Preview: Brentford vs Liverpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Liverpool will endeavour to leapfrog Brentford into the top four of the Premier League when they travel to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The two teams meet for the first time since the final weekend of last season when they played out a 1-1 draw at Anfield in May.

Match preview

Brentford are one of only three teams in the Premier League, along with leaders Man City and Everton, who are yet to lose after six matches this season, their longest run without defeat at the start of a league campaign since 2006-07 when they competed in the third division.

Three weeks after they convincingly beat Chelsea 3-0 on home soil, the Bees came from behind to rescue a point in a 2-2 away draw with Aston Villa last time out, their fourth stalemate of the season that has kept them fourth in the table.

The fact that head coach Keith Andrews was “disappointed” to only come away with a point against Champions League opposition shows just how far Brentford have come, six years after they were promoted from the Championship. European qualification is the aim for the Bees this term after narrowly missing out last season with a ninth-placed finish.

Brentford’s top-eight credentials will be tested when they lock horns with Liverpool this weekend, but they did accumulate four points across home and away fixtures against the Reds last season, including a 3-2 triumph at the Gtech almost 12 months ago to the day.

While the Bees are without a win in eight Premier League away games (D6 L2), they have put together an eight-game unbeaten home run in the top tier (W3 D5) – not since the 2022-23 campaign (11 games) have they enjoyed a longer home streak without defeat.

Wednesday night was one to remember for Liverpool’s club-record signing Bradley Barcola, who opened his account for the club in style by celebrating a brilliant first career hat-trick in an emphatic 6-3 Champions League victory away against LASK Linz.

Ronald Araujo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas were also on the scoresheet as the Reds withstood a three-goal second-half fightback from the hosts to register their second UCL win in as many games, three days after a disappointing 3-0 home loss to Manchester City in the Premier League.

That defeat with 10 men at Anfield was Liverpool’s first taste of failure under new head coach Andoni Iraola, while it also ended the Spaniard’s impressive 23-game unbeaten run as a Premier League manager, including results from previous club Bournemouth (W10 D13).

Iraola, who had previously overseen two wins and three draws as Liverpool boss in the top flight, sees his team sitting ninth in the table and one point behind Saturday’s opponents Brentford, whom the Merseysiders beat five times in a row by an aggregate score of 11-1 prior to last season.

However, Iraola has never beaten Brentford in seven previous attempts as a manager (D5 L2); only against West Ham United (D6 L1) has the 44-year-old faced a team on as many occasions in his career without ever winning.

Brentford Premier League form:

Brentford form (all competitions):

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Team News

Brentford are sweating over the fitness of Kevin Schade (shoulder) and Jannik Schuster (ankle) who were both forced off with injured against Aston Villa. Mikkel Damsgaard (ankle) and Nathan Collins (calf) are also doubtful, but Josh Dasilva (thigh), Antoni Milambo (knee) and Kaye Furo (unspecified) remain out.

Schade scored both home and away against Liverpool last season, but Dango Ouattara could be handed a start on the left side of attack if the German is not fit to feature, while former Liverpool man Sepp van den Berg may deputise at centre-back if Schuster fails to recover in time.

Mathias Jensen could earn a recall to link up with Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt in a three-man midfield, which may see Keane Lewis-Potter drop back into the left-back position, unless Andrews decides to stick with summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf.

As for Liverpool, Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni (both knee) all remain sidelined with injuries, while Ryan Gravenberch will serve a one-match suspension following his controversial sending off against Man City.

Iraola was unable to confirm whether Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Alexander Isak (thigh) or Cody Gakpo (ankle) would be fit to return against Brentford. All three players have subsequently emerged as doubts and are unlikely to start even if they are fit to return.

Victor Munoz will battle with Rio Ngumoha for a start on the right wing, while academy graduate Trey Nyoni may finally be handed his full Premier League debut in centre-midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister, after growing calls from supporters to see the 19-year-old start.

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Ajer, Lewis-Potter; Yarmolyuk, Janelt; Anthony, Jensen, Ouattara; Thiago

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Nyoni, Mac Allister; Munoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas

We say: Brentford 2-2 Liverpool

Given that at least two goals have been scored in each of the last six meetings between these two sides, another entertaining, end-to-end contest should be in store this weekend, even if both squads may not be at full strength.

Liverpool failed to beat Brentford home or away last term, and considering that the Bees have made themselves difficult to beat in the early stages of this season, the Reds may have to settle for another share of the spoils on this occasion.

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