On a night when Brentford was without star man Ivan Toney, Thomas Frank’s outfit still stood tallest in the English capital when they welcomed Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool to London and sent them home to Merseyside without a point in the bag after a memorable 3-1 win over the Premier League giants.
It was the first win the Bees secured against Liverpool in the club’s history and another massive scalp in their pocket after previous wins against Manchester City and Manchester United in front of home support in 2022-23, with Arsenal the only traditional big six side to take all three points off Frank’s men this season. Brentford has now climbed within two points of the Reds as they continue to build off a credible 13th-place finish last term.
What a way to start 2023, @BrentfordFC! 🐝#BRELIV pic.twitter.com/5Mu8JyHhgZ
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2023
The Reds nearly found the opener just eight minutes after kick-off when Mohamed Salah danced through the center of defense before finding Darwin Núñez in space, with the Uruguayan striker calmly rounding David Raya and dispatching his effort and what he assumed was an open goal before Ben Mee steamed back to clear off the line to deny Liverpool a quick-fire start.
Brentford would take the lead eleven minutes later, however, after Cameroonian forward Bryan Mbeumo’s inswinging corner glanced off Mee’s head and onto Ibrahima Konaté’s only to take a wicked deflection and bounce past Alisson at his near post. The subsequent VAR review dismissed any potential handball, giving the Bees a credible early lead.
Yoane Wissa made it two to the good for Brentford at the third time of asking after two previous efforts from the French forward were turned away for offside. After being found in the area by a ball played by Mathias Jensen at the near post in the 42nd minute, Wissa first thought his header may have been acrobatically saved by Alisson on the line only for Stuart Atwell to look down at his wrist to confirm that goal-line technology had signaled for a goal.
Jürgen Klopp came out of the changing room at the start of the second half and rang in the changes to try to shake his side awake at Brentford Community Stadium, with the German tactician making three changes – including substituting Virgil van Dijk – in a bid to add some semblance of life to an otherwise tepid Reds outfit.
By the 60th minute Liverpool had been in the ascendency and looked odds-on favorites to secure an equalizer, but Brentford had other plans in the 85th minute when Mbeumo outmuscled Konaté as the two tussled for Christian Nørgaard’s ball into space, with the Cameroonian coming out the better of the two before slotting past Alisson to restore the Bees’ two-goal advantage.
The match would end at 3-1, with questions sure to be levied in the direction of Liverpool while Brentford and beloved tactician Thomas Frank would go home singing as the capital club climbed to seventh in the Premier League table while continuing to stand tall against the best that England has to offer.
📰 Table Of Contents
Brentford Player Ratings
- GK: David Raya – 7.5
- RCB: Zanka – 6
- CB: Ethan Pinnock – 7.5
- LCB: Ben Mee – 7
- RWB: Mads Roerslev – 6.5
- DM: Christian Nørgaard – 7
- LWB: Rico Henry – 7
- CM: Mathias Jensen – 7.5
- CM: Vitaly Janelt – 7
- RF: Yoane Wissa – 7.5
- LF: Bryan Mbeumo – 8
- Sub: Josh Dasilva – 6
- Sub: Keane Lewis-Potter – 6
- Sub: Saman Ghoddos – 6
- Sub: Sergi Canós – 6
- Sub: Mads Bech Sørensen – N/A
Liverpool Player Ratings
- GK: Alisson – 7
- RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold –
- CB: Ibrahima Konaté – 4
- CB: Virgil van Dijk – 5.5
- LB: Kostas Tsimikas – 7
- DM: Fabinho – 6.5
- CM: Harvey Elliot – 6
- CM: Thiago – 6
- RW: Mohamed Salah – 6.5
- LW: Alex Oxlade Chamberlain – 7.5
- CF: Darwin Núñez – 6
- Sub: Naby Keïta – 6
- Sub: Andrew Robertson – 6.5
- Sub: Joel Matip – 6.5
- Sub: Curtis Jones -6
Key Performers
Bryan Mbuemo’s game by numbers vs. Liverpool:
24 touches
2 crosses completed
2 aerial duels won
2 key passes
2 shots on target
1 goalClinical. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/CdGC5duXpo
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 2, 2023
David Raya’s game by numbers vs. Liverpool:
41 touches
9 long balls completed
4 saves
2 saves inside the box
2 sweeper keepers
1 high claimInspired performance. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/BusPGG6Npi
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 2, 2023
Ethan Pinnock’s game by numbers vs. LIverpool:
100% tackles won
100% ground duels won
45 touches
11 clearances
4 blocks
3 aerial duels won
2 long balls completed
1 interceptionWarrior. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/K41XnS5527
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 2, 2023
Social Media
Ahead of kick-off, we will remember those members of the Brentford family we lost in 2022 with a minute’s applause#BrentfordFC | #BRELIV
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 2, 2023
🗣 Thomas Frank said Ivan Toney was ‘close’ to making tonight’s game
He could have made it had he had a couple more days#BrentfordFC | #BRELIV pic.twitter.com/QSMC93vpBM
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 2, 2023
Darwin Núñez is averaging a shot every 17 minutes away from home in the Premier League this season.#BRELIV pic.twitter.com/OZwM7oBcIm
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) January 2, 2023
GOAL Brentford 1-0 Liverpool (19 mins)
Bryan Mbeumo’s corner deflects off Ibrahima Konate and in past Alisson#BRELIV
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2023
It’s a sublime cross from Jensen and Wissa plants his header home
Alisson paws it away but it had already crossed the line
🐝 2-0 🔴#BrentfordFC | #BRELIV https://t.co/VWfcgWmmsU
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 2, 2023
Can we stop playing rubbish please?
Cheers 👍🏻 #BRELIV
— Sam Quek (@SamanthaQuek) January 2, 2023
51′ – It’s a brilliant ball in from Trent from the right, and the header is equally good from Oxlade-Chamberlain into the corner. Come on!
[2-1]#BRELIV https://t.co/pKFHVm8b2g
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 2, 2023
GOAL Brentford 3-1 Liverpool (84 mins)
Bryan Mbeumo outmuscles Ibrahima Konate and calmly finishes past Alisson to restore the hosts’ two-goal lead#BRELIV
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2023
