Isak scores again as Liverpool beat Brighton with hardly any of the ball

Alexander Isak scored as Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0, taking his tally to six goals for the season. It was Liverpool's fourth straight win, following a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield two weeks earlier. BBC Sport notes that only Erling Haaland, on nine, has scored more Premier League goals this season.

Isak arrived from Newcastle United in August 2025 for £125 million, a British record fee. His first season was harder going. He had a slow start, then broke a leg in December, and he finished with four goals in 22 games. This season has been different. He had scored in each of his two league games before the Brighton match, and his start was quick: five goals in his first six games.

The Brighton game also showed a side that can win without dominating it. Possession is the share of time a team spends with the ball, and Liverpool had just 35.6 per cent. That is their second-lowest figure in a Premier League home win since 2003-04. They also kept a clean sheet, their fourth in eight league games this season, so Brighton rarely troubled them.

The run around the Brighton game has been busy. Liverpool went to Bournemouth in September and won 1-0, with Isak scoring just before the hour. It was a win at the home of Andoni Iraola's former club. Iraola, who now manages Liverpool, had led Bournemouth before taking charge at Anfield.

Earlier, Isak scored twice in the first nine minutes of a 2-0 win away at Ipswich Town. That was Iraola's first league win as Liverpool manager. His first game in charge had been a 4-2 pre-season win over Sunderland in July. In the Champions League, Liverpool won 6-3 at LASK, and Iraola called the attacking display "very complete".

For Liverpool supporters, the picture is becoming clearer. Isak has been their most reliable finisher, and the defence has tightened in the same weeks. The next test is whether that balance holds when the opposition has more of the ball.