Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is getting excited about the Reds' recent form under Andoni Iraola, but the legendary former captain still feels his old side is missing something

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has identified the type of player he feels Andoni Iraola's squad is still missing as he praised the "exciting mix" of forwards now available to the new head coach.

On Sunday, Iraola savored his finest result since assuming control at Anfield as the Reds secured their first home Premier League victory of the campaign with a 2-0 triumph over fellow high-flyers Brighton.

The result extended Liverpool's winning streak across all competitions to four games ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup fixture at home to Chelsea. The Reds netted 14 goals during that run, with $100 million-plus acquisitions Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz all getting on the scoresheet.

Gerrard is delighted with the strides his former side are taking under Iraola, who has now secured eight victories and three draws from his 12 matches at the helm, reports the Liverpool Echo.

However, the former England international suggests the next phase for Liverpool involves becoming considerably more difficult to penetrate. Yet he suspects they may need to enter the transfer market to facilitate that.

"This team needs Isak fit and available and robust enough to repeat games, because he's a Premier League goalscorer," said Gerrard on The Overlap Daily, brought to you by Sky Bet.

"The pass from Barcola, where he's bounced it off the ground, which I think is meant to get it over the defender's leg, and the way Isak's opened his foot and just guided it, it wasn't an easy finish, but it was a lovely goal.

"Barcola looks rapid. He looks rapid, and he's now looking match fit with game minutes under his belt. He came in after a pre-season with no game time. He's had a fantastic 10 days/two weeks, and the touch paper's lit now. You can see the player they've signed.

"Wirtz came back from the international break under a real cloud of criticism, but he's stepped up. He's accepted it, and his performances in the last three have been much better. I still think there's more to come, but you can see the talent. He was excellent in the first half yesterday."

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Liverpool opened the scoring on Sunday via a Pascal Gross own goal, which was originally attributed to Wirtz, before Isak converted Barcola's delivery four minutes afterwards.

However, Brighton responded impressively following that quick-fire double and concluded the match with 1.35 xG in comparison to the Reds' 0.87 after threatening to narrow the margin on several instances.

Gerrard went on to say: "So you've got those three together, you add Cody Gakpo to that, young Rio Ngumoha. It's a really exciting mix if you can keep them all fit and available and keep them all firing and contributing.

"Now the challenge is: can they defend well enough? Because they have been conceding too many goals. Alexis Mac Allister's come back into top form, Ryan Gravenberch is back in the team, so if we can get Dominik Szoboszlai back in there, it's a stronger midfield when they're all fit and available.

"I still think, moving forward, and Iraola might disagree and some Liverpool fans might disagree, Liverpool miss a real strong powerhouse in the middle of the team. Someone who holds the middle of the team and stops people playing through them and puts a lot of fires out, like a Fabinho, for example. A Didi Hamann.

"I played with that type, who worry about the other side of the game. When everyone's thinking attack, or let's go and create and be obsessed with scoring, you have a clever one in the team, like a Rodri, who goes: 'No, no. If this goes wrong or the ball turns over, we need to fix a different problem. I think Liverpool lack that. Mac Allister's good, but I don't think he's top at that."