Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler was less than gracious in defeat after his side's loss to Liverpool at Anfield, insisting his team were the ones who truly tried to win the game. The comments came after Liverpool climbed into the Premier League top four with the victory.
Hurzeler's verdict on the match
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Hurzeler said: "I think everyone in the stadium saw that there was one team who really tried to create and try to win this game and therefore I have to praise my players."
He added: "I think everyone in the stadium, and you as well, felt there was a missed opportunity for us, because it's not only after the goal or the goals they scored. Also, before they scored, we had one, two big chances and today I think it was just the difference that they scored, we didn't score."
Hurzeler acknowledged Liverpool's defensive display, noting: "They kept a clean sheet because they defended well with their centre-backs, with full-back [Ronald] Araujo and with [Milos] Kerkez. I think they blocked a lot of shots. They really defended the box well. We didn't have that efficiency. We couldn't keep the clean sheet because we made easy mistakes, we lost some important personal duels."
Liverpool's win and the fans' golden rule
Liverpool's 2-0 win over third-placed Brighton, secured by Alexander Isak's sixth Premier League goal of the campaign and an own goal from Pascal Gross, marked Andoni Iraola's first league victory at Anfield. The result moved Liverpool within reach of leaders Manchester City and second-placed Arsenal, who drew level on points with a 2-0 win over Everton after both City and Chelsea suffered defeats over the weekend.
There were some concerns during the match, including an improved Florian Wirtz going off injured, though it appeared to be a precaution. Meanwhile, Liverpool fans broke a famous football golden rule by falling for loanee Ronald Araujo, who arrived on loan from Barcelona this summer. Supporters cheered as he put his head in harm's way to block a shot from point-blank range, and he later took a kick to the face from Malick Yalcouye to halt a counterattack.
The club holds an option to buy Araujo for around £47m at the end of the season, though it remains too early to tell whether they will make the move permanent.
