Liverpool beat Brighton in the Premier League with Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz impressing, and Alexander Isak finding the back of the net once again. This is what we spotted.
Florian Wirtz celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Brighton.
Florian Wirtz celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Brighton.(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz's first-half goals sent Liverpool on the way to a first home win in the Premier League under Andoni Iraola.
Yasin Ayari should have opened the scoring when he was teed up by Pascal Gross, who had crept in behind the Liverpool defense, but shortly after, Wirtz crashed a shot off his fellow German and past Bart Verbruggen, and then Isak netted after excellent work from Bradley Barcola.
Ayari went close again, this time from distance, but the Reds were able to keep the visitors at bay. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
$486M trio ignites
Barcola, operating down the right-hand side for Liverpool, was very lively, showing the kind of decisiveness that he will have to provide consistently to justify his price tag.
In the first half, he was so direct that Brighton couldn't stop him, and Ronald Araujo, playing behind the Frenchman, was just as involved. He helped tee up the second Liverpool goal, and almost netted himself with a decent effort.
That is a major positive for Andoni Iraola, who also had Wirtz looking sharp and showing what he can do in a game that is not all about brawn. Isak scored and Cody Gakpo had his moments, completing a good outing for the first-choice front four.
Isak, Barcola and Wirtz, signed for a combined $486 million (£364 million), came to life all at once in the first half — the period in which the points were won. If they can do that consistently in the next few months, then Liverpool will go far.
Alexander Isak celebrates with Bradley Barcola after scoring for Liverpool against Brighton.
Alexander Isak celebrates with Bradley Barcola after scoring for Liverpool against Brighton.(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Brighton made to pay
There was some talk of the game being postponed due to the strong winds, but in truth, that never felt that likely. Inside the stadium, it didn't appear to have that much of an impact, either, aside from with Alisson's distribution.
Brighton, with its combined scoreline of 15-0 in its last four league games, has been blowing opponents away. Jamie Carragher even described Fabian Hurzeler's style as being akin to Jurgen Klopp's.
On the day, though, Liverpool sent a bit of a statement. Sure, there were times when Brighton looked on the verge of scoring in the first half, but it was the Reds who were the most clinical.
That is what you pay the big money for in terms of the attacking talents, and Isak was once again on the scoresheet. Tee him up, and he will score. Barcola and Wirtz did plenty right on this occasion, and have something to further build on moving forward.
Andoni Iraola call pays off
Barcola, Wirtz and Isak were all back in the starting XI, and it was Gakpo chosen ahead of Rio Ngumoha, even after his excellent exploits midweek. Few would have gone with that, but it proved to be a correct call.
"We are changing the team a little bit," Iraola explained. "Every three or four days, we are playing, so I think it's a matter of finding the best match-ups we can find. And also, how we are going to finish the game. For sure, we will use Rio in the best way we can."
Having the more experienced attackers in from the off, with 18-year-old Ngumoha as an impact player, is the ideal balance, really. Victor Munoz, when fit, is another who fits the same bracket.
Keep them fit and building on this, and Liverpool could have a front four that can properly fight for things this season. The balance of the whole side looked right here, and unlike in some recent games, there was no caveat.
This was in the Premier League, not the less physical Champions League, and against a team that has been battering everyone it has faced. Liverpool comfortably looked the better side, however.
Anfield win at last
Liverpool was winless in its last five home Premier League matches heading into this one, drawing four and losing one. Iraola's men have so far this term looked better on the road, but that has to translate consistently in the coming months.
This week alone, Liverpool has two more games at Anfield. Beyond that, collecting wins regularly on home soil will be vital for climbing the table and, potentially, challenging the top two.
Whatever happens with Manchester City, Liverpool should be looking up. Arsenal, the Reds' next league opponents, are the title favorites, but they are not unstoppable.
With a fair wind and some luck with injuries, Liverpool should be looking up and hoping to get into the title conversation. It does, after all, have three £100M-plus forwards, who all came to the party here.
Big Liverpool test passed
Liverpool went into this game having scored an average of four goals in each of its last three games, bouncing back from the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. This was comfortably the biggest test that it would face, though, with Fabian Hurzeler's team in an even stronger vein of form.
Iraola's men put in the kind of showing that suggests that the recent positive performances and results have helped with confidence, and his rotation has assisted in keeping some key men fit.
While the attackers will get most of the plaudits, and rightly so, Araujo was very good, and defensively, while Brighton had moments, Alisson was not exactly peppered with shots. This was a big test passed.