Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory over Brighton on Sunday (Oct 25), a result that owed as much to a resilient defensive display as to the two quickfire goals that put the Reds in control inside the opening 20 minutes.
The win was sealed by a moment of commitment in the 27th minute, when on-loan defender Ronald Araujo slid in to make a crucial challenge with his head as the visitors threatened Liverpool's box. The No. 33's display has made him an instant fan favourite at Anfield, epitomising the defensive standards Liverpool have set since Andoni Iraola's appointment.
Only Arsenal and Brighton have kept more clean sheets than Liverpool's four this season, underlining the Reds' solidity as they inflicted just a second league defeat of the campaign on their opponents.
A Game of Two Halves
It was a game of two halves, with Liverpool producing a resilient defensive performance in the second period. Iraola's side were deserved winners after their attackers proved an utter mismatch for Brighton's defenders before the break.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, however, argued his side deserved more. "I think there was much more in it and we definitely deserved more," Hurzeler said. "When we only look at the performance today, everyone in the stadium saw that there was one team who really tried to create and tried to win this game and therefore I have to praise my players."
Hurzeler also suggested Brighton had "stuck to the match plan", a claim that sits awkwardly with the fact Liverpool cruised into a two-goal lead before limiting the visitors to just one shot on target across the entire game.
Fast Start Pays Dividends
Liverpool were quick out of the blocks, much as they were in their 2-0 win over newly-promoted Ipswich earlier in the season. By the time the cheers died down for Alexander Isak's ruthlessly-taken goal that made it 2-0, the game was effectively won.
In the tactical preview, it was predicted Iraola would start with Rio Ngumoha on the right to exploit Brighton left-back Olivier Boscagli's poor record of being dribbled past 0.92 times per 90 (now up to 1.00), with Bradley Barcola on the left to force back Ferdi Kadioglu. Kadioglu lasted just six minutes before injury forced Hurzeler to replace him with Costinha, and Iraola opted to start Cody Gakpo on the left, with Barcola tasked with hurting Boscagli with pace.
Pace in transition was always going to be a winning condition for Liverpool. Brighton have no player in the top 75 highest top speeds in the division, and Boscagli, primarily a central defender, was in the bottom 6% of players in his position for top speed. When Barcola closed him down to intercept his pass out of defence, the ball deflecting back past the £123m man's compatriot, there was only going to be one winner in that foot race. One chipped cross for Isak later, and Liverpool were two to the good.
Pragmatism Pays Off
Liverpool's No. 33 was immense. Winning all five of his duels, two of his three tackles and making eight clearances, Araujo was the poster boy of Liverpool's rearguard in the second half. He made more touches (59) than any other player in red, while only Alexis Mac Allister won possession more times (seven) than his six.
Araujo also played an underrated part in getting the ball forward, making 10 line-breaking passes (Fotmob) and 10 final third entries, only matched by Alisson. He even stung the palms of Bart Verbruggen in the first half with a ripper of an effort.
Undeniably, Liverpool dropped deeper in the second half. Possession dropped from 37.6% in the first half to 33.6% in the second, shots dropped from nine to four, and the Reds only won possession in the attacking third once after the break. This was partly Brighton forcing them back, but also an intentional move from Iraola to absorb pressure and hit the Seagulls on the counter.
"[We defended well] especially in the second half," Iraola told reporters. "Second half, obviously, we defended lower, we didn't give so much space. It was 50-50 in the first half. Both defences were quite high and then there was space in behind both defensive lines. Second half, I think we were more compact."
Liverpool were good at the basics: five blocks, 11 tackles, 19 clearances, and 80% of aerial duels went their way. Trey Nyoni made a huge intervention on De Cuyper, steaming in to make a massive clearance before Mac Allister rushed out to close down the follow-up shot from Ayari.
Despite Hurzeler's insistence his side deserved to win, Brighton managed just one shot on target in the entire game, creating just 0.52 xG in the second half and failing to muster a single big chance. Their xGOT reached just 0.09, while Liverpool's stood at 1.25.
There Is More to Iraola
Much of the discourse around Iraola when he was appointed as Arne Slot's replacement drew comparisons with Jurgen Klopp, painting him as a manager with a singular and deeply emotional view of football, unrelenting in his pursuit of intensity and inflexible in his principles.
This perception has persisted despite Liverpool winning eight of their last 10 games and conceding just one goal in the league with 11 players on the pitch. The crisis talk that lingered until the weekend, with the claim of no home league wins in six months, was a wilful misrepresentation: Liverpool had actually only played five home league games during that time, with two under the previous manager.
Against Brighton, Iraola showed there is far more to his game than just balls-to-the-wall football. The first half was a feast of attacking play, but the second half showed a mature and pragmatic side that is starting to emerge more frequently.
As seen against Ipswich, Iraola's Liverpool are happy to manage games once they have a lead, while against Villarreal, he showed he can tweak his system during a match to plug gaps. What appears to drive Iraola more than anything is standards: standards of work effort, defending, and bravery.
Not only have Liverpool become more solid, but the big-money attack that looked like a gilded cage last season is now developing into a cohesive unit. The result makes Liverpool a far more serious prospect than many will be expecting at this stage of the season.
*All statistics used are from Opta unless otherwise stated.
