Liverpool take on Brentford this afternoon in their bid to maintain a challenge towards the top of the Premier League table. The Reds are three points behind leaders Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola’s men face Chelsea in Sunday’s late kick off.
Still, three points for Liverpool will add a bit of pressure to City’s trip to Stamford Bridge and Jurgen Klopp will want his team to get back to winning ways today. Klopp’s men suffered a setback against Luton in their last league outing, with Luis Diaz’s stoppage time goal rescuing a point at Kenilworth Road.
Defeat to Toulouse in the Europa League continued Liverpool’s downward trend and they will want to turn around the form that has seen them take only eight points from their last five league games.
In contrast Brentford are in fine shape. Thomas Frank’s men have won each of their last three fixtures after a slow start to the season and are now up to ninth in the table. A win at Anfield would be another impressive results and give the Bees a realistic sense that they can compete to get into Europe during this campaign.
Follow the action from Anfield below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
Liverpool vs Brentford live
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Liverpool host Brentford in the Premier League
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Why isn’t Liverpool vs Brentford on live TV?
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The Reds can draw level on points with Man City if they win
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Brentford have won their last three league games
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22’ NO GOAL! Nunez converts but flag goes up for tight offside (LIV 0-0 BRE)
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16’ SAVE! Nunez and Gakpo force Flekken into early stops (LIV 0-0 BRE)
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Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Szoboszlai, Endo, Gakpo, Salah, Nunez, Jota
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Brentford XI: Flekken, Ajer, Collins, Mee, Pinnock, Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt, Mbeumo, Wissa
Liverpool FC 0 – 0 Brentford FC
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:25 , Ben Fleming
23 mins: A matter of centimetres but the goal is correctly ruled out for offside.
Szoboszlai’s wayward effort fell into the path of Nunez but he was just offside as he finished past Flekken. Goalless it remains.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:23 , Ben Fleming
22 mins: DISALLOWED! Nunez thinks he has Liverpool’s opener but the flag goes up.
VAR begins its check…
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:20 , Ben Fleming
18 mins: A rare foray forward for Brentford but Ajer is unable to find Wissa with a low cross. Liverpool almost make a mess of clearing the ball out of their box but Mbuemo blazes over with a half chance.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:17 , Ben Fleming
16 mins: A great surging run from deep by Nunez who is picked out by Salah. The forward doesn’t quite get the power on the effort from a tight angle and Flekken is on hand to turn it behind for a corner.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:15 , Ben Fleming
14 mins: It’s given away cheaply by the Brentford defence as Endo surges forward with the ball. It bounces the way of Jota but Pinnock does well to deny the forward with a well-timed block.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:10 , Ben Fleming
8 mins: Alexander-Arnold tries to slide in Nunez down the right, but it skips off the surface and away from the Uruguayan as Flekken collects with ease.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:07 , Ben Fleming
5 mins: The first set piece for Brentford causes Liverpool a host of problems. Pinnock wins the initial header, but Wissa can’t quite make contact with Mee’s hooked cross before Pinnock eventually skews his effort wide.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:06 , Ben Fleming
4 mins: A quiet start in this encounter before Gakpo finds a touch of space on the edge of the Brentford box. Szoboszlai finds him well and it’s a fierce strike from the Dutchman but straight down the through of Flekken who saves comfortably.
KICK-OFF! Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
14:01 , Ben Fleming
In minutes silence is paid as part of remembrance Sunday but we’re all set and ready to go now.
The away side will kick us off as we get underway here at Anfield!
Kick-off fast approaching
13:54 , Ben Fleming
It’s a damp and blustery day in Liverpool as kick-off nears. Could the conditions play a part in today’s outcome? Only time will tell.
Just over five minutes until we’re underway now…
Liverpool v Brentford – pre-match stats
13:48 , Ben Fleming
A few pre-match stats as Brentford go in search of an unlikely away win at Anfield:
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Liverpool have won their last seven home games against Brentford in all competitions, scoring 16 and conceding one, since a 4-3 loss in the top-flight in November 1937.
Liverpool v Brentford – build-up
13:43 , Ben Fleming
One thing to make a note of is the profile of Liverpool’s bench. Injuries have clearly taken their toll on Jurgen Klopp’s options, with Diaz and Kelleher the only players over the age of 20.
Could that cost them as the game wears on?
How Liverpool are starting to solve their Darwin Nunez ‘riddle’
13:38 , Ben Fleming
Jurgen Klopp is afraid. If Darwin Nunez can scare defenders, he has the same effect on his own manager, albeit for different reasons. “I’m a bit afraid of the highs he could reach because there is so much there,” Klopp reflected. “It’s crazy.”
