Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Prediction: Brentford vs Liverpool

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 1/2

Bookmaker: 888sport

Liverpool will seek their maiden Premier League triumph of 2025 on their third attempt when they travel to the Gtech Community Stadium for a challenging clash against Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

Arne Slot’s side were held to a 1-1 draw against title challengers Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, while the Bees earned a commendable point in their 2-2 draw with Manchester City, a result that felt more like a gain than a loss from their perspective.

Brentford

While the Reds continue their unbeaten run on the road, Brentford’s home ground has recently lost its aura of invincibility. Successive defeats to Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, and shockingly, Plymouth Argyle, exposed vulnerabilities that Liverpool will seek to exploit.

In their most recent outing, Brentford seemed destined for a fourth straight home loss when Phil Foden’s second-half brace put reigning champions Manchester City in command. However, Yoane Wissa’s swift reply set the stage for Christian Norgaard’s dramatic injury-time equalizer, earning the Bees a share of the spoils and sparking jubilant scenes among their supporters.

Despite the morale-boosting draw, Brentford’s current form is unconvincing, with just one win in their last eight matches across all competitions. While their 29 goals at home represent a league-high tally, defensive frailties have been evident, as the Bees have conceded more home goals (27) than all but three Premier League sides this season.

History offers little encouragement for Brentford against Liverpool, who have emerged victorious in their last four league meetings and scored in all but one of their 22 encounters—a goalless draw dating back to 1936. A clean sheet for the Bees obivously seems unlikely as they prepare to face the league-topping Reds.

Team News

Thomas Frank faces a challenging selection process for Brentford’s clash with Liverpool due to a long list of injuries, including Josh Dasilva (knee), Ethan Pinnock (thigh), Kristoffer Ajer (ankle), Aaron Hickey (thigh), Igor Thiago (knee), Gustavo Nunes (back), and Ryan Trevitt (Achilles), all of whom remain unavailable.

A major boost for the Bees, however, came with Rico Henry’s return to Premier League action on Tuesday night. The left-back replaced Mads Roerslev in the closing stages of the Manchester City draw, marking his first league appearance since September 2023. Henry had also featured for over an hour in the FA Cup defeat to Plymouth, showing promising signs of regaining match fitness.

While Henry is in contention for a starting role, Frank might lean towards Keane Lewis-Potter at left-back to handle the formidable threat posed by Mohamed Salah. Lewis-Potter’s greater match sharpness, thanks to regular game time, could make him a safer bet for the high-stakes encounter against Liverpool.

Liverpool

Liverpool’s bench proved decisive yet again in their 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, as Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota delivered instant impact to rescue a point for the league leaders. With their first touches, Tsimikas delivered a precise corner, and Jota expertly headed past Matz Sels in the Forest goal, leveling the score after Chris Wood’s opener.

Despite the equalizer, frustration lingered for the Reds and their traveling supporters. Forest ‘keeper Sels and towering defender Murillo delivered inspired performances, thwarting Liverpool’s attempts to secure all three points. The draw allowed Arsenal to close the gap at the top of the table, following the Gunners’ derby win over Tottenham.

Liverpool remain four points clear with a game in hand, but their form has faltered slightly in 2025. Apart from a 4-0 FA Cup demolition of Accrington Stanley, the Reds have failed to secure a win in three of their last four matches across all competitions.

Arne Slot’s men will aim to avoid going three Premier League games without a win for the first time since the summer of 2023. However, they can take solace in their exceptional 16-match unbeaten run in the league and Slot’s unblemished away record in top-flight games. Saturday’s clash at Brentford will surely test Liverpool’s resilience as they seek to regain momentum at the summit.

Team News

Liverpool’s attacking options will receive a significant boost on Saturday with Darwin Nunez returning from suspension. However, after his record-breaking impact against Nottingham Forest—scoring the Reds’ fastest-ever Premier League substitute goal—Diogo Jota is likely to earn a promotion to the starting lineup.

On the defensive front, Kostas Tsimikas has made a compelling case for inclusion after his impactful cameo, potentially challenging Andy Robertson for the left-back spot. Robertson’s mixed showing at the City Ground, combined with ongoing rumors of Liverpool monitoring Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez as a potential successor, adds intrigue to the selection decision.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s injury list remains light, with Joe Gomez as the sole absentee. The England defender continues his recovery from a hamstring issue sustained in late December and is expected to be sidelined for a couple more weeks.

Conclusion

Brentford’s home ground has consistently been a hub of goal-scoring action, and Saturday’s clash is unlikely to break that trend. Brentford will undoubtedly view Liverpool’s recent dip in form as a chance to pounce, especially with the Reds struggling to replicate their dominance from 2024 so far this year.

However, Liverpool boss Slot boasts a wealth of tactical and personnel options to shake things up, and Brentford’s ongoing struggles to secure a home clean sheet this season leave them vulnerable. Expect an open, high-scoring encounter, but Liverpool’s firepower should ultimately prove decisive as they aim to reignite their title charge.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 1/2

Bookmaker: 888sport

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Veselin Trajkovic


Vesko is a football writer that likes to observe the game for what it is, focusing on teams, players and their roles, formations, tactics, rather than stats. He follows the English Premier League closely, Liverpool FC in particular. His articles have been published on seven different football blogs.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement
  • Jeonbuk Motors v Gwangju FC - Soccer
    August 9, 11:30
  • Gimcheon Sangmu FC v Gangwon FC - Soccer
    August 9, 11:30
  • Benfica (KraftVK) Esports v Inter (DaVa) Esports - Soccer
    August 9, 11:30
  • Sevilla (FEARGGWP) Esports v AC Milan (sane4ek8) Esports - Soccer
    August 9, 11:30
  • Trabzonspor (Cruise) Esports v Fenerbahce (Dennis) Esports - Soccer
    August 9, 11:30
See More Live Streams

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top