Alexander Isak wins it as Florian Wirtz makes Liverpool history and Bradley Barcola impresses

Alexander Isak's winning goal against Brentford and a record-equalling creative display from Florian Wirtz have offered Andoni Iraola fresh encouragement that Liverpool's expensive attacking recruits are beginning to find their rhythm together.

Liverpool came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, responding to their 3-0 Premier League defeat against Manchester City with a second successive win in all competitions.

Isak, returning from a thigh injury that had kept him out of the previous two matches, scored the winner in the 70th minute after Victor Muñoz had cancelled out Keane Lewis-Potter's first-half opener.

The Swedish striker's decisive contribution was created by Bradley Barcola, while Wirtz supplied the pass for Muñoz's equaliser and produced one of the most impressive playmaking performances of his Liverpool career.

The result offered an encouraging glimpse of how three of Liverpool's most expensive recent signings could complement one another, even if their adaptation to life at Anfield has followed very different paths.

For Iraola, whose team have struggled to produce consistent attacking performances in the Premier League, those individual contributions were arguably more significant than the narrow scoreline.

There are reasons for caution, however. Brentford played the entire second half with 10 men following Yehor Yarmoliuk's dismissal, before Vitaly Janelt also received a red card in stoppage time.

Alexander Isak's winning goal highlights Liverpool's attacking progress

Isak's return provided Liverpool with a timely boost after an injury had interrupted his promising start to the campaign.

The former Newcastle United striker endured a difficult first season following his British-record move to Anfield in 2025, struggling to produce the consistent performances that had established him as one of the Premier League's most dangerous centre-forwards.

His second campaign has been considerably more encouraging.

Isak has already scored five Premier League goals this season, including decisive contributions against Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town and Bournemouth.

His strike against Brentford was another demonstration of the movement and finishing ability that persuaded Liverpool to make such a substantial investment.

With the match level at 1-1, the Sweden international positioned himself between defenders before controlling Barcola's knockdown and finding the net with an assured finish despite pressure inside the penalty area.

It was an important moment for a team that had struggled to convert its territorial dominance into a winning position.

Liverpool had created chances during the first half, but Barcola missed a particularly inviting opportunity when he attempted to lift the ball over goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and sent his effort wide.

Brentford subsequently took the lead through Lewis-Potter, who headed home Igor Thiago's cross shortly before the interval.

Yarmoliuk's dismissal for an attempted headbutt on Jeremy Jacquet changed the complexion of the match, allowing Liverpool to apply sustained pressure against a reduced opposition.

Yet the Reds still needed individual quality to turn their numerical advantage into three points, and Isak delivered when the opportunity arrived.

The 27-year-old's improved finishing has provided a focal point for Iraola's attack, while his movement offers teammates opportunities to play passes into dangerous central areas.

His resurgence also provides a useful perspective on Liverpool's other expensive recruits: even established Premier League performers can require time to settle after a major transfer.

Wirtz and Barcola give Iraola fresh reasons for optimism

While Isak provided the decisive finish, Liverpool's victory also highlighted encouraging developments in the performances of Wirtz and Barcola.

Wirtz has faced considerable scrutiny since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, having struggled to reproduce the consistency that made him one of Europe's most highly rated attacking midfielders.

His performance at Brentford, however, demonstrated why Liverpool invested so heavily in the Germany international.

The 23-year-old created nine chances from open play, equalling the club's Premier League record set by Sadio Mane against Burnley in January 2021.

No Liverpool player has surpassed that total in a Premier League match since Opta's records began in 2003-04, while Wirtz also produced the highest number of chances in an away Premier League fixture since Samir Nasri created 10 for Manchester City against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2011.

The statistics were already examined in detail by Sports Mole's report on Wirtz's record-equalling display, but their significance extends beyond an individual record.

Wirtz's clever through-ball for Muñoz's equaliser illustrated the creativity Liverpool have often lacked against organised defences this season.

His performance against Brentford followed an encouraging Champions League outing against LASK, when he helped create opportunities for Barcola during Liverpool's 6-3 victory.

Together, those displays suggest that Wirtz is beginning to find more effective connections with his teammates, although he still needs to produce such performances consistently.

Barcola's situation is different. The French winger only arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in September and did not benefit from a full pre-season with Iraola's squad. His adaptation has therefore required patience, but his recent performances have offered increasingly convincing evidence of his potential.

After scoring a hat-trick against LASK, Barcola registered his first Premier League assist by setting up Isak's winner against Brentford.

The 24-year-old repeatedly troubled the hosts with his pace and direct running, although his finishing remains an area for improvement.

He missed a clear first-half opportunity when attempting to chip Kelleher and later struck the crossbar, while another promising counter-attack broke down following a poorly timed decision.

Those moments illustrate why Liverpool's attacking development remains a work in progress rather than a completed transformation.

There was also an important qualification to Saturday's comeback.

Both goals arrived after Yarmoliuk's dismissal, while Brentford threatened an equaliser when Igor Thiago missed from close range shortly after Isak had put Liverpool ahead.

Janelt's second yellow card did not arrive until stoppage time, meaning Iraola's players had already completed the turnaround before Brentford were reduced to nine men.

The Liverpool manager himself acknowledged that his side became less convincing after taking the lead.

"I think we played really well the minute until we scored 2-1 against 10 players," Iraola told reporters.

"I'm probably more disappointed after we score because you score for 2-1 and then you feel like you have something to lose."

Nevertheless, the growing understanding between Liverpool's expensive attacking recruits represents an encouraging development following an inconsistent start to the campaign.

Isak is providing the goals, Wirtz is beginning to dictate attacking play with greater authority, and Barcola is offering the direct running and movement needed to stretch opposition defences.

Liverpool now host Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday, October 20, before welcoming Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield in the Premier League five days later.

Those fixtures will provide another opportunity to assess whether the promising connections displayed at Brentford can develop into the consistent attacking threat Iraola needs.