Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as Brentford proved Arn Slott’s side are still stuck in the doldrums. The Reds looked to continue their good form after defeating Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League in midweek, but Dango Outtara converted a superb long throw from Michael Kayode to give them the lead for the sixth game in a row.
Kevin Shade took advantage of Liverpool’s defensive disarray to double their lead before half-time, before Milos Kerkes cut in Conor Bradley’s cross to reduce the gap. Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot after a foul on Virgil van Dijk. Mohamed Salah scored late on, but Brentford finished 3-2. This means the reigning champions have not won a league match since September 20 and have virtually no hope of retaining their title. Express Sport rates and predicts Liverpool’s players after yet another defeat…
Liverpool player ratings vs Brentford
Giorgi Mamadashvili – 5
He has yet to keep a clean sheet in six games. Given his height and shaky legs, he needs more command of the six-yard box. There were two excellent saves from Mikel Damsgoal’s long-range shots, but they were easily beaten by Schade and the penalty kick was not enough.
Connor Bradley – 5
Conceding a throw-in for the first goal was probably unnecessary, and other than his cross into Kerkes’ goal the whole thing wasn’t great. It was a disappointing setback after a strong performance in Frankfurt.
Ibrahima Konate – 5
He was looking for a second goal, but Virgil van Dijk was completely off target and Schade paid the price. He and his centre-back partner have a lot of work to do.
Virgil van Dijk – 5
Liverpool have not kept a clean sheet in their last eight games and, although they have had some good headers, they need to tackle their leaky backline. Unfortunately, the penalty was a bit soft, but also clumsy for an experienced player.
Milos Kerkes – 4
There wasn’t enough authority against Dango when Brentford won 1-0. Throughout his time on the pitch, he wasn’t able to handle the ball well, especially offensively. They were in the right place to equalize before half-time, but once again they could not hide their poor performance. I made a reservation.
Curtis Jones – 6
I’m worried that the night ended early because of the injury. Following his great performance in the Champions League, he also showed in a game where he used the ball well and played some smart passes that didn’t go unrewarded. One of them found Kerkez in a dangerous area and put in a cross, but the Hungarian put the ball into the hands of Caouhin Kelleher.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 7
He was once again Liverpool’s best player, finishing with an assist, pressing relentlessly to win the ball and supplying Salah with a wonderful cross. The team is completely reliant on his energy defensively, which is a big concern. He is one of the few players in Liverpool’s squad who is playing close to his peak level.
Florian Wirtz – 5
After scoring two assists in midweek, he should have made it 1-1 by the 20th minute, but was widened and his influence has since waned. He needs to adapt more to these physical games to justify his price.
Mohamed Salah – 5
After being on the bench in Frankfurt, he returned to the starting lineup and was left unmarked with one chance in the first 45 minutes when Gakpo set him up. He was far from his best until he hit the crossbar with a late touch and saved the day on 4/10. I made a reservation.
Hugo Ekitike – 5
His header from a corner kick was deflected to Dango Outtala, who gave him the ball, which led to the second goal. In the second half, he didn’t have much say in the game other than a shot that went wide.
Kodi Gakpo – 5
He had scored three goals in the previous three games, but it was a disappointing performance. He provided a nice pass to Salah for an early chance, but otherwise his decision-making was questionable. Although involved in a penalty claim, no penalty was awarded.
substitute
Andy Robertson (Kerkes 62) – 6
By the time he showed up, the damage had already been done.
Alexis Mac Allister (Bradley 62) – 6
He touched the ball a lot without making an impact.
Federico Chiesa (Gakpo 62) – 6
I tried to change the game but failed.
Rio Ngmoja (Jones 70) – 6
See above.
Joe Gomez (Wirtz 83) – N/A
A belated introduction.