And if craziness appears central to the conundrum of Nunez, the agent of chaos, the fearsome forward who can become the master of misses, it was the potential that blew Klopp away when Liverpool faced Benfica in the Champions League in 2022. Now, albeit in his idiosyncratic manner, he feels closer to realising it. Certainly his manager is still captivated, still wondering where Nunez’s various talents will take him.
“The speed, the finishing skills, the desire he has… when he’s fit he is really fit so he can go and go again,” the Liverpool manager said. “You just don’t know where he will end up.” The same may be said when the Uruguayan embarks on a charge towards his goal. He managed to miss an open goal against Toulouse and spurn a sitter against West Ham.
He also got an extraordinary winner at Bournemouth on Wednesday with a ferocious shot from an acute angle. He has scored in his last three games, has seven goals already this season and a goal or an assist every 83 minutes for Liverpool this season. He has become a consistent threat, albeit in an inimitably inconsistent manner.
Richard Jolly takes a look at the rebuild of Darwin Nunez, who starts again in attack for Liverpool today:
How Liverpool are starting to solve their Darwin Nunez ‘riddle’
Jurgen Klopp believes his side are moving in the right direction
13:30 , Ben Fleming
The Liverpool manager has much to mull over after the disappointing results against Luton and Toulouse but the German still believes that his Liverpool side are progressing in the right direction.
Despite wobbles in recent weeks, his side can still move level on points with Manchester City temporarily should they return to winning ways against Brentford this afternoon.
But after a draw and a defeat in their last two, Klopp is certain that there is work still to be done with this new-look Liverpool side.
“Things are going in the right direction but we are not there yet. We are not as stable as I wish but that’s normal as well,” he said.
“Generally we are in a positive situation and it is important to learn to deal with that. There has been a lot of praise. It really feels like this [Toulouse] and Luton is a real learning curve. I wish it would not be necessary, to be honest. I wish we would learn it quickly.
“We can be a really good team. We have shown that. We cannot have what happened [in Toulouse] – we were not aggressive enough. It was as easy as that. We can lose a game but we have to use it to learn the right things. To win a football game, you need to be aggressive.”
Thomas Frank ready for tough Anfield Test
13:22 , Ben Fleming
Speaking ahead of today’s fixture, the Brentford boss was under no illusions as to the difficult task facing his side as they travel up to face Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won all of their home league games this season, but the Bees are aiming for their fourth straight league win following their derby-day 2-0 victory against Chelsea last time out.
“For five years, Liverpool have been one of the top teams not just in the Premier League, but the world,” Frank said at his pre-match press conference.
“They have a fantastic coach and staff, with great players. They have new energy in their squad with some of their new signings.
“It is an unbelievable team at Anfield – one of the most difficult away grounds to go to, if not the most difficult. It will be a tough test, but as always, we trust ourselves. We will try to take the game to Liverpool.”
Father of Luis Diaz reveals details of kidnapping ordeal: ‘It was a lot of horseback riding’
13:15 , Ben Fleming
There’s a spot on the bench again for Luis Diaz who on Thursday finally received the good news that his father had been released following his abduction by Colombian guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN) two weeks ago.
Speaking for the first time since his release, the father of the Liverpool said he went “almost 12 days without sleep” and endured long horseback treks through mountain passes whilst in the hands of ELN.
“It was a lot of horseback riding, really hard, a lot of mountains, a lot of rain, too many insects,” said an emotional and weary Diaz Sr, speaking alongside his family near the Colombia-Venezuela border. “I couldn’t sleep peacefully, it was very difficult, almost 12 days without sleep.”
Read more below:
Father of Luis Diaz reveals details of kidnapping ordeal
Liverpool v Brentford – confirmed starting line-ups
13:08 , Ben Fleming
As suspected, Endo comes in to replace the suspended Mac Allister in central midfield, but there is also a place for Gakpo who comes in for Gravenberch who misses out with a knee injury. There is one further change in central defence as Matip partners the returning Van Dijk, with Konate missing out altogether.
Brentford, meanwhile, look to have moved to a back five as Mee starts alongside Collins and Pinnock in central defence. Maupay and Onyeka drop to the bench, with Roerslev also coming into Thomas Frank’s side for this big away fixture.
Liverpool v Brentford – confirmed starting line-ups
13:02 , Ben Fleming
The team news is in!
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota, Salah, Nunez.
Brentford XI: Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Mee, Roerslev; Norgaard, Jensen, Janelt; Mbeumo, Wissa.
Team news coming up
12:55 , Ben Fleming
Just a few minutes away from the confirmed team news. A reminder that Alexis Mac Allister is suspended after picking up a fifth booking but Virgil van Dijk is expected to return after his brief illness.
