Iraola hails collective spirit at Anfield
Iraola expressed his immense pride after witnessing his Liverpool side secure their first Premier League home win of the campaign. The Reds were dominant from the outset, moving into fourth place in the table and trailing Brighton by just a single point. The victory carried added weight, as it inflicted only a second defeat in 13 matches across all competitions this season on the Seagulls, who despite the loss, managed to retain third spot in the Premier League.
'Very happy. We needed this win at home and to celebrate with the supporters. A really good performance,' Iraola told Sky Sports in the aftermath of the victory. 'We started really aggressively and needed this start because we had been coming from behind lately. Especially against a team full of confidence like Brighton, we were very focused on starting well, scoring first, and luckily for us, we did it.' The victory marks a significant turning point for the Spaniard, who had previously tasted home success only in cup competitions.
When asked if his tactical ideas were finally clicking with the group, Iraola was optimistic but grounded about the challenges ahead. 'This is the fourth win in a row, it feels good. We have to keep going, we still have points to recover but I'm liking a lot of things. Good performances from the players, they are helping each other, we are playing together with collectiveness. Some of the players will have better or worse performances, but today it was a team that you can trust.'
Wirtz injury update provides relief
Despite the positive result, there were concerns when Florian Wirtz was forced off in the 65th minute. The German international, who was instrumental in the opening goal, appeared to suffer an ankle knock following a collision. However, the playmaker was quick to soothe fears regarding a lengthy layoff during his post-match comments.
'I think it will be alright, it's not too bad,' Wirtz remarked when questioned about the severity of the issue. 'I don't know much yet. We still have to check it but I think it's not going to take long.'
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Dealing with critics and finding form
Iraola provided further detail on the substitution, suggesting that the decision was largely precautionary. 'He had to leave the pitch with a small twist of the ankle. It doesn't look very big but we're playing every three days so we have to see what it is,' the manager explained. 'I don't know if it is even an injury. He twisted his ankle and it's painful in the moment and he didn't feel 100 per cent. We decided to put on Trey (Nyoni) and he played a good performance.'
Wirtz also took the opportunity to address recent scrutiny regarding his output earlier in the season. With a goal and three assists in his last four outings, the midfielder feels he is answering his doubters on the pitch. 'Maybe I'm just an interesting guy!' he joked regarding the media attention. 'I just play my football. If people want to talk about me or judge me, that's their job. I'm not focusing on that. I just want to play football and I can't do more [than that].'
Clinical Reds punish Brighton early
The match itself was decided by a blistering four-minute spell in the first half that left Brighton reeling. Liverpool took the lead in the 17th minute when Wirtz saw his goal-bound effort take a significant deflection off Pascal Gross, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
Before Brighton could regroup, Bradley Barcola produced a moment of magic on the right wing, beating his marker with pace and precision. His perfectly weighted cross found Alexander Isak, who finished with a composed, cushioned volley to make it 2-0. It was Isak's sixth goal of the season, underlining his importance to Iraola's attacking setup.