Liverpool have now suffered a fourth successive defeat in the Premier League, with Brentford inflicting a miserable defeat on the defending champions at the Community Stadium on Saturday night.
Goals from Dango Ouattara (5th minute), Kevin Schade (45th minute) and Igor Thiago (60th minute) sealed the win for the Bees, while Milos Kerkes (45+5th minute) and Mohamed Salah (89th minute) scored for the visitors.
As a result, Liverpool’s title defense is in tatters and Brentford’s rating has risen to mid-table.
Line up and absentees
Brentford manager Keith Andrews deployed a 4-2-3-1 system with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal and a back four of Michael Cayode, Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg and Christopher Ajer. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson anchored the midfield alongside Yehor Yarmolliuk, while Dango Ouattara, Mikkel Damsgaard and Kevin Scheid supported striker Igor Thiago.
Brentford were without Aaron Hickey (knee) and Paris Maghouma (hamstring).
Led by manager Arne Slott, Liverpool lined up in a 4-3-3 with Giorgi Mamadashvili in goal, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Milos Kerkes in defense, and Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister in midfield. Mohamed Salah, Codi Gakpo and Federico Chiesa led the line up front.
Injuries continue to plague the Reds, with Alisson Becker, Jeremy Frimpong, Ryan Gravenbirch and Alexander Isaac all sidelined.
Match Recap: Chaos from start to finish
The game quickly became wildly popular. In the fifth minute, Brentford made use of their trademark weapon, Michael Cayode’s long throw. The ball was deflected by Christopher Ajer and the nimble Dango Ouattara surprised Liverpool with a volley from six yards.
The early goal electrified the home crowd and set the tone for a frenetic first half. Liverpool fought back with controlled possession, but Brentford’s compact shape and aggressive pressing disrupted their rhythm. In the 22nd minute, Mohamed Salah curled a shot from the edge of the box, forcing Caoimhin Kelleher to make a sharp save low down the right.
However, Brentford scored again just before half-time. In the 45th minute, Mikel Damsgaard passed a perfectly weighted pass between Van Dijk and Kerkez and released Kevin Schade, calmly beating Mamadashvili 2-0. Liverpool pulled one back deep in stoppage time (45’+5′), giving the visitors hope just before the end of the first half when Milos Kerkes ghosted into the box from Conor Bradley’s cross.
The second half started with Liverpool looking aggressively forward. Kodi Gakpo had a great chance in the 52nd minute, but his header from Salah’s cross was parried away by Kelleher. Brentford responded mercilessly. In the 60th minute, Virgil van Dijk’s foul on Ouattara was adjudged to have been on the box line and a penalty was awarded by VAR. Igor Thiago stepped up and sunk the spot kick to make it 3-1.
Liverpool gave it their all in the last 20 minutes. Dominik Szoboszlai hit the crossbar in the 74th minute and Salah forced a save from Kelleher in the 81st minute. The Egyptian finally found the back of the net in the 89th minute, making it 3-2 with a volley from a scramble in the box.
But despite relentless pressure and 10 minutes of stoppage time, Brentford hung on and Kelleher produced a heroic stop from Gakpo in the dying seconds. There was wild celebration at the whistle as Brentford ended their five-game losing streak against Liverpool with a deserved victory.
brentford throwing weapons
Brentford have scored eight goals from throw-ins in the Premier League since last season, more than twice as many as any other team. Their first goal epitomized their direct, physical approach and was a nightmare for Liverpool’s fragile back line. Liverpool probably should have been aware of the threat in advance, but even if they had, they clearly did not prepare properly.
Ajer flicked the ball from the near post and was the man to reach the ball before Ekitike, but Ekitike’s presence only confused Van Dijk and thwarted the Dutchman’s run to challenge Brentford’s centre-back. And Ouattara got to the ball first, six yards out, which no self-respecting defense should allow.
The visitors held out in similar situations several times after that, but it was too late. The damage had already been done.
Liverpool’s defensive crisis
Liverpool’s four consecutive league defeats and no clean sheet since mid-September highlight Liverpool’s vulnerability. Van Dijk’s costly foul on penalty and Kerkez’s controversial display highlight systemic problems in the slot set-up.
Kerkes has often started league games ahead of left-back Andy Robertson, but apart from Liverpool’s win over Arsenal on the last day of August, he has yet to produce a decent performance. Why the Dutch tactician continues to have faith in the Hungarian international is a mystery to many.
Ibrahima Konate has had some disastrous performances recently, but he made no mistakes against Brentford. But that’s not the case with Van Dijk. Van Dijk conceded one penalty and was lucky not to give away another by elbowing Thiago in the face. After the match, the Liverpool captain said he never shied away from criticism, both of himself and the team as a whole.
“It’s easy to blame someone, blame the backline, blame the dead ball, but in the end it’s all collective. We all have to look in the mirror, myself included. That’s what we all do, that’s what we all discuss. I’m sure we’ll get out of this situation,” the 34-year-old said.
Are slot jobs at risk?
Surprisingly, Slott doesn’t seem to have an answer to the ongoing crisis in his division, especially after the team won the title last season. Game after game, defeat after defeat, Liverpool’s approach remains the same. There was a clear lack of concentration at both ends of the pitch, and the midfield seemed incapable of controlling the flow of the game.
What’s more, Liverpool spent a huge amount of money this summer, breaking the Premier League transfer record twice, but neither of the players in question, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirths, have scored in a league match. Considering Kerkez and his poor performance, Liverpool’s board may be asking a big question: Is it time to change the dugout?
Embed from Getty Images
To be honest, it still seems pretty grim at this point. Slott should be given more time to get things right, but unless something changes soon, he could be fired within a few weeks.
to the next
For Slott, the outlook for the upcoming match is not encouraging. Liverpool face Crystal Palace on Wednesday in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. The teams have faced each other twice this term, losing the Community Shield on penalties and suffering a Premier League defeat at Selhurst Park. Then they welcomed Aston Villa to Anfield, but then things got very difficult – Real Madrid played at Anfield in the Champions League and then Manchester City at the Etihad.
This slump has seen the reigning champions drop to seventh in the Premier League table with just 15 points from nine games so far, all of which has been built up from the opening five matches.
Meanwhile, Brenford are 13th in the table, just two points behind Liverpool, and manager Keith Andrews will be extremely happy with this result.
The Bees will also immediately face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park next weekend, but before that they will face Grimsby Town, who beat Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.