Víctor Muñoz and Alexander Isak turned the game around after the break. Brentford, who had gone into the match unbeaten, finished with nine men after Vitaly Janelt was shown a late second yellow card.
Isak returns to a strong Liverpool starting XI
Andoni Iraola was able to recall Alexander Isak to the starting line-up, with Dominik Szoboszlai also returning after injury. The Liverpool coach made six changes from the 6-3 Champions League win away to LASK. Víctor Muñoz, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola operated behind Isak, while Alexis Mac Allister partnered Szoboszlai in central midfield.
Brentford lined up in a compact 4-2-3-1. Keith Andrews’ plan was to make central areas difficult for Liverpool and then attack quickly through Igor Thiago and the wide players after turnovers. Liverpool, meanwhile, pressed high and looked to find Wirtz between the lines before releasing their pace on the flanks.
The opening stages were evenly balanced. Brentford threatened from set pieces and tried to play forward quickly, while Liverpool enjoyed more possession without establishing clear control.
Szoboszlai forced off early
Liverpool suffered their first setback just after the half-hour mark. Szoboszlai was replaced by Trey Nyoni in the 32nd minute after appearing to feel discomfort in the same thigh area that had recently kept him out. The problem may therefore be a recurrence of his previous injury.
Liverpool then thought they had been awarded a penalty in the 41st minute. Mac Allister went down under a challenge from Dango Ouattara after Isak’s cut-back, and referee John Brooks initially pointed to the spot. After reviewing the incident, however, he overturned the decision. Ouattara had played the ball cleanly and no foul had been committed.
Lewis-Potter strikes before Yarmoliuk sees red
Just three minutes later, Brentford took the lead. Igor Thiago was given enough time on the right to deliver a measured cross, and Keane Lewis-Potter found space between Liverpool’s defenders before heading home for 1-0.
The goal did not come completely out of nowhere. Liverpool had more of the ball, but Brentford’s direct approach was causing problems and the hosts repeatedly looked dangerous when breaking forward. At half-time Liverpool had 58 per cent possession and a narrow 5-4 advantage in shots, so the match remained finely balanced. Brentford’s lead was not a reflection of outright dominance, but neither was it undeserved.
The complexion of the game changed again before the interval. Ahead of a Liverpool corner, Yarmoliuk became involved in an altercation with Jérémy Jacquet and moved his head into the Frenchman’s face. After a VAR review, Brooks checked the monitor and showed the Ukrainian a straight red card for violent conduct.
Although the incident took place inside the penalty area, Liverpool were not awarded a spot-kick because the ball had not yet been put back into play. Brentford therefore went into the dressing room 1-0 ahead, but down to ten men.
Liverpool pin Brentford back after the break
Andrews reacted at half-time by introducing Kevin Schade and former Rapid player Mamadou Sangaré. Brentford dropped much deeper and tried to protect the area in front of goal with a narrow, compact block.
Liverpool also made a change, with Jeremie Frimpong replacing Ronald Araujo on the right to add more pace. His involvement lasted just six minutes, however, as the Dutchman suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Rio Ngumoha. It was Liverpool’s second injury-enforced substitution in quick succession.
Even so, the pressure continued to build. Mac Allister dictated the tempo from midfield, while Wirtz began finding more space in front of Brentford’s defensive block. The hosts struggled to launch effective counter-attacks and spent long stretches defending around their own penalty area.
Muñoz and Isak complete the turnaround
The increasingly inevitable equaliser arrived in the 62nd minute. Wirtz found Muñoz on the right, and the Spaniard cut inside onto his left foot before drilling a low effort into the far corner.
Eight minutes later, Liverpool had turned the game around. Mac Allister played a deep pass into the box, Barcola headed the ball back across goal and Isak controlled it well in a tight space before finishing from a narrow angle to make it 2-1.
Wirtz became one of Liverpool’s most influential players after the interval. He repeatedly found pockets of space around Brentford’s penalty area and created nine shots for team-mates over the course of the match. Barcola also stretched the defence down the left and later struck the crossbar with a long-range effort.
Brentford continued to defend with discipline but could no longer keep Liverpool away from dangerous areas for sustained periods. In the 92nd minute the hosts were reduced to nine men when the already-booked Janelt brought down Ngumoha outside the box and received a second yellow card. By that point, however, the match was virtually over and the dismissal had little impact on the final outcome.
Liverpool’s second-half superiority reflected in the numbers
The contrast between the two halves illustrates how dramatically the game changed after Yarmoliuk’s dismissal. Liverpool went into the break with 58 per cent possession and only a 5-4 edge in shots. By full-time, those figures had grown to 60 per cent possession and a 21-10 advantage in attempts, with 16 Liverpool shots coming after the interval.
The expected-goals numbers also favoured the visitors at 1.51 to 0.85. They point to a deserved Liverpool victory without suggesting that Brentford were comprehensively outplayed over the full 90 minutes. The narrow 2-1 scoreline was therefore a fair reflection of the overall quality of the chances.
Liverpool respond as Brentford’s unbeaten start ends
Brentford’s game plan worked well until shortly before half-time. The Bees defended compactly, closed central spaces and troubled Liverpool with quick, direct attacks after regaining possession. Given the balance of the first half, their 44th-minute lead was entirely defensible.
Yarmoliuk’s red card changed the conditions completely. With ten men, Brentford were forced to abandon much of their original approach and could no longer apply meaningful pressure higher up the pitch. Liverpool gradually took advantage, pushed the game into the hosts’ half and eventually found the decisive solutions through Wirtz, Barcola and the goalscorers Muñoz and Isak.
The defeat ends Brentford’s unbeaten start to the season. Liverpool, meanwhile, responded successfully to the loss against Manchester City and move onto 12 points. Isak’s goalscoring return was a major positive, while Wirtz played a central role in the second-half turnaround. The injuries to Szoboszlai and Frimpong, however, provide Iraola with fresh concerns.
