Liverpool slip up against Brentford as Bees script historic win

Liverpool’s troubles continued in the new year as Jurgen Klopp’s side slipped to a 3-1 defeat to Brentford in their first Premier League game of 2023. The Bees beat the Reds for the first time since 1938, with goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and an Ibrahima Konate own goal giving the hosts a comfortable victory at the Community Stadium.

This defeat leaves Liverpool in the sixth position in the table, four points off Manchester United in the Champions League places and 15 behind league-leaders Arsenal. Brentford, meanwhile, continue their stunning rise under Thomas Frank in the Premier League and jump to seventh, leaving them just two points behind their Monday’s opponents.

Jurgen Klopp’s side headed into this fixture on the back of a promising four-game winning streak in the Premier League and should have opened the scoring inside five minutes. Darwin Nunez found himself in a great position in the box from a Mohamed Salah through pass but Ben Mee blocked the Uruguayan striker’s shot off the line to keep the scores level.

Brentford were without their striker and talisman Ivan Toney for this fixture, but that didn’t stop the hosts as they broke the deadlock inside 20 minutes through a large slice of luck. Bryan Mbeumo’s inswinging corner ricocheted off the knee of Ibrahima Konate into the back of the net past a scrambling Alisson, giving the Bees an early 1-0 lead.

Mbeumo’s corners caused Liverpool problems throughout the first half, and Yoane Wissa had the ball in the back of the net on two occasions from the Frenchman’s deliveries, only for both to be chalked out for off-side. Wissa finally got his goal on his third attempt in the half, heading home from Mathias Jensen’s cross to double Brentford’s advantage before the break.

Frustrated by his side’s performance, Jurgen Klopp made three substitutions at half-time, removing Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott and Konstantinos Tsimikas for Joel Matip, Naby Keita, and Andrew Robertson. The Reds improved in the second period. Darwin Nunez had a goal ruled out for off-side, but Alex Oxlade Chamberlain later pulled one back for the club. The Englishman headed in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross on his 100th appearance for the club to make it 2-1.

However, Chamberlain’s goal only proved to be a consolation as Bryan Mbeumo struck for Brentford seven minutes before full-time to put the game to bed. The Bees forward outmuscled centre-back Ibrahima Konate and found the bottom corner to give the hosts a 3-1 lead and seal the victory.