Liverpool have now suffered four consecutive Premier League defeats, with the latest misery for the defending champions inflicted by Brentford at the Community Stadium on Saturday evening.
Goals from Dango Ouattara (5’), Kevin Schade (45’), and Igor Thiago (60’ pen) secured the win for the Bees, while Milos Kerkez (45+5’) and Mohamed Salah (89’) struck for the visitors.
The result leaves Liverpool’s title defence in tatters and lifts Brentford to mid-table respectability.
Lineups and Absentees
Brentford boss Keith Andrews deployed a 4-2-3-1 system with Caoimhín Kelleher in goal, a back four of Michael Kayode, Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg, and Kristoffer Ajer. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson anchored the midfield alongside Yehor Yarmoliuk, with Dango Ouattara, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Kevin Schade supporting striker Igor Thiago.
Brentford were without Aaron Hickey (knee) and Paris Maghoma (hamstring).
Liverpool, under Arne Slot, lined up in a 4-3-3 featuring Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Milos Kerkez in defense, with Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Alexis Mac Allister in midfield. Up front, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Federico Chiesa led the line.
Injuries continue to plague the Reds: Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexander Isak were all unavailable.
Match Recap: Chaos from Start to Finish
The game exploded into life almost immediately. In the 5th minute, Brentford capitalized on their trademark weapon—a long throw from Michael Kayode. The ball was flicked on by Kristoffer Ajer, and Dango Ouattara, alert and agile, volleyed home from six yards to stun Liverpool.
The early goal ignited the home crowd and set the tone for a frenetic first half. Liverpool responded with controlled possession, but Brentford’s compact shape and aggressive pressing frustrated their rhythm. In the 22nd minute, Mohamed Salah curled a shot from the edge of the box, forcing Caoimhín Kelleher into a sharp save low to his right.
But Brentford struck again just before halftime. In the 45th minute, Mikkel Damsgaard threaded a perfectly weighted pass between Van Dijk and Kerkez, releasing Kevin Schade, who calmly slotted past Mamardashvili for 2-0. Liverpool clawed one back deep into stoppage time (45+5’) when Milos Kerkez ghosted into the box and finished from Conor Bradley’s cross, giving the visitors hope at the break.
The second half began with Liverpool pushing forward aggressively. Cody Gakpo had a golden chance in the 52nd minute, but his header from Salah’s cross was tipped over by Kelleher. Brentford responded ruthlessly: in the 60th minute, VAR confirmed a penalty after Virgil van Dijk’s foul on Ouattara was judged to be on the line of the box. Igor Thiago stepped up and buried the spot-kick for 3-1.
Liverpool threw everything forward in the final 20 minutes. Dominik Szoboszlai rattled the crossbar in the 74th minute, and Salah forced another save from Kelleher in the 81st. The Egyptian finally found the net in the 89th minute, volleying home after a scramble in the box to make it 3–2.
But despite relentless pressure and 10 minutes of added time, Brentford held firm, with Kelleher producing a heroic stop from Gakpo in the dying seconds. The whistle sparked wild celebrations as Brentford snapped a five-match losing streak against Liverpool to claim a deserved victory.
Brentford’s throw-in weapon
Brentford have now scored eight Premier League goals from throw-ins since last season, more than twice as many as any other side. Their first goal epitomized their direct, physical approach – a nightmare for Liverpool’s fragile back line. Liverpool probably should’ve been aware of the threat beforehand, but if they were, they obviously didn’t prepare for it the right way.
Ajer was the man who flicked the ball on from the near post, getting to it ahead of Ekitike, whose presence there only served to confuse Van Dijk and block the Dutchman’s run to challenge the Brentford centre-back. And then, Ouattara got to the ball first at six yards, which is something no self-respecting defence should be allowing to happen.
The visitors managed to hold on in several similar situations later, but it was too late. The damage was already done.
Liverpool’s Defensive Crisis
Four straight league defeats and no clean sheet since mid-September underline Liverpool’s vulnerability. Van Dijk’s costly foul for the penalty and Kerkez’s controversial display highlight systemic issues in Slot’s setup.
Time and again, Kerkez starts league matches ahead of Andy Robertson at left-back, and barring the game Liverpool won against Arsenal on the last day of August, he is yet to put in a decent performance. Why exactly the Dutch tactician continues to put his faith in the Hungary international is a mystery to many.
Ibrahima Konate had several catastrophic performances of late, but he made no mistakes against Brentford. That, however, cannot be said of Van Dijk, who conceded one penalty and was lucky not to concede another by throwing an elbow in the side of Thiago’s face. Speaking after the match, the Liverpool captain did not shy away from criticism, either for himself or the whole team.
“It’s easy to blame someone or backline or dead balls, but this is all a collective thing at the end. Everyone has to look at the mirror, including myself. That’s what we all do and that’s what we all discuss too. I’m sure we’ll get out of this,” the 34-year-old said.
Is Slot’s Job In Danger?
Alarmingly enough, especially after the title his team won last season, Slot doesn’t appear to have the answer to the ongoing crisis in his ranks. Match after match, defeat after defeat, nothing changes in Liverpool’s approach. There is an obvious lack of focus at both ends of the pitch, and the midfield doesn’t seem capable of imposing control over the flow of the contest.
Furthermore, Liverpool spent a vast amount of money on reinforcements this summer, breaking the Premier League transfer record twice, and neither of the players in question – Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz – has scored in a league match. Throw Kerkez and his poor performances into the mix, and the Liverpool board might well be asking the big question: is it time for a change in the dugout?
To be fair, it would still seem rather harsh at this point. Slot should surely be given more time to get things right, but unless something changes soon, he might be facing the prospect of a sack within a couple of weeks.
Up next
Slot won’t find the look at the upcoming fixtures encouraging. On Wednesday, in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Liverpool face Crystal Palace, a team they’ve already encountered twice this term, losing the Community Shield on penalties and suffering a Premier League defeat at Selhurst Park. After that, they welcome Aston Villa to Anfield, and then things get really tricky – Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League, followed by a trip to the Etihad to take on Manchester City.
This slump has so far resulted in the reigning champions dropping to seventh place in the Premier League table, with just 15 points from nine matches – all racked up from the opening five rounds.
Meanwhile, Brenford are 13th but with just two points less than Liverpool, and coach Keith Andrews will be very happy with that.
The Bees also face Crystal Palace soon, going to Selhurst Park at the end of next week, but before that, they will play against Grimsby Town – who knocked out Manchester United – in the Carabao Cup.
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