Liverpool's hopes of a resurgence after their midweek victory in Frankfurt were dashed as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Brentford, marking their fourth consecutive Premier League loss for the first time since February 2021. The visitors were thoroughly outplayed and outfought at the Brentford Community Stadium, with the home side's direct approach proving too much for Arne Slot's team to handle.
Brentford took the lead after just five minutes when a long throw from Michael Kayode was flicked on by Kristoffer Ajer, allowing Dango Ouattara to smash in a volley. Liverpool struggled to cope with the pace of Kevin Schade, who repeatedly ran in behind the defence, and they looked uncomfortable against Kayode's relentless long throws. The second goal came on the stroke of half-time when Mikkel Damsgaard's incisive through-ball sent Schade clear, and he beat the goalkeeper to double the lead.
Liverpool pulled one back deep into first-half stoppage time when Milos Kerkez slammed in a low cross from Conor Bradley, but Brentford's protests about the length of added time were ignored. The home side continued to dominate after the break, and Igor Thiago converted a penalty after Virgil van Dijk was adjudged to have fouled Ouattara inside the box. Slot responded by throwing on forwards, switching to a 4-1-5 formation, but Liverpool rarely threatened.
Florian Wirtz, signed for £116m, continues to struggle, failing to score or assist in his first eight league games. Mohamed Salah scored a consolation goal with a minute remaining, lashing in a shot off the underside of the bar after a fine first touch, but it came from a moment of Brentford carelessness rather than sustained pressure. Despite nervy stoppage time, Brentford held on comfortably, finishing as the far superior side.
