Isak Scores Again as Liverpool Beat Brighton 2-0 Despite Being Outshot

Isak keeps scoring, but the win flatters Liverpool’s attack

Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday, making it four straight wins in all competitions. Alexander Isak scored again, but the more revealing numbers belong to the team he beat: Brighton had more possession, more shots and higher expected goals. Liverpool took their chances and protected the lead; they didn’t dominate the match. A Pascal Groß own goal and Isak’s finish lifted Andoni Iraola’s side to fourth in the Premier League. The result came with a setback, though: Florian Wirtz left in the 65th minute with an ankle injury. Brighton’s popular Fantasy assets blanked, despite encouraging attacking involvement. Here are the Scout Notes from Anfield.

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Isak’s streak raises the bigger question

Isak has now scored six Premier League goals this season and found the net in five consecutive appearances for club and country. His 21st-minute goal was pure striker’s work: Bradley Barcola won the ball high and cut it back for the Swedish forward to finish. “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.” – Andoni Iraola The goal was Isak’s only shot of the match, so the scoreline shouldn’t be mistaken for a busy all-round performance. Liverpool, too, had modest attacking numbers: 13 attempts and 1.20 expected goals, against Brighton’s 17 shots and 1.32 xG. The visitors held 64% possession; Liverpool had 36%. That doesn’t erase Liverpool’s clinical finishing or their disciplined work protecting the advantage after the break. Iraola said his side needed a more forceful start, to win duels, recover the ball and attack in transition, and felt they delivered. Still, the underlying figures leave room for doubt about how convincing this Liverpool attack really is. For Fantasy managers, timing complicates the Isak decision. Arsenal are next in Gameweek 9, a difficult immediate fixture for anyone considering a move. The schedule improves after that, which could make the £9.0m forward a more appealing premium option.

Wirtz injury clouds an improving display

Liverpool’s main worry arrived in the 65th minute, when Wirtz twisted his ankle and had to come off. Earlier, he had collected a loose ball after Ronald Araújo’s cross and sent a shot toward goal. It deflected off Groß and went in, so the goal was recorded as an own goal rather than credited to Wirtz. The German had one shot and created two chances before his exit, continuing to show signs of adapting to Iraola’s system. Iraola described the ankle problem as a small twist that didn’t look serious, but said the team would need to assess him given the schedule of a match every three days. That’s reassuring, though it isn’t a firm timeline.

Gakpo offers a different attacking signal

Cody Gakpo played the full match and led Liverpool for expected goal involvement, with 0.60 xGI from six shots. His underlying output was the clearest attacking bright spot beyond Isak’s finish.

Barcola set up Isak, but the £8.1m midfielder offered little else: no shots and one chance created before Rio Ngumoha replaced him in the 77th minute. Liverpool’s attack may be improving, yet the team still ranked only eighth for xG in 2026/27. The trend is encouraging; the production has more ground to make up.

Liverpool’s defenders cash in

Liverpool kept their fourth clean sheet in eight Premier League matches. Virgil van Dijk, Jérémy Jacquet and Araújo each reached the defensive contribution threshold, adding two points to their clean-sheet returns as Brighton pressed for a way back into the game.

Araújo stood out at both ends. His cross helped set up the opening goal, and a strong first-half effort forced Bart Verbruggen into a save. Iraola praised his competitiveness in duels, then credited the defence’s basic work after the interval: clearing, blocking, dealing with crosses and winning second balls. The clean sheet is useful evidence for FPL managers, but Brighton’s 17 attempts and 1.32 xG show Liverpool were tested. Alisson Becker also benefited from missed chances: Yasin Ayari wasted an early opportunity and later hit the post. Liverpool’s defenders could appeal over the medium term, though Arsenal next may give prospective buyers reason to hold off.

Brighton blank, but the attacking numbers hold up

Brighton’s nine-match unbeaten run ended at Anfield, and neither Maxim De Cuyper nor Groß returned a goal or assist. Yet the team’s attacking performance gives owners something to work with: Fabian Hürzeler’s side had 64% possession, took 17 shots and generated 1.32 xG, all better figures than Liverpool managed. De Cuyper played all 90 minutes and recorded 0.33 xGI, with two shots and three chances created. From his advanced role, the Belgian was involved throughout and nearly got a shot away from inside the box in the second half. The blank stings, but the involvement suggests his attacking value remains intact.

Brighton’s blank at Anfield tells only part of the story. Pascal Groß (£6.2m) still shaped much of their attack, creating four chances, one of them a big chance, despite scoring an own goal. His first-half cutback gave Yasin Ayari a clear opening, which Ayari sent over; Groß later set him up again, and that shot hit the post.

Diego Gómez (£5.0m) added two attempts and three chances created, finishing with 0.35 expected goal involvement (xGI). Charalampos Kostoulas (£5.8m) led Brighton for expected goals, posting 0.52 xG from four shots, one on target. The output didn’t become points, but it does suggest the attack was more threatening than the result implies.

“It was a missed opportunity. I think everyone felt that we could definitely take something away from this game.” – Fabian Hürzeler

Manchester City await in Gameweek 9, so managers may hesitate over Groß and Maxim De Cuyper. That’s understandable. Still, Brighton’s attacking numbers at Liverpool give little reason to overreact to one blank, particularly with a much kinder run of fixtures after City. Holding their players through the immediate test looks defensible.

Two injuries add to Brighton’s problems

The defeat also cost Brighton two players. Ferdi Kadıoğlu (£4.4m) came off after six minutes with a hip injury, replaced by Costinha (£4.5m). Hürzeler said the club would wait for a scan before judging how serious it is.

“It’s a hip but I don’t know yet [how serious] so hopefully nothing big but we have to go and see and wait for the scan before I say everything.” – Fabian Hürzeler on Ferdi Kadioglu

Chema Andrés (£5.5m) went off in the 54th minute after apparently hurting himself while clearing the ball; Malick Yalcouyé (£4.5m) replaced him. Hürzeler described Andrés’s injury as being in a similar area to Kadıoğlu’s, calling it “not our day.”

“Similar. It’s a similar place where [Ferdi] had the injury so not our day. To summarise, not our day.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Chema Andres

Brighton will assess both players before two visits to Manchester City this week. There’s some welcome relief on the horizon: Yankuba Minteh (£5.8m) and Mats Wieffer (£4.8m) are nearing comebacks, potentially giving Hürzeler more options for the fixtures that follow. The scans will determine how much the latest setbacks complicate that picture.

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