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Another Victory at Anfield

This was a very impressive result that came after two very underwhelming performances in the week prior. A strong reaction was needed, which was gifted to an extremely happy fanbase in attendance.

Below is the starting line-up and notable moments from the game, ultimately taking Liverpool within one point of league leaders Manchester City.

The Starting Eleven

  • Alisson Becker
  • Trent Alexander Arnold
  • Virgil van Dijk (c)
  • Joël Matip
  • Kostas Tsimikas
  • Alexis Mac Allister
  • Dominik Szoboszlai
  • Wataru Endō
  • Mohamed Salah
  • Diogo Jota
  • Darwin Núñez

Substitutes

  • Harvey Elliott – Cody Gakpo (83 mins)
  • Luis Díaz – Diogo Jota (83 mins)
  • Jarell Quansah – Trent Alexander Arnold (89 mins)
  • James McConnell – Dominik Szoboszlai (90+4 mins)

Goals

  • Liverpool 1 – 0 Brentford: Mohamed Salah (Darwin Núñez) 39 mins
  • Liverpool 2 – 0 Brentford: Mohamed Salah (Kostas Tsimikas) 62 mins
  • Liverpool 3 – 0 Brentford: Diogo Jota (Kostas Tsimikas) 74 mins

Important Match Stats

  • Possession: Liverpool 59% – Brentford 41%
  • Total Shots: Liverpool 17 – Brentford 16
  • Total Crosses: Liverpool 26 – Brentford 13
  • Counter Attacks: Liverpool 3 – Brentford 3

The First Half

The opening period of this game saw the home side geared up for a positive showing, one that had the Uruguayan powerhouse, Darwin Núñez, have two goals chalked off for offside. That first half was a showpiece of so much more that the former Benfica man offers his team, as eventually he was able to assist his Egyptian teammate for the game’s opening goal. Through the moments leading up to the minutes where the deadlock was broken, on-ball control and invention was rife throughout the home side. The inevitable chances and openings were of course offered up to an energised visitor; however, it was the elite quality within the Anfield ranks which eventually told.

The collective effort of the entire starting group was on point, with performances varying from good to outstanding. This was in stark contrast to the trips to both Luton and Toulouse, where a draw and a loss (respectively) saw the Liverpool support tentatively waiting to see which Merseyside giant would turn up. At the base of this first half endeavour was the imperious Virgil van Dijk and his world class goalkeeper, Alisson Becker. The elite levels of these two monstrous footballers allows so much coverage and confidence to flow through those ahead of them, as both solidified their standings as the world’s best in their positions.

The Second Half

On resumption of the second half, there was more control and a little less gusto from the home side. With a very limited bench (due to numerous injuries), the patterns of play were a little more measured and the uncontrolled play of first half Darwin was less so. The second goal came due to relentless work from a much-improved Kostas Tsimikas, as he kept pressing his case before assisting Mohamed Salah for his second goal of the afternoon.

The continued brilliance and determination of Virgil allowed any half chances (from the opposition) to be neutralised, as the game petered until Diogo Jota once more added his name to a score sheet. Kostas was again the man to provide the assist, however, it was the direct nature and surge forward that created the angle for the Portuguese forward to fire into the far corner. The resulting substitutions followed in quick succession, as Liverpool cemented their place as a team back on track.

Final Thoughts

Delighted and slightly relieved. The team operated as a unit that had a fluidity to it that worked both efficiently and creatively. The memories and experiences from last season still linger, which makes unconditional trust hard to fathom, just yet anyway. I believe the overplaying of certain assets in the EFL Cup a couple of weeks back led to stagnation for players like Dominik and Mo, which needs better management moving forward.

At the end of this weekend of games, 27 points from twelve games played is superb and to be within one point of City (who they face next) is a huge turnaround from last season.

https://twitter.com/anfieldindex/status/1723781534115570171?s=46&t=rxgukmqdoXc4muVFLSx2EQ

Pre-Game Prediction

Liverpool 3 – 0 Brentford

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