A dismal defensive display from Liverpool saw them come away from newly-promoted Brentford with a 3-3 draw, dropping two points, which would have seen them go three clear at the top of the table after Chelsea and Manchester United, who had been level on 13 points with Liverpool, both lost, United to Aston Villa and Chelsea to Manchester City.
Platitudes about this being still early in the season – and championships aren’t won in September – should be dismissed. These two points dropped could be vital come the end of the season, and the loss of momentum going into next weekend’s blockbuster clash at Anfield against Manchester City could prove damaging.
Liverpool were sloppy and complacent from the start and Brentford had good chances to go ahead before they did. A desperate goal line clearance from Joel Matip from a Bryan Mbeumo dink showed how threatening Brentford were to Liverpool’s defence and it was no surprise when on 26 minutes Ethan Pinnock nipped in ahead of Fabinho on the back post and tapped in the ball as it skidded across the six-yard area.
The Brentford goal seemed to wake Liverpool up from their torpor and within four minutes, a Jordan Henderson cross from the right was met superbly by Diogo Jota, who firmly guided his header passed the diving David Raga.
You would’ve expected, aroused from their slumber, Liverpool to now go on and outplay Brentford and, indeed, for the rest of the first half and the first minutes of the second half, the Reds dominated possession and posed a constant threat going forward.
A second goal came on 53 minutes, when, after a s sustained period of passing, Fabinho brilliantly chipped a ball from the middle of the Brentford half over the Brentford right back onto Mo Salah’s left foot and the Egyptian stroked the ball passed the keeper and into the back of the net.
Salah’s initial celebration of his 100th goal for Liverpool , after 151 games – the quickest Liverpool player to reach the milestone – was interrupted by the the offside flag going up but resumed after VAR overruled the initial decision.
Liverpool were seemingly now in complete control of the game. Chances fell to Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson to kill the game off with a third goal, but their efforts were weak and Liverpool were made to pay for their profligacy on the 63rd minute when their defence was exposed by a Sergi Canos cross to the back post that found Alexander Arnold outnumbered three to one. From the scramble, the ball fell to Pontus Janson, who lashed a shot against the bar, with Vitaly Janelt on hand to nod the ball home.
The lead was restored to Liverpool three minutes later when a rocket from Curtis Jones outside the area took a slight deflection off Christopher Ajer’s knee and caused the ball to pick up more pace and fatally deviate over Raja and into the back of the net.
On 76 minutes, Salah was put through by Sadio Mané to put Liverpool further ahead, but the Egyptian striker was too casual and clever in the one-on-one with Raja, trying to lob the advancing keeper in a manoeuvre that required absolute precision to land in the goal, when a simpler slider under the keeper’s body is what you see strikers – including Salah – do nine times out of 10. Although, he has had outstanding season so far, Salah still has a tendency to want to over-elaborate, attempt the spectacular, grab the headlines, when a more straightforward finish is more on and, given the state of today’s game – with Liverpool not playing well and needing the two-goal cushion to undermine Brentford spirits – demanded.
Salah’s miss proved costly.
Just like Brentford’s second goal, it was a cross from the Brentford right to Liverpool’s back post that caused the problem. Again, Alexander Arnold was outnumbered and the meleé that ensued saw the ball fall to substitute Yoane Wissa and he calmly lifted the ball over the sprawling Alisson.
Immediately after Brentford equalised for 3-3, Liverpool were denied a penalty when Jota was impeded in the Brentford box, then Brentford thought they’d won it with an Ivan Toney goal, only, much to Red relief, for the linesman to correctly raise his flag for offside.
Andy Robertson, in for Kostas Tsimikas for today’s contest, did nothing to show he deserved to be in ahead of the Greek international. Form would suggest that Tsimikas should be playing instead of the Scot. We’ll probably see him in for Robertson for the Champions League game against Porto on Tuesday, though no doubt Jurgen Klopp will want Robertson to start against Manchester City, going for the tried and tested and the greater defensive solidity Klopp thinks he provides, though today’s game would suggest otherwise.
As for Sadio Mané, his poor form is a concern and now that Roberto Firmino, who had started the season looking like his old self, is back from a hamstring injury, the Senegalese’s starting spot must now be in jeopardy. Curtis Jones, filling in in midfield with injuries to Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Harvey Elliott, did well enough today, but a midfield consisting of the local lad and Jordan Henderson is a sluggish affair and will be outsmarted if they play against Man City’s formidable midfield setup next weekend.
