Liverpool 2 Albion 0: First-half goals condemn Albion to defeat

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Albion suffer their first defeat since August.

Charlie Hanson

2026-10-25T15:55+00:00

Pascal Gross looks to attack through the middle. 📸 by James Boardman.

Albion were beaten for the first time in nine outings as they lost 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool took control in the opening 21 minutes thanks to goals from Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

While Liverpool hadn't have won at Anfield in the Premier League in six months, the stat was misleading.

Wins over Villareal, Newcastle United and Tottenham in cup ties, along with the fact that this was only their sixth league match in that time, should have quelled any pre-match thoughts that this was anything other than an exceptionally tough fixture.

The proof of that was in the fact Albion were 2-0 down so quickly, the tough situation they found themselves in compounded by an injury sustained by Ferdi Kadioglu early on.

Ferdi Kadioglu had to go off in the opening minutes with a back injury. 📷James Boardman

The scoreline could have looked so different if Yasin Ayari hadn’t blazed over from 15 yards with Alisson Becker well off his line after 12 minutes when the game was goalless.

The Reds, though, would find their footing first. Florian Wirtz’s strike deflected in off Pascal Gross for the opener, before Alexander Isak converted from Bradley Barcola’s well placed pull-back from the right.

Chema Andres' desire to win the ball back from a Liverpool goal-kick was so close to being rewarded when he rushed the Reds into giving the ball away. Gross found Ayari and the Swede cut it onto his right and bent an effort against the upright.

Yasin Ayari curled an effort against the post as Albion looked to get back into the contest. 📸 by James Boardman.

Only four times in the Premier League era have Liverpool not won after taking a two-goal lead at Anfield. One of those was in 2021 against Albion and Hurzeler replaced Olivier Boscagli, who had been booked, with Jack Hinshelwood at half-time to see if Albion could make it a fifth time.

Andres hobbled off ten minutes after the restart but his team did keep going in search of a goal.

Referee Sam Barrott ignores Albion's protests after Liverpool's first goal. 📷James Boardman

Lovely intricate play on the edge of the box went unrewarded when Gross popped the ball into the path of De Cuyper who sat a Liverpool defender down, but another was covering to prevent De Cuyper from having a clean shot at goal from eight yards.

Luka Vuskovic plays a pass at Anfield. 📸 by James Boardman.

Malick Yalcouye's stab goalwards from Georginio's pass was blocked, but the reality was that Albion weren't at their very best.

All good runs must come to an end, and there is now a double header against Manchester City at the Etihad twice in the space of four days later this week to try and get back to winning ways.

Albion: Verbruggen, Kadioglu (sub: Costinha 6), Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli (Hinshelwood 46), Chema (Yalcouye 54), Gross, Gomez, Ayari (Georginio 75), De Cuyper, Kostoulas.