Liverpool beat Brighton as Florian Wirtz suffers worrying ankle injury

Liverpool secured a 2-0 Premier League victory over Brighton, but Florian Wirtz endured a frustrating evening after being denied his first league goal of the season before leaving the field with an apparent right-ankle injury.

Wirtz thought he had put Liverpool ahead in the 17th minute when he struck a powerful effort following a poor clearance. However, the goal was awarded as an own goal to Brighton’s Pascal Gross after his touch diverted the ball’s path.

Without Gross’s intervention, the shot appeared likely to have gone wide of the goal, leaving Wirtz without the landmark strike he believed he had scored.

The Germany international’s disappointment was compounded in the 59th minute when he was involved in a challenge with Ayari outside the penalty area. Wirtz appeared to twist his right ankle and required treatment before attempting to continue.

He was unable to play on, however, and Andoni Iraola replaced him in the 65th minute. The extent of the injury and the expected timeframe for his return remain unclear.

Wirtz had shown signs of returning to form in recent weeks. He scored in Liverpool’s thrilling 4-3 win over Villarreal in the Champions League in midweek, raising hopes that he could build momentum in a Liverpool shirt.

Instead, the match against Brighton ended with a personal setback despite Liverpool taking three points.

Brighton created a number of opportunities but were unable to convert them, with Ayari particularly wasteful in front of goal. One of his efforts narrowly missed the target, while another struck the post.

Liverpool made the most of Brighton’s mistakes and doubled their advantage in the 21st minute. Alexander Isak reacted quickest to a loose ball after a defensive error to score for the Reds.

The result gave Liverpool three important points and moved them to within one point of Brighton in the table. Attention now turns to Wirtz’s condition, with further assessment needed to determine the seriousness of his ankle problem and when he can return to action.