Liverpool Round-Up, Sunday 25th October: Isak and Wirtz Fire Reds to 2-0 Win Over Brighton as Araujo Steals the Show

Liverpool secured a first Premier League win at Anfield under Andoni Iraola with a 2-0 victory over Brighton, moving the Reds up into the top four (This Is Anfield) (LiverpoolFC.com) (Sky Sports) (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport). The breakthrough actually came via what was first given as a Florian Wirtz goal before being reclassified as a Pascal Gross own goal, with Alexander Isak then adding a second to settle the points (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com) (BBC Sport). The Guardian felt it was a thoroughly convincing display from Iraola's side, showing real urgency at both ends of the pitch against a Brighton team that had been in good form (The Guardian), while BBC Sport noted it was Liverpool's fourth straight win under their head coach (BBC Sport). Media reaction broadly agreed the team are "starting to take shape" under Iraola, with the performance described as ruthless and resolute (This Is Anfield).

Ronald Araujo was the standout performer on the day, with his defending at one stage drawing huge noise from the Kop and leaving fans and pundits purring (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool Echo) (BBC Sport). Iraola himself praised the Barcelona loanee's influence, saying his no-nonsense approach "helps a lot" (This Is Anfield), and even suggested one particular piece of play was worth an assist (Liverpool.com). Araujo was among several players rated highly in the aftermath, alongside Isak, Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, who all impressed across various player ratings from Liverpool.com, BBC Sport, the Echo and This Is Anfield (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com) (BBC Sport) (Liverpool Echo) (This Is Anfield) (This Is Anfield). Isak, who found the net again, said afterwards he was "delighted" with the win (LiverpoolFC.com), while Iraola explained his belief that if the Swede is fed well in the box, he'll continue scoring goals (This Is Anfield). Liverpool's official Carlsberg Player of the Match was also revealed after the game (LiverpoolFC.com).

The one downside from an otherwise happy afternoon was an injury worry over Wirtz, who twisted his ankle in the second half having impressed again in the final third (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com). Iraola said afterwards he was hopeful the issue "isn't big", with the German a doubt for Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo). Despite the setback, Wirtz was relaxed when asked about the scrutiny he's faced, joking "maybe I'm just an interesting guy" (Liverpool.com). Iraola gave a fuller injury update and discussed the win more broadly in his post-match press conference, which is available to watch in full along with highlights and a post-match podcast from Anfield (LiverpoolFC.com) (LiverpoolFC.com) (LiverpoolFC.com) (LiverpoolFC.com) (LiverpoolFC.com) (BBC Sport). Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was less impressed, suggesting only one team in the stadium had tried to win the game, a dig he repeated when discussing the defeat further (Sky Sports) (Liverpool.com).

Elsewhere, Liverpool's women's side came from behind to snatch a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against London City Lionesses in the Women's Super League, with Jana Fernandez turning the ball into her own net to make it 2-2 (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport).

Away from Anfield, there was late drama for former Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, with reports suggesting Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho could make a tough call on his involvement for the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona (Liverpool.com). On the subject of young talent, Liverpool.com reported that head coach Iraola made a promise to Rio Ngumoha after leaving him among the substitutes for the Brighton game, despite the youngster having impressed in midweek action against Villarreal (Liverpool.com).

There was also plenty of chat about former Reds. Liverpool Echo reported that club legend Steven Gerrard has emerged as the frontrunner for a vacant Championship managerial job, having been without a club since leaving his last post in January 2025 (Liverpool Echo). Meanwhile Jamie Carragher didn't hold back in his assessment of Manchester United's troubles, calling for the club to sack head coach Michael Carrick immediately after another heavy defeat (Liverpool.com), with Anfield reportedly reacting with amusement to the Manchester United news filtering through during the Brighton game (Liverpool Echo).

This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.