Liverpool vs Brentford – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as the Reds look to bounce back from shock defeat to Toulouse plus updates from the other 2pm games
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for all the latest team news, scores and updates as Liverpool take on Brentford in the Premier League plus updates from the other 2pm games.
And Brentford's team to play at Anfield today!
Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has made several changes too, with Ben Mee returning to the side for today’s clash at Anfield.
Interestingly he has chosen to bench Neal Maupay despite the forward having scored against West Ham during their previous outing.
He’s replaced by Mads Roerslev up top, while Mark Flekken starts in goal, despite concerns over his fitness.
Liverpool team to play Brentford
Jurgen Klopp has made seven changes following his side’s defeat by Toulouse last week.
The German manager opted to play several younger stars for the match, but has brought back in some of his first-team players to secure a win today.
Allison returns to play in goal, replacing Caoimhin Kelleher while Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to the starting XI in place of Joe Gomes.
Virgil van Dijk comes back into the side following an injury, while Klopp has also brought several big stars back into the fold up higher up field.
Diogo Jota, Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez all start, while Mohamed Salah also comes into the starting line-up.
Salah has either scored or assisted in each of his last 14 Premier League appearances – a remarkable stat that puts him in illustrious company of Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry, who are the only other players to have done so.
Wataru Endo is rewarded for his excellent form of late and earns himself a start in midfield today!
Team news coming up!
We’re an hour away from kick off and we’ll be bringing you team news from around the games this afternoon shortly!
Quick stats for you – Jurgen Klopp’s side have won all five of their opening home games this seadson. They have only started two previous seasons before winning all six of their opening home matches.
Will they win their sixth game of the season at home today?
'It's always interesting to play them – and difficult' – Klopp
Speaking ahead of this afternoon’s match against Brentford, Jurgen Klopp admitted that it was always ‘interesting’ playing against Thomas Frank’s side.
‘Super-challenging to play Thomas Frank and Brentford, for different reasons. They do really well,’ Klopp said in his pre-match interview.
‘I’m not sure they are 100 per cent happy with the season, but losing Ivan Toney – that player he was for them – really is brutal. But they are stable in the table, that’s probably what Brentford want – getting through this situation and then when he is coming back, using him again or whatever.
‘It’s well organised; had a few problems in the season, I would say, to get used to the game without Ivan but when you look at the table they are in the middle with a tendency [of] going up.
‘It’s well organised, sensational set-pieces, all these kind of things. Really offensive players, really fast, counter-attacking really good. They change styles from time to time; if they consider you as a top-six team then it’s a bit more defensive, if not they have a bit more possession parts.
‘It’s always interesting to play them and difficult as well. But it’s Anfield and we should use that.’
Today they come up against a stern challenge in Brentford
Liverpool will want to bounce back from a disappointing week, but it’ll be a tough ask as they welcome Thomas Frank’s side to Anfield this afternoon.
Standing in their way are Brentford, who come into this game in flying form having their last three previous outings.
Brentford put three past Burnley, before beating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge and claimed a late win against West Ham last weekend, with defender Nathan Collins scoring in the second half to seal their fourth win of the season.
The Bees had been through a slump in form recently, having only secured one victory prior to that, before go five games without a win.
A win today would see them go on their first four-match winning streak in the top-flight since March 1939!
Klopp reflects on Liverpool's loss to Toulouse
Liverpool come into today’s game against Brentford having not won in their last two previous outings.
A last-gasp Luis Diaz goal secured a 1-1 draw for the Reds against Luton last Sunday, with Jurgen Klopp’s side suffering defeat again in midweek.
They were beaten 3-2 by Toulouse in the south of France, but there was controversy at the end.
Jarell Quansah scored a late goal but it was disallowed by referee after Alexis Mac Allister appeared to handle the ball in the build up to the goal.
Klopp was seething after the match, delivering quite an interesting post match press-conference, while saying: ‘I only saw the video back now and for me it’s not a handball, but how can I decide that? The ball goes to the chest and then I don’t see a contact with the arm, to be honest.
‘Maybe they had a different picture than I had. It was pretty long ago before we scored the goal and I thought, “Where is the free-kick?” I didn’t see it properly but I heard there could have been a penalty for us in another situation, I don’t know.
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this afternoon’s Premier League matches!
We’ve got a big day in store with eight teams in action before this evening’s crunch match between Man City and Chelsea.
Liverpool take on Brentford at Anfield at 2pm, with Jurgen Klopp’s side are looking to bounce back from their tough 3-2 defeat to Toulouse in midweek and end their two-match winless run.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Aston Villa are looking to continue their fine run of form at home, as they take on Fulham at Villa Park.
While Brighton, who claimed a 2-0 win against Ajax on Thursday in the Europa League, host Sheffield United. West Ham are also in action ast they take on Nottingham Forest.
Stay with us as we’ll have all the latest news, action and commentary from around the grounds right here on Mail Sport!
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