Liverpool Vs Brighton & Hove Albion [2-0] Premier League 2026/2027: How Andoni Iraola Tactics Turned Defensive Solidity Into Victory - Tactical Analysis

The Seagulls travelled to Anfield and saw their run of five consecutive games without conceding in all competitions come to an end.

Liverpool, meanwhile, had not won a Premier League home game since April.

Despite the defeat, Brighton remain third in the table, with Liverpool just one point behind them.

Brighton still have the best attack in the league, but this was the first time they failed to score in a Premier League game this term.

It was also their second consecutive game without scoring, after Thursday's Conference League game against Jablonec.

Last Sunday, Brighton were already 3-0 up after just 10 minutes.

This time, they conceded twice in the first 21 minutes, with only four minutes between the goals.

Looking only at the result, it might look like Liverpool dominated the game.

However, Brighton created several chances and were particularly strong in the second half.

They had 66.11% possession compared to Liverpool's 33.89%, and also got more shots off.

Liverpool, though, were more effective in front of goal, scoring twice from just four shots on target.

In this tactical analysis, we look at how Brighton broke Liverpool’s press, how they defended against Liverpool’s attacking threats, and how Liverpool took advantage of Brighton’s mistakes to create goalscoring opportunities.

Liverpool Vs Brighton Lineups & Formations

Liverpool Lineup Vs Brighton

Andoni Iraola started the match in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alisson in goal, and a backline made up of Ronald Araújo at right-back, Jérémy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk at centre-back, and Milos Kerkez at left-back.

In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz started as central midfielders, with Bradley Barcola and Cody Gakpo on the wings and Alexander Isak as the main striker.

The Spanish coach made four second-half changes.

In the 65th minute, Trey Nyoni came on for Wirtz.

In the 77th minute, two players were withdrawn, as Barcola and Isak made way for Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas.

Lastly, in the 88th minute, Konstantinos Tsimikas came on for Kerkez.

Brighton Lineup Vs Liverpool

Fabian Hürzeler also set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Bart Verbruggen in goal behind a back four of Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Luka Vušković, Lewis Dunk and Olivier Boscagli, from right to left.

Pascal Groß and Chema Andrés started in midfield behind Yasin Ayari as the No. 10, with Diego Gómez and Maxim De Cuyper on the wings and Charalampos Kostoulas up front.

The German coach also made four changes.

The first substitution came just six minutes into the game, with Costinha replacing the injured Kadıoğlu.

At half-time, Jack Hinshelwood came on for Boscagli, while eight minutes later, Malick Yalcouyé came on for Andres.

In the 75th minute, Georginio Rutter came on for Ayari.

How Did Brighton Break The Liverpool Press?

Liverpool pressed high in a 4-1-3-2 shape, with Isak and Wirtz leading the press.