Liverpoolvs.Brentford

The Reds handed Ipswich Town a rude awakening with a 2-0 triumph last weekend, while the Bees also emerged victorious by a 2-1 scoreline at home to London rivals Crystal Palace.

Match preview

Death, taxes, and Mohamed Salah scoring on the opening weekend of the season. Liverpool's lunchtime kickoff with Ipswich saw Slot shake hands with another Premier League managerial debutant in Kieran McKenna, who should have been the happier boss at the break.

The fearless Tractor Boys gave the Liverpool backline plenty to think about in the opening 45, but as the newly-promoted outfit began to run out of steam in the second period, Liverpool ruthlessly capitalised through Diogo Jota and Salah's ninth gameweek one goal.

Victory for the Reds at Portman Road saw Slot banish a managerial hoodoo, as no Liverpool boss since Gerard Houllier in 1998 had won their opening Premier League match, and the ex-Feyenoord head coach now experiences the top-flight Anfield atmosphere for the first time.

During Jurgen Klopp's swansong season, only one of Liverpool's 19 Premier League home matches in the 2023-24 campaign ended with the Reds on the losing side, and not since a 3-0 beatdown by West Ham United in 2015 have they been defeated at Anfield in the first month of the new term.

Having achieved something that none of Brendan Rodgers, Klopp, Roy Hodgson or Rafael Benitez managed by winning on his top-flight debut for Liverpool, Slot now seeks to become the first-ever Reds boss to triumph in their first two Premier League games; the competition was still known as the First Division when Graeme Souness achieved the feat in 1991.

Visiting head coach Thomas Frank was one of several names floated about as Liverpool's possible successor to Klopp, but the Dane's loyalty to the Bees was rewarded on the opening weekend, where Brentford were arguably the underdogs against Crystal Palace.

The transfer-related omission of Ivan Toney inevitably dominated the pre-match headlines, but his regular supporting cast members - Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa - ensured that Frank would not rue the absence of the Saudi-linked striker, also sparing Ethan Pinnock's own goal blushes.

However, Brentford could thank their lucky stars that a clever Eberechi Eze free kick was questionably disallowed for a foul, but that did not stop Frank from revelling in the "unbelievable" feeling of a matchday one victory, and one over a London rival at that.

The Bees also sunk Bournemouth in their final away game of the 2023-24 top-flight campaign, and the last time that they achieved back-to-back top-flight wins on the road, they coincidentally beat Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2022-23 term before defeating Fulham in their first away game of 2023-24.

Replicating that niche feat will be an incredibly tough ask at Anfield, though, as Brentford fell to a pair of defeats against Liverpool last season and have not beaten the Reds at Anfield since before the Second World War in 1937, losing each of their last eight on the Merseyside turf.

Liverpool Premier League form:

Brentford Premier League form:

Team News

Despite siding with Jarell Quansah over Ibrahima Konate at Portman Road, Slot ruthlessly brought the Englishman off at half time, claiming later that the youngster lost a couple of important duels rather than being taken off for fitness reasons.

However, Quansah has ironically now picked up a training injury and is a doubt for the weekend, so Konate will almost certainly partner Virgil van Dijk here, but Slot otherwise has a clean bill of health for the weekend.

Still yet to make a single new acquisition in the transfer window, Liverpool will likely field a near-identical starting XI for their first home match of the season, as Ryan Gravenberch gets the nod in a deeper midfield role once more.

One week on from Brentford's beating of Palace, and star striker Toney appears to be no closer to a possible transfer to the Saudi Pro League or any other club, and his participation this weekend remains clouded in uncertainty.

However, four men who definitely will not be involved are the injured quartet of Rico Henry (knee), Igor Thiago (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee) and Aaron Hickey (thigh), although Frank is optimistic that the former will make his long-awaited comeback after the September international break.

With Toney likely to remain out in the cold, Wissa should spearhead the charge once again as he seeks a slice of Premier League history; the DR Congo international could become the first player to ever score and assist in four successive games in the competition.

The Bees have also captured Sepp van den Berg from their upcoming hosts, but it will surely be too soon for the Dutchman to start.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer; Norgaard, Janelt, Jensen; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade

We say: Liverpool 3-1 Brentford

Brentford breaking down the Liverpool rearguard is not beyond the realm of possibility at all; as well as Wissa's recent hot streak, Mbeumo averages a goal contribution every 108 minutes when Toney is missing, compared to one every 250 when he plays.

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