Brentford 3 - 1 Liverpool

Bees: Konate 20’ (OG), Wissa 42’, Mbeumo 84’
Reds: Oxlade-Chamberlain 50’

Pre-Match

Good news, bad news. Good news first: Brentford striker Ivan Toney is out with an injury. The bad news? Liverpool essentially have to send out the same lineup for the third match on the trot. There are, however, a few changes. Ibrahima Konaté comes in for Joel Matip, as does Kostas Tsimikas for Andy Robertson. Also, Fabinho returns to the midfield, as captain Jordan Henderson misses out with a concussion.

If Liverpool can capture all three points today, it will be their fifth league win on the trot, and they’ll be—momentarily—just a point off 4th place. So, please just fucking win, Liverpool.

First Half

Liverpool look sharp early, and really should’ve opened the scoring after a brilliant Mohamed Salah pass put Darwin in. Darwin did brilliant to beat the keeper to the ball and put a shot on target, but unfortunately a defender did well to get back and block the shot.

Goal. Well, the ball is round and that. While the Reds were the benefactors of two own goals, tonight they are the victims. The ball took an unlucky bounce off Konate on a corner, and the Reds are down once again.

Brentford nearly made matters worse, putting away a chance from a mad scramble from another corner, but they were thankfully offside.

Brentford nearly made matters worse, putting away a chance from yet another corner, but they were thankfully offside. Thankfully VAR intervened.

Goal. And a moment later the second goal that has been coming, came. It appeared that Alisson managed to claw it off the line, but the ref pointed to his watch, the ball had crossed.

Liverpool started reasonably well, but have completely lost the plot and let Brentford completely take control, especially after the first goal. Not sure how to fix this, to be honest.

Second Half

I have the feeling that if Klopp could bring on 11 new players he would right now. Instead he opts for a triple sub: Robbo for Tsimikas, Matip for Van Dijk (?!), and Naby Keita for Elliott.

And it nearly pays immediate dividends, but Nunez is just offside.

GOAL! And it’s OX in the BOX! He nods home a brilliantly placed left-footed cross from Trent, and suddenly the Reds are back in it! It’s Trent’s first assist of the season, amazingly (though he’s had two passes leading to own goals).

Apparently Van Dijk picked up a knock. Hopefully nothing serious. Though I was hoping Klopp hooked him as a message, because they’d all been pretty terrible.

Liverpool have looked better at both ends of the pitch this half (not a high bar), but are starting to look bereft of ideas going forward.

With about 10 minutes remaining, Klopp brings on Curtis Jones for Ox. Welp, time for some Scouse exceptionalism, surely.

Goal. It’s a foul all day on Konate, but not given and it’s 3-1. Fuck.

Final Thoughts

Well. At least we get a nearly two week rest in the league.