Liverpool climbed to fourth in the Premier League as Alexander Isak found the net once again to seal an impressive 2-0 victory over Brighton at Anfield. Florian Wirtz opened the scoring when his strike took a deflection off Pascal Gross, before Isak added breathing space to secure manager Andoni Iraola his first home league win at the fourth attempt. The result marked a fourth consecutive victory for Liverpool since their defeat by Manchester City a fortnight ago, successfully blunting a visiting attack that had scored 15 league goals across their previous four outings.
For Isak, the goal represents a decisive turnaround following an injury-disrupted debut year in 2025-26, when a broken leg in December restricted him to just four goals in 22 appearances after his British record £125m switch from Newcastle. Now fully fit, the 27-year-old Sweden striker has scored six of Liverpool's 11 league goals this term while averaging 0.95 goals per 90 minutes. With only Manchester City's Erling Haaland ahead of him in the Premier League scoring charts with nine, the forward is firmly rewarding the club's patient approach.
Despite the difficult conditions caused by Storm Boelo, Liverpool proved ruthless on the counter while registering just 35.6% possession—their second-lowest tally on record in a Premier League home victory since 2003-04. Although Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton enjoyed 64% possession and recorded a higher xG, their only notable opportunity came when Yasin Ayari lifted an early effort over the bar. Ronald Araujo was immense as the defence secured its fourth clean sheet in eight league games, while Bradley Barcola's energetic high pressing created the turnover for Isak to apply an instinctive finish.
Reflecting on the display, Isak noted that "the performance was really good against a really good team," adding that the first half reflected "what we want to be about - winning balls and the intensity." The primary concern for Liverpool was Wirtz being forced off with what Iraola described as a "small twist of the ankle" that will need assessment amid a congested schedule. Nonetheless, with Isak threatening and still not yet at his best, Liverpool will carry strong momentum into their next league test against Arsenal.