After an iffy performance in the League Cup, Liverpool had to run back their first real hiccup of the season.
Jürgen Klopp made two changes to the side that drew with Arsenal, replacing James Milner and Takumi Minamino with Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Liverpool set up in their usual 4-3-3 formation.
Thomas Frank made just one change to the team that lost to Southampton, swapping out former Liverpool man Sergi Canos for Rico Henry. Brentford set up in their usual 3-5-2 shape.
Brentford would generally drop off but pressed Liverpool’s backline when the opportunity arose. One of the midfielders would step up to pick up Fabinho, while Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo would split to each pick up a centre-back. Manage to force back Liverpool and Brentford would commit even more men to the press, with all of the midfielders pushing high up the pitch to cut out the short passing options. This would leave a massive gap between them and the defence, but Liverpool were unable to exploit it as they would simply pump the ball long.
Even if Liverpool were able to play around Brentford’s press, they still had to get past the back five.
This was the major problem for Liverpool. Getting the ball into attack posed little issue, but once it got there they had to somehow find space to score a goal when Brentford’s backline would drop off to defend their box at the slightest hint of danger, flooding the area with players so there was no space for Liverpool to use. They kept particularly tight by only rarely having the wing-backs step out of the backline to close down players out wide, so they didn’t leave space behind them that would risk forcing the centre-backs away from the central area to cover.
Liverpool tried to stretch Brentford’s backline, either having Jones and Oxlade-Chamberlain pull wide or the full-backs push forward, while Roberto Firmino would drop off in between the lines and try to move the ball around quickly, although he had few teammates to combine with.
Nevertheless, Liverpool did get their opener before the first half finished. Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a corner and Brentford were so caught up trying to wrestle Liverpool’s attackers that they made no attempt to actually play the ball, letting it run all the way through to Fabinho to nod home at the far post.
Brentford had offered very little in attack themselves. They would primarily look to play the ball quickly in behind Liverpool, then push the midfielders and wing-backs forward to overload the box for a cross, however usually the ball would be cut out.
With the lead, Liverpool were able to calm down. They continued to attack, but if there wasn’t an open option they thought nothing of slowing the game down, simply holding onto the ball and demanding Brentford try to win it back off them before moving it on. Brentford were the ones that needed a goal and Liverpool behaved with that in mind.
Brentford changed to a 3-4-3 with the introduction of Yoane Wissa for Baptiste but conceded another goal straight after. Substitute Canos moved forward to attack, only for Liverpool to win the ball back and spread it out to Andy Robertson in space. Canos simply didn’t get back into defence quick enough, leaving Oxlade-Chamberlain free to get to Robertson’s cross first and double Liverpool’s lead.
Five minutes later Brentford reverted back to the 3-5-2, bringing on Mathias Jensen for Mbeumo, but again Liverpool scored straight after. Liverpool pressed high at a goal kick and a weak pass by Alvaro Fernandez saw Firmino rob the ball in Brentford’s box and square the ball to birthday boy Takumi Minamino to finish.
A fourth goal for Liverpool looked likelier than any consolation for Brentford as they saw the game out.
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