Brentford vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Bryan Mbeumo seals win
Liverpool failed to make it five Premier League wins in a row
Liverpool’s poor defending cost them dearly as Brentford claimed another famous scalp with a 3-1 victory.
An Ibrahima Konate own goal and Yoane Wissa’s header put the Bees in control, prompting angry Reds boss Jurgen Klopp to substitute key defender Virgil van Dijk at half-time.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled one back but Bryan Mbeumo killed the Reds off as they lost more ground in the race for a top-four Premier League finish.
It was a case of no Ivan Toney, no problem for Brentford as Liverpool went the same way as Manchester United and Manchester City this season.
Brentford 1-0 Liverpool
21 min: Liverpool had a decent grip on the early forays but after Nunez’s missed chance, Brentford got stronger and stronger. Liverpool are now stringing some passes together but they have a deep block to break down in front of them.
GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Liverpool (Konate og, 19)
Brentford convert a spell of pressure and it’s well deserved. Bryan Mbeumo earned a corner after Alisson had saved his shot from a dangerous counterattack. From the set-piece, Mbeumo’s delivery was turned home inadvertently by Ibrahima Konate’s left knee, and Brentford lead.
Brentford 0-0 Liverpool
13 min: Vitaly Janelt gets a shot away at the end of a good spell of pressure by Brentford, but it’s easily held by Alisson.
Brentford 0-0 Liverpool
10 min: Harvey Elliott is booked for a poorly timed challenge on Rico Henry.
Brentford 0-0 Liverpool
7 min: What a miss! Mohamed Salah brings down a long ball and plays a brilliant pass into the path of Darwin Nunez, who takes it in his stride and around the advancing David Raya. It seems a certain goal, but Ben Mee slides back to block the shot on the line. Great defending, and yet another big miss by Nunez.
Brentford 0-0 Liverpool
4 min: David Raya has just made a phenomenal save. Harvey Elliott crossed perfectly for Virgil van Dijk arriving at the far post in the second phase of a set-piece, who fired a volley from close range only to see it flicked up on to the bar by some spectacular reflexes. The flag went up so it was all irrelevant, but it was an impressive piece of play all round.
Brentford 0-0 Liverpool
2 min: Matthias Jorgensen has already been booked for a bump on Darwin Nunez. That’s a long time for Jorgensen to avoid another.
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez
Micah Richards is tipping Darwin Nunez to come good at Liverpool. The striker has had plenty of chances to score since the Premier League’s return since the World Cup and is getting in the right places, but hasn’t yet hit the net. But Richards insists he is a “quality player” whose moment is imminent.
Jamie Carragher, also speaking on Sky Sports ahead of kick-off, says Ibrahima Konate is the future for Liverpool in defence alongside Virgil van Dijk. “He was very unfortunate not to start the World Cup final,” Carragher says of the France international.
Brentford vs Liverpool
Thomas Frank says Ivan Toney is “close” to being fit but was not ready to return after a knee injury, though the Brentford manager says he is happy with Yoane Wissa as Toney’s replacement, who he stresses has the pace to get in behind. “It is no secret Liverpool play a high line,” Frank tells Sky Sports, “and hopefully Yoane has the pace to cause problems.”
That might explain why Ibrahima Konate has come in to the Liverpool line-up, at the expense of the less mobile Joel Matip.
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