FROM THE GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM – Darwin Nunez’s stoppage-time winner gave Liverpool a priceless 2-0 win away at Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
The Bees fought bravely for a long 90 minutes, ceding possession and territory to the visitors who scored 37 shots – most of them from long range. Brentford arguably enjoyed the better chances before Nunez converted two late efforts from close range.
A late turnaround ensured Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points, increasing the pressure on second-placed Arsenal ahead of their clash with Aston Villa.
How the match unfolded
When Arne Slot took on Brentford in his first home game as Liverpool manager, he thought: “This is a tougher league than the Eredivisie.”
Brentford has that effect on many teams and managers. They are proudly clumsy, deliberately playing at a different rhythm and adept at frustrating opponents in every third of the field. When Liverpool making their way through their hosts’ central block, they were met with a mass of red and white pinstripes comfortably situated on the edge and within their own box.
Heavily restricted to efforts outside the D, Dominik Szoboszlai did manage to hit the bar with a blistering effort in the first half.
It took until the 39th minute for both sides to catch the other in transition. Cody Gakpo bypassed BrentfordBest efforts to regain possession with a brilliant, first cross-field switch of the game, setting up a move that ended with the Dutchman curling a shot wide of the post.
Liverpool continued to press and probe, racking up a swollen shot count that dwarfed Brentford’s body count on the way to each try. The stats certainly painted a picture of ridiculous dominance – and there’s no doubt the Reds had the game in hand – but Slott’s side were hardly guilty of missing any great chances and didn’t force Mark Flekken into many heroics.
Trent Alexander-Arnold broke down the right wing just as the clock ticked down to 90 minutes, earning a lucky rebound before Nunez struck to send the away side into raptures.
Liverpool’s spirited travelers had hardly stopped bouncing by the time Nunez hit his second, curling a crisp shot past Flekken with a confidence that has so often been missing this season.
Check out the Brentford vs Liverpool player ratings here.
Unlike Liverpool’s other replacements, Nunez’s arrival was not greeted with sarcastic barks of “Who?” The divisive striker was instead met with a powerful thump from three sides of the pitch, drawing unflattering comparisons to Liverpool’s misfit Andy Carroll. Within seconds of arriving, Nunez promptly fired in a header that his predecessor might have been better at.
However, when Nunez sprinted into the away end, shirt discarded in a wave of euphoria, those traveling fans reminded their Brentford colleagues exactly what was being chanted. There may be something to the comparison with the Geordie striker that got Nunez going, as Uruguay scored a late winner against Nottingham Forest after hearing the same taunts from the crowd.
Nunez’s heroics were needed after Luis Diaz’s painfully anonymous display.
The Colombian led the line on Saturday, but he was not himself. Hovering around the field like an indecisive hummingbird, Diaz clearly hasn’t shaken off the illness that has been holding him back this week.
Virgil van Dijk has spent the vast majority of Liverpool’s recent games wearing a constant expression of exasperation. After overseeing just one clean sheet in his last seven top-flight matches, the Dutch defender was once again the picture of calm.
Much of the focus will be on Liverpool’s shot tally, but the hosts were on for good for much of the game. The Reds were particularly impressive in transition, racing towards their goal faster and harder than Brentford’s incisive forwards. As Slot has pointed out on numerous occasions this term, the secret to Liverpool’s defensive resolve is simple: work rate.
However, there was one Brentford striker who was bothering the Reds. Bryan Mbeumo didn’t hit the back of the net but comfortably carried the Bees’ clearest threat. The Cameroon international even had more shots (four) than Mohamed Salah (three) – a figure he could replace if the Egyptian does not extend his contract at Anfield.
Thomas Frank quickly responded to those who wondered if Mbeumo could be on the move this month: “No!” The Dane said this week: “It’s very easy to answer – no way! It should be such a huge fee that I can’t imagine the size of the fee.”
That fee may not be so astronomical come summer.
Mbeumo fits the transfer model that worked so well for Michael Edwards during his first spell at the club; a talented player who has proven his worth in the Premier League for a club outside the elite. Diogo Jota (Wolves), Andy Robertson (Hull), Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane (Southampton) – could Mbeumo be next?
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