Alexander Isak scored the decisive goal as Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday, their first league win at home this season. The Sweden striker has now scored six Premier League goals this campaign, and his form suggests he is finally living up to his record £125m price tag.
Isak arrived from Newcastle in August 2025 amid huge fanfare, but a slow start and a broken leg in December made his first season on Merseyside a difficult one. He scored just four goals in 22 games. This season has been a different story. The 27-year-old is averaging almost a goal per game and has scored more than half of Liverpool’s Premier League goals so far.
A crucial goal from Isak
Isak did not dominate the game, but his finish was decisive. It was the second straight match in which he had scored a crucial goal, following his strike at Brentford the previous weekend. His goal gave Liverpool breathing space against a Brighton side that enjoyed 64% possession and finished with a higher xG than Liverpool.
Only Erling Haaland, with nine, has scored more Premier League goals this season than Isak. The club expected numbers like these when they signed him. During his injury-hit 2025-26 campaign, the belief inside the club was that he was a long-term signing and that any judgement should wait until he was fully fit. Recent performances suggest that patience is being rewarded.
“Today, the performance was really good against a really good team,” Isak said. “The first half is really what we want to be about – winning balls and the intensity.”
An impressive all-round performance
Liverpool were aggressive from the start and defended well to keep a Brighton side that had scored 15 league goals in their previous four games at bay. Apart from an early chance for Yasin Ayari, which he blazed over, Brighton created no major openings. Ronald Araujo was again immense, and the Liverpool defence kept its fourth clean sheet in eight league games this season.
Liverpool’s possession of 35.6% was their second lowest in a Premier League home win since 2003-04. That said, the quality going forward suggests Liverpool are happy to let opponents have the ball, particularly when those teams are not sitting in a low block.
Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola were both excellent, and Cody Gakpo threatened all afternoon. Wirtz was unlucky not to be credited with the goal that gave Liverpool the lead. His strike took a deflection off Pascal Gross and went in.
Wirtz’s confidence is growing in a Liverpool shirt, and his impact on games is clear. He still needs his numbers to improve, however, and the club will be concerned about his fitness. He was substituted in the second half.
“Unfortunately, he had to leave the pitch with a small twist of the ankle,” said Iraola. “It doesn’t look very big but we are playing every three days so we need to see where he is.”
Barcola sets up the winner
Barcola’s energy also stood out. The way he won the ball for Isak’s goal showed exactly what Iraola wanted: a high press and a real desire to win possession back. That left Isak to finish instinctively. Barcola then copied Isak’s celebration, just as they had done the previous weekend in west London.
The win moved Liverpool up to fourth in the table. For Iraola, it was his fourth consecutive win since the defeat to Manchester City at Anfield a fortnight earlier. It was also his first league win at Anfield, achieved at the fourth attempt.
“Alex [Isak] is threatening, especially if we can get him in those positions and we can provide him good crosses,” said Iraola. “In this case, it’s a matter of Bradley [Barcola] winning the duel and being faster than the opposition to get us in that position.”
Isak, Barcola and Wirtz cost the club a combined £248m. If they keep combining and winning games, Iraola and Liverpool will be well pleased. Next up is Arsenal in the league.