up to fourth place in the Premier League.

Isak’s 21st-minute finish, a poacher’s finish from a Bradley Barcola cut-back, marked his sixth league goal of the season and his fifth consecutive appearance in which he has scored for club and country. > "He’s a striker if we can put him in those positions, we can provide him with crosses, good situations, he will score the goals," Iraola said.

The win was tempered by the loss of Florian Wirtz, who was forced off in the 65th minute after twisting his ankle. He had been involved in the opening goal, collecting a loose ball and firing towards goal before his effort deflected off Groß for the own-goal. > "Unfortunately, he had to leave the pitch with a small twist of the ankle. It doesn’t look very big but we are playing every three days so we need to see where he is," Iraola added.

Statistically, Liverpool’s attacking output was modest, with 1.20 expected goals (xG) from 13 attempts, compared with Brighton’s 1.32 xG from 17 shots and 64% possession. The Reds defended well after taking the lead, and defender Virgil van Dijk, Jérémy Jacquet and Ronald Araújo each met the defensive contribution threshold for clean-sheet points.

Brighton’s unbeaten run ended, but several of their players posted encouraging underlying numbers. Maxim De Cuyper logged two shots and three chances, while Groß created four chances despite the own-goal. Coach Fabian Hürzeler noted the team missed opportunities and will look to improve ahead of a tough fixture against Manchester City.

Both clubs also dealt with injuries. Brighton’s Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Chema Andrés left the field with hip-related problems, prompting medical assessments before their upcoming matches.