The Uruguayan, on loan from Barcelona, put his head on the line twice and won over the Kop. Manager Andoni Iraola praised his “very, very good 90 minutes”.
Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo won over the Kop with two fearless defensive actions in the 2-0 home win over Brighton and Hove Albion. The Uruguayan, on loan from Barcelona this summer, twice risked injury to protect Liverpool’s lead after goals from Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Wirtz’s effort was recorded as a Pascal Gross own goal. The clean sheet, against the division’s top scorers, lifted Liverpool into the top four.
Two brave moments
Araujo has impressed at right-back, a position that caused problems during last season’s title defence. His first act of courage came shortly after the second goal. While on the floor in the penalty area, he rolled over, steered his head towards the ball and a Brighton boot, and blocked the shot with his skull. It was the kind of moment which could have put him in hospital had the Brighton player committed fully to the shot.
The second came in the 82nd minute. Brighton substitute Malick Yalcouye drove down the wing and took a heavy touch, and Araujo sprinted forward to challenge. Yalcouye jumped, catching Araujo flush in the face with his leg. Araujo brushed himself down and got up, as if he had not just taken a flying kick to the face. Both moments drew a huge cheer from the Kop.
Liverpool’s official report, according to the research notes, also highlighted young centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who blocked an attempt with his face in the first half. Araujo also drew applause for a sliding challenge on Brighton forward Charalampos Kostoulas in stoppage time, Yahoo Sports reports.
The manager’s praise
Iraola said: “It helps a lot. I think we all enjoyed watching Ronald fighting. He’s very good in the duels. Even the first goal I think he wins two duels in a row, he arrives to the byline, and it’s not an assist but it’s worth an assist. Defensively I think he’s been really, really good.”
He added: “I’m happy for him, because I’ve taken him out at half-time in the last two games because we needed more offensive things, and he has continued working with no issues. Today we needed him more. He has given a very, very good 90 minutes.”
According to the notes, Iraola had substituted Araujo for tactical reasons, not injury. Against Villarreal in the Champions League, Araujo struggled with midfield overloads, prompting Iraola to move Ryan Gravenberch to right-back. The Sun reports that the loan includes an option to buy in summer 2027, with a reported fee of about £47m. That is not confirmed by the clubs.
The numbers
This Is Anfield reports that Araujo won all five of his recorded duels and made 11 defensive contributions, second to captain Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool’s report says he nearly scored his first Premier League goal before half-time, when Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen tipped away his shot. It adds that his work leading to the opener involved two consecutive duels, then a cross from the byline that was partly cleared, allowing Wirtz to shoot and Gross to deflect it into his own net.
Liverpool won despite having much less of the ball. According to Sky Sports and FotMob figures, as reported in the notes:
| Statistic | Liverpool | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 36% | 64% |
| Shots | 13 | 17 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 1 |
| Expected goals | 0.87 | 1.35 |
Expected goals figures vary slightly between providers. Brighton’s Yasin Ayari missed a chance in the 14th minute and hit the post in the 36th.
Wirtz injury and Isak’s form
Wirtz twisted his ankle in the second half and was replaced by Trey Nyoni in the 65th minute. Iraola said the injury appeared minor at first, but Liverpool must see whether he can recover for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup match against Chelsea. No diagnosis or recovery timetable has been announced.
Isak, who scored in the 21st minute after Bradley Barcola blocked Olivier Boscagli’s clearance, has scored in three consecutive league appearances. According to PA, as cited in the notes, he has six league goals in seven appearances, behind only Erling Haaland at that stage.
The win was Liverpool’s first Premier League victory at Anfield under Iraola, after about six months without a home league win, according to The Times. It was their fourth consecutive win in all competitions. It ended Brighton’s four-match winning run. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler argued his side deserved more, blaming individual defensive errors and poor finishing, though he said Liverpool’s defenders had blocked effectively.
