· 2 min readIn this Brentford vs Liverpool match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Liverpool arrived in Brentford looking for a response after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. On the other side was a side in excellent form, sitting fourth and unbeaten in 12 games. Injuries to Szoboszlai and Isak had hampered Liverpool, so having both back was good news. Even so, the 6-3 win over LASK had raised a warning: Liverpool are still conceding far too many chances.
The first half took a while to get going, but Brentford began to find space. In the 19th minute, Kayode received the ball in the box and shot, forcing Jacquet to block it with his body. A minute later, Barcola had a golden opportunity on the counter-attack. He got ahead of the centre-back and tried to chip Kelleher, but missed the target. It was a chance he simply had to take. Liverpool also combined well through Wirtz and Barcola, although they still couldn’t hit the target.
In the 41st minute, the referee initially awarded Liverpool a penalty for an alleged foul by Ouattara on Mac Allister, but overturned the decision after a VAR review. I thought it was the right call: the contact didn’t justify the Argentine going down. The draw was still a fair result, but Brentford were enjoying a good spell and took advantage in the 44th minute. Kayode produced an excellent piece of individual play, beating two opponents, before the ball eventually reached Igor Thiago, who crossed for Lewis-Potter to head home unmarked.
A well-worked goal, but one that exposed an obvious defensive lapse.
Shortly before half-time, Yarmoliuk struck Jacquet on the head during a corner. The impact wasn’t strong, but the movement was clear, and the red card, confirmed in the 45+7th minute, seemed fair to me. Brentford were ahead, but would have to defend for the entire second half with ten men.
The numerical advantage meant Liverpool had to take control, and the substitutions were aimed at giving them more attacking depth. Frimpong came on but suffered an injury just six minutes later, forcing another change. Despite that setback, the visitors began to turn up the pressure. In the 59th minute, Mac Allister forced a save from Kelleher, and Van Dijk came close with a volley.
The equaliser arrived in the 62nd minute. Wirtz picked out Victor Muñoz’s run, and the full-back drove inside before hitting a low shot into the far corner. An excellent goal that rewarded Liverpool’s persistence.
Brentford were beginning to feel the effects of fatigue, and in the 70th minute Liverpool completed the comeback. Mac Allister crossed to the far post, Barcola nodded the ball into Isak’s path, and the striker stretched out a leg to finish. Two goals in eight minutes, with Liverpool finally turning their dominance into goals.
But the game wasn’t over. Brentford still threatened, Igor Thiago came close to scoring, and Barcola hit the crossbar in the 78th minute. The visitors wasted chances to kill the game off and allowed their opponents to keep believing. In the 90+1st minute, Janelt received a second yellow card for bringing down Rio Ngumoha, leaving Brentford with just nine men. Even so, the hosts kept pushing until the final whistle.
Post-match
It was an important win, but far from a perfect performance. Liverpool showed they could respond, Wirtz played well again, and Isak made the difference. Even so, struggling so much against ten men and failing to kill the game off isn’t exactly a good sign.
