Date: Saturday 25th September, 2021
Time: 5:30 pm
Stadium Brentford Community Stadium
Referee Stuart Attwell (England)
Goal Scorer:
Team News
Brentford
Thomas Frank barely has any roster issue hampering the preparations of his team ahead of the visit of Liverpool. On Saturday, the Brentford manager will be bereft of the services of just two first-team players, with Mads Sorensen (knee) and Joshua Dasilva (hip) unavailable.
The good news, though, comes in the form of the returns of Rico Henry and Shandon Baptiste, with the former overcoming a minor ankle injury to declare himself available while the latter has served a one-match ban after being sent off against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.
Baptiste and Henry’s availability is crucial for a Brentford side that revels in minimal tinkering, meaning much of the starting lineup from the game against Wolves ought to be retained. In goal, David Raya is a certainty, with Brentford likely to line up in their usual 3-5-2 system that will focus on numerical advantages in the defensive and middle third to ensure Liverpool are never on top.
Kristoffer Ajer, Pontus Jansson and Ethan Pinnock will form the three-man central defensive unit, with the trio largely remaining compact in the defensive phases while spreading out when in possession to open up more passing avenues. Sergi Canos and Henry will be the two wing-backs who will drop deep to create a back five off the ball while providing width higher up the pitch.
Baptiste will be one of three central midfielders, who will have the onus on them to keep a check on the movement of the ball around the middle of the park. The other midfielders will likely be Vitaly Janelt and Christian Norgaard. Finally, Bryan Mbuemo and Ivan Toney will form the strike partnership, with the duo having the responsibility of being clinical in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Raya; Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Janelt, Norgaard, Baptiste, Henry; Mbuemo, Toney
Liverpool
Unlike his counterpart in the Brentford dugout, Jurgen Klopp has fresh injury concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to the Brentford Community Stadium. On Saturday, the Liverpool manager could have to make do without as many as five first-team players.
The latest player to be sidelined is Naby Keita, who sustained a knock on his foot earlier in the week against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup and will miss out versus Brentford. The other players who are unavailable are Neco Williams (match fitness), Thiago Alcantara (calf), Harvey Elliott (ankle) and Roberto Firmino (match fitness).
However, there is some good news as well, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner recovering from their respective illnesses to be available to take on Brentford. Alexander-Arnold will return to his usual right-back spot, with Andrew Roberson starting on the left flank. At the heart of the Liverpool defence, there is no looking past Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk.
Up ahead in midfield, Curtis Jones is set to make his first Premier League start this season, owing to the absence of Keita and Thiago. Jones will have the indomitable Fabinho and Jordan Henderson alongside him in the middle of the park.
Finally, with the game coming too soon for Firmino, Diogo Jota will once again pair up with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in the final third. Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino will be options off the bench, although the duo would have hoped for a rare league start after their heroics in the EFL Cup fixture earlier this week.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Jota, Mane
Quote
Key Stats
Brentford have eight points from five matches so far – no promoted side has started a Premier League season that well and gone on to be relegated.
Liverpool are unbeaten in this season’s top flight, conceding just one goal in their first five games for the first time since 1977. The Reds have the longest current unbeaten league run in England’s top four divisions, spanning 15 matches (W12 D3).
Only Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City (one each) have conceded fewer goals than Brentford (two) in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool have scored an unrivalled 16 Premier League goals from corners since the start of last season.
Ivan Toney has scored 33 league goals since the start of last season, the joint-most by any player in the top four divisions.
Brentford have eight points from five matches so far – no promoted side has started a Premier League season that well and gone on to be relegated.
Liverpool are unbeaten in this season’s top flight, conceding just one goal in their first five games for the first time since 1977. The Reds have the longest current unbeaten league run in England’s top four divisions, spanning 15 matches (W12 D3).
Only Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City (one each) have conceded fewer goals than Brentford (two) in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool have scored an unrivalled 16 Premier League goals from corners since the start of last season.
Ivan Toney has scored 33 league goals since the start of last season, the joint-most by any player in the top four divisions.
Prediction: Brentford 0-1 Liverpool
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