Liverpool’s expensively-assembled front four finally clicked into gear as they beat Brighton 2-0 to record their first home Premier League win of the season.
The trio of £100million-plus signings Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz – and Cody Gakpo – found a connection which fans have been hoping will succeed in breaking down defences against whom they struggled during their disappointing title defence.
They do not come more miserly than the Seagulls as Fabian Hurzeler’s side may be the top flight’s leading scorers but they also know how to keep the back door tightly shut and these were the first goals conceded in all competitions in over nine hours.
Wirtz was denied the credit for the 17th-minute opener due to the deflection off Pascal Gross but there was no doubting Isak’s sixth goal in seven league appearances four minutes later from a Barcola cross.
Florian Wirtz’s opener went down as an own goal by Pascal Gross
AFP/Getty
Strong contributions from the France international and Gakpo on the flanks ensured Brighton were never entirely comfortable in a first half in which they started the brighter.
By the 77th minute only Gakpo remained but with the visitors starting to cause problems – and Chelsea arriving on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup – changes were necessary.
The other performance of note came from on-loan Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
A centre-back playing on the right, he crossed for the first goal and continued to enhance his cult status with a header while flat out on the floor to deny Maxim De Cuyper a goalscoring opportunity just after going 2-0 up and a no-nonsense clearance which was close to putting Malick Yalcouye into the first row of the Main Stand.
Brighton may have fared better had Yasin Ayari not blazed over the first chance of the game after Diego Gomez’s pass released Gross but once Liverpool were ahead confidence flowed through them.
This was a fourth win in a row in all competitions, and a third in four in the league lifted them into fourth, six points behind Manchester City and Arsenal.