For Brentford, goalkeeper Mark Flekken was taken off last week with an apparent injury, but the Dutchman seems to have recovered sufficiently from a dead leg to start. Aaron Hickey, though, will miss the rest of the year to add to a growing injury list for Frank.
Jurgen Klopp admits Trent Alexander-Arnold may be the middle man Liverpool need
12:50 , Ben Fleming
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has softened his opinion over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s versatility as a potential midfielder but still believes he best serves the team from his natural right-sided role.
Just over two years ago, after the 25-year-old was deployed in a central position against Andorra by England boss Gareth Southgate, Klopp said there was no need to change the defender into a midfielder.
Those lines have been blurred since Alexander-Arnold started performing the hybrid role of stepping into central areas when Liverpool are in possession and Klopp took it one step further in last month’s Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth when he brought him on to replace holding midfielder Wataru Endo for the final half-hour.
Klopp was asked whether Alexander-Arnold was a potential option, considering how thin the midfield resources are with Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic long-term absentees, Curtis Jones out till after the international break and Ryan Gravenberch doubtful with a knee problem.
“(A) possibility, depends on the situation and the opponent, on a lot of things,” said the German.
“We know he can play there but if we just put him there we lose one of the best right-backs in the world so we should not forget that completely. Of course he is an option for that position.”
Joe Cole splits opinion after VAR denies Liverpool late equaliser: ‘The ref got it right’
12:45 , Mike Jones
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was outraged when VAR controversially ruled out Jarell Quansah’s late equaliser in the Reds’ dramatic 3-2 defeat to Toulouse, but Joe Cole insisted the “ref got it right” after disallowing the goal because of an earlier Alexis Mac Allister handball.
Quansah was denied his first Liverpool goal after bundling in a 98th minute equaliser when Mac Allister was ruled to have used his arm to control the ball as the Reds pressed for a late draw in the Europa League clash.
However, Liverpool and Klopp were livid as Mac Allister’s handball came several phases before Quansah thought he had levelled. The Argentine midfielder’s touch came roughly 10 seconds before the 20-year-old scrambled in the equaliser.
Joe Cole splits opinion after VAR denies Liverpool late equaliser
Liverpool vs Brentford prediction
12:32 , Mike Jones
Despite Brentford’s recent success in the Premier League, Anfield is still a tricky place to go and win.
Jurgen Klopp has a tendancy to inspire his team when they’re going through a rough patch – which they are – so expect the Reds to come out firing in front of their home support.
Liverpool should secure a victory but it’ll be a close one.
Liverpool 2-1 Brentford
Liverpool vs Brentford early team news
12:31 , Mike Jones
Alexis Mac Allister is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against Luton, forcing Jurgen Klopp into a midfield change. Wataru Endo is likely to come in, though Klopp admitted on Friday that he would consider Trent Alexander-Arnold as a midfield option. Virgil van Dijk should be available after illness but Andy Robertson and Thiago Alcantara are among Liverpool’s longer-term absentees.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank took off goalkeeper Mark Flekken last week with an apparent injury, but the Dutchman seems to have recovered sufficiently from a dead leg to start. Aaron Hickey, though, will miss the rest of the year to add to a growing injury list for Frank.
Predicted line-ups
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Jota.
Brentford XI: Flekken; Roerslev, Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Janelt; Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka; Mbeumo, Wissa.
How to watch Liverpool vs Brentford
12:30 , Mike Jones
Liverpool vs Brentford is due to kick off at 2pm GMT on Sunday 12 November at Anfield.
Viewers in the United Kingdom will not be able to watch the match live, with Sky Sports showing West Ham vs Nottingham Forest instead.
Free-to-air, extended highlights will be available to watch on Match of the Day 2, which airs at 10.40pm on Sunday evening on BBC One and is available via the iPlayer.
The fixture has been moved from a Saturday 3pm kick-off due to the Reds’ involvement in the Europa League on Thursday.
Liverpool vs Brentford
11:41 , Mike Jones
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Sunday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield.
The Reds come into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw with Luton, in which they were the second best side, and a Europa League defeat to Toulouse meaning they desperately require a win to turn around their form. Jurgen Klopp is without the services of Alexis Mac Allister in the middle of the pitch and will need to come up with a tactical plan to nullify the high flying Brentford.
The Bees have won their last three Premier League games and are up to ninth in the table. Thomas Frank’s men are full of confidence and will be focused on earning a fourth straight win this afternoon.
We’ll have all the updates, team news and match action throughout the day so stick around as we build up to kick off at 2pm.