Read all about Brentford ahead of their visit to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
TEAM News
Brentford goalkeeper Mark Plecken will be fit for L4 selection after being substituted at half-time against West Ham United last weekend.
Josh Dasilva (calf), Keane Lewis-Potter (calf) and Mikkel Damsgaard (knee) all returned to training this week, but Shandon Baptiste, Miles Peart-Harris and Kevin Shadd will miss the trip to Merseyside.
Quarterbacks Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey are long gone. View from BrentfordJay Harris, Brentford FC reporter for The AthleticBrentford’s season so far has been…
Brentford started the season in good form with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur and a 3-0 win over west London outfit Fulham, but things have looked bleak after six games without a win, including a defeat to Manchester United.
Ivan Toney’s suspension and injuries to key players including Rico Henry and Kevin Schad have been tough to deal with. But three wins in a row have taken them to the next level and they head to Anfield full of confidence.
About the damage caused by bees…Brian Mbeumo has improved every season and is currently in the best form of his life. He scored nine goals in the Premier League last season and has already scored six goals in 11 games.
Ethan Pinnock and Christian Norgaard were also big, but Mathias Jensen was the heart of the team. He directs shots into midfield and Liverpool must be aware of his ability to play with precision.
About Thomas Frank’s playing style…Frank likes his team to build from the back. They signed centre-back Nathan Collins from Wolves last summer and he is often responsible for bringing the ball forward to start attacks. They often play against the best teams and try to take fewer risks. The 2-0 win over Chelsea was a perfect example of this.
They were too open at times in the first half, but after the break they were more compact and moved the ball better, which hurt Chelsea.
Brentford’s injury list is improving every week and they are without a natural left-back, with Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey out with long-term injuries. I expect Thomas Frank to switch to a 3-5-2 and hope they can repeat their performance after they won 3-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium in January. 3-5-2: Flocken (GK), Collins (RCB), Pinnock (CB), Mee (LCB), Ajer (RWB), Janelt (CM), Norgaard (CM), Jensen (CM), Rorslev (LWB) , weft (ST), mbmo (ST)
Their last meeting
The Reds beat Brentford 1-0 on their last trip to Anfield towards the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season.In May, Mohamed Salah scored in the 13th minute to equalise.
What did they say?
Thomas Frank (Brentford manager)”For five years Liverpool have been one of the best teams not only in the Premier League but in the world. They have a great manager, great coaching staff and great players. With some new players, they have a new strength in their lineup.
[Dominik] Szoboslai is a fantastic player. “[Darwin] Nunes is nearing his peak and [Diogo] Jota is a top player. [Luis] Diaz – Glad to hear his parents are safe now. He is a great player.
Next is the star Salah with 25 goals.”They are a fantastic team at Anfield, one of the toughest away games. It can be a tough challenge, but we always believe in ourselves. “We will try to take the game to Liverpool.”
