FROM GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM – Liverpool’s trip to Brentford on Saturday had real potential to go awry.
Jurgen Klopp is, famously, not a fan of his side so often playing in Saturday’s early kick-off. The Reds had picked up only one point from their previous two Premier League visits to the Bees. The night before their latest encounter, Alisson had to withdraw with a hamstring injury, adding to their already lengthy list of absentees.
In the first 30 minutes of the game, Brentford were able to impose themselves from open play as much as their usual set-piece bombardment, while Curtis Jones’s bright start was curtailed by an ankle injury.
The deck seemed stacked against Liverpool already, but they managed to play and beat Brentford at their own game. Virgil van Dijk’s long clearance from a free-kick was won by Diogo Jota, who beat last-man Sergio Reguilon to the loose ball to send Darwin Nunez clear. In typical Nunez fashion, he endeavoured to beat goalkeeper Mark Flekken in the hardest way possible, dinking the Dutchman from the edge of the box and opening the scoring.
Before the break, Liverpool then lost Jota to injury, while Nunez was hauled off at the interval. This allowed for the return of Mohamed Salah after overcoming a hamstring problem sustained while away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations last month.
Having a player like Salah to come on and change a game is not the norm for any side, and Liverpool will hope this is the last time he’s used in such a capacity. But here, this wrinkle helped them to a vital victory.
Salah missed two glorious chances before teeing up Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool’s second goal and then adding the third himself. After Ivan Toney had pulled one back, Cody Gakpo – on in place of Nunez – iced the game.
Liverpool did not just win in one of their least favourite fixtures of all in their least favourite kick-off time, but they did so emphatically and while adapting on the fly.
The Reds’ primary strength heading into the 2023/24 season was their vast array of attacking talent and new core of midfielders. Even if their defending was still as haphazard as it was last year, they would at least be able to cause all sorts of new problems going the other way.
This added depth has ensured Liverpool have been able to navigate their injury crises. Klopp might not have been able to pick and choose as he would have liked or planned to, but an enforced next-man-up policy means his side have always found a way to just get the job done. Liverpool essentially got through Saturday’s win with two entirely different attacking setups.
Manchester City have had to get by without Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne for stretches of this season, while Arsenal have scarcely had to deal with injuries to any of their key players at all. It’s admirable that Liverpool are frontrunners in this title race, continually finding a way to go again, truly a triumph of Klopp’s coaching.
Liverpool have to pick themselves up and go again with the visit of Luton Town on Wednesday before taking on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final next Sunday. The games are coming as thick and fast as their injuries, but at this point it’s not proving to slow Klopp and his charges down. That’s the power of true contenders.
