Hurzeler rues missed chances as Liverpool end Brighton’s unbeaten run

Fabian Hurzeler said Brighton missed an opportunity to take a positive result against Liverpool after losing 2-0 at Anfield in the eighth round of the Premier League.

Brighton had chances before Liverpool took control, but an own goal by Pascal Gross put the hosts ahead before Alexander Isak added a second.

“The feeling around the stadium was that we had missed an opportunity,” Hurzeler said at his news conference. “Before Liverpool scored, we had one or two big chances. The difference was that they scored from their opportunities and we did not.”

Liverpool’s victory ended an eight-match unbeaten run for Hurzeler’s Brighton, who had won six and drawn two of those matches in all competitions.

Hurzeler felt Liverpool’s defensive performance was central to the result, with the hosts protecting their goal effectively and dealing with Brighton’s attempts.

“Liverpool kept a clean sheet because they defended well, blocked many shots and defended their penalty area impressively,” he said.

Brighton’s manager also admitted his side had not been clinical enough and had made avoidable mistakes at the other end.

“We were not effective enough, and we could not keep a clean sheet because we made simple errors,” he added. “We lost some important individual battles, but overall I saw a team that did many positive things, believed in its style of play, stuck to the plan and kept trying throughout the match.”

The defeat was particularly frustrating for Hurzeler because he believed Brighton had been capable of winning.

“The loss is extremely disappointing because we all feel that we missed an opportunity to win,” he said.

For Liverpool, the result was their first home league victory of the current season at Anfield. It also extended their response to a 3-0 defeat by Manchester City to four consecutive wins.

Liverpool moved to 15 points and fourth place in the Premier League table, while Brighton remained third on 16 points. The result reduced the gap between the two clubs to one point.

The win ended Brighton’s unbeaten sequence, which had included six victories and two draws across all competitions. Liverpool’s two goals came through Gross’s own goal and Isak, who completed the scoring.