Brentford 3-2 Liverpool, The Reds lose 4 consecutive matches
Ouattara at minute 5, Schade at 45' helped Brentford lead 2-0; Kerkez at 45'+5 shortened the lead, but Thiago's penalty at 60' decided the score. Salah at 89' was too late, Liverpool dropped to 6th place.
Brentford beat Liverpool 3-2 at the Gtech Stadium, capping a night of dramatic moments: Ouattara's 5th-minute opener, Schade's late first-half strike, Thiago's 60th-minute penalty and Mohamed Salah's late 89th-minute rescue. The defeat marked Liverpool's fourth consecutive Premier League defeat in 2025/26, sending them down to sixth place.
Development: early advantage, critical blow and late hope
After a 5-1 win over Frankfurt in the Champions League, Liverpool entered the game with confidence, with Mohamed Salah returning to the starting line-up, supporting Ekitike up front, along with Wirtz and Gakpo to form an energetic attacking quartet. However, in the 5th minute, Ouattara swooped in with a precise close-range finish, giving Brentford a 1-0 lead.
Liverpool tried to regain control but constantly encountered the tight defense and quick counter-attacks of the home team. In the 45th minute, Schade exploited a delicate through ball, broke through and finished to increase the score to 2-0, pushing the away team into a chasing position. In the 45'+5 minute, Kerkez managed to cut the score to 1-2, giving hope before the break.
The turning point came in the 60th minute when Brentford were awarded a penalty. Thiago coolly converted it, restoring the two-goal lead to 3-1. Although Salah scored in the 89th minute, Liverpool ran out of time to avoid another defeat in the Premier League.
Tactical analysis: Brentford defends tightly, counter-attacks sharply
The tactical axis of the game was clear from the start: Brentford kept a deep defensive structure, sealing off pockets of space in their own half and waiting for the right counter-attack. The first two goals reflected that plan: a close-range rush after a quick build-up and a well-placed through ball on the edge of Liverpool’s defensive block.
For Liverpool, Arne Slot arranged Salah to support the center forward Ekitike, Wirtz and Gakpo linking the two wings - the axis of concentration to create breakthroughs around the final third of the field. However, the away team "struggled" against Brentford's multi-layered defense. The penetrations of Gakpo and Wirtz lacked space, while the rare bright spot came from Kerkez's attack at the end of the first half.
The decisive moment came from the 60th minute penalty spot, leaving Liverpool's adjustments after the break insufficient to turn the game around. Salah's late goal showed the Egyptian's instinctive quality, but was a late reaction in a game where Brentford had "locked" the opposition's central coordination channels.
Important statistics
| Time | Team | Player | Form | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5' | Brentford | Ouattara | Live ball | 1-0 |
| 45' | Brentford | Schade | Pass the ball – shoot | 2-0 |
| 45'+5 | Liverpool | Kerkez | Near the city | 2-1 |
| 60' | Brentford | Thiago | Penalty | 3-1 |
| 89' | Liverpool | Mohamed Salah | Live ball | 3-2 |
Premier League 2025/26 condensed table (after match)
| Team | Class | Battle | T–H–B | HS | Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 6 | 9 | 5–0–4 | +2 | 15 |
| Brentford | 10 | 9 | 4–1–4 | 0 | 13 |
Starting lineup
Brentford
- Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van Den Berg, Ajer; Henderson, Yarmolyuk; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago.
Liverpool
- Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones; Wirtz, Gakpo; Salah, Ekitike.
Impact and context
The 2-3 loss at Gtech extended Liverpool's run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League, dropping them to sixth place with 15 points from nine games. Brentford climbed into mid-table, finishing 10th with 13 points. This run of results shows that Liverpool still have a lot of work to do to turn their attacking advantage into effectiveness against opponents who defend tightly and counter-attack quickly.
