Liverpool: Diaz 12′, Salah 70′
Before the game
We’re home! It’s officially the first home game of the season, Arne Slot’s first home game of the season, and we welcome Brentford with a similar squad to last week. The only real change is that Ibrahima Konate comes straight into the starting line-up in place of Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones is struggling with a groin injury. Otherwise, the rest of the squad is ready to start a new season at home and eager to impress the new manager in front of the home fans.
Brentford have actually named their two recently signed former Reds players on the bench, with Sepp Van Den Berg and Fabio Carvalho on the away bench for the first time.
First half
We’ve started! The pitch is green and glorious, and Liverpool quickly take control. Much of the week has been focused on winning the one-on-one duels, and so we get our first chance to see if that theme has been worked on over the course of the week. Slot has not only stuck with Konate as his preferred centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk, but also with Diogo Jota in attack. Another talking point from earlier in the week has been a focus on getting off to a faster start, and they have certainly adapted to that, but Brentford are not without fighting spirit, and get the first corner of the game around the 12th minute. It is poorly executed, and Liverpool quickly set themselves up for a counter-attack, storming to the first GOAL by Luis Diaz!
Play moves quickly back and forth across the pitch, which is certainly exciting to watch but probably less exciting for a possession-focused manager like Slot. Andy Roberston plays through a pass from Diaz that puts him in position for a goal, but Roberston’s shot hits the post, leading to Liverpool’s first two corners of the day. Liverpool are unable to capitalise on this chance and play shifts back to the middle of the pitch and looks to settle down over the next ten minutes. Liverpool push forward, Mohamed Salah gets into the box but falls over.
Liverpool get a free kick in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s favourite area after Brentford’s captain brought Diaz down in the 27th minute. As they take their time to build the wall, Trent steps up and fires the ball just over the bar. Ah yes, the season is back. Dominik Szoboszlai also gets the first yellow card of the day for knocking over a Brentford player and Salah also caused a free kick for the Bees. The shot goes wide though and the problems are easily resolved.
In the last ten minutes of the half, the game has settled down considerably and is moving back and forth again, with a few fouls here and there. Liverpool get another chance to score in the 41st minute when they get into the final third and Trent fires the ball straight at a Brentford defender, resulting in a corner. This time Robertson takes the ball but it doesn’t end up far away. Salah tries outside the box but the Brentford goalkeeper catches the ball. Another goal before half-time would be ideal but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
Second half
No changes were made at half-time, so the same team come out to defend and hopefully extend their lead at Anfield. And indeed they do, getting into the final third early on and Jota ambitiously going for an overhead kick that Robertson heads but ultimately misses the target. Brentford are able to continue to press forward and threaten a couple of times early in the half, but again they fail to find the net, with a shot well blocked off Konate’s shoulder.
Alisson’s first real test of the day comes after Brentford take a short corner and someone takes a beautiful shot that another player is able to intercept and fire towards the Brazilian, who blocks and catches the shot before a rebound can punish the Reds. Liverpool get another scoring opportunity in the 60th minute with a buttery passing display between Mac Allister and Salah, but Salah fails to get the ball on goal.
It feels like there could be one of two outcomes at this point: another goal and maybe one more, or we’ll have the finishing problems of last season and fail to build on our current lead. I’m not going to conjure up the worst case scenario, but the best I can say is that the boys seem to be enjoying passing the ball against a strong Brentford side.
AND THERE IT IS! An assist from Luis Diaz is picked up by Alexis Mac Allister to feed Salah after a sloppy pass from Brentford, and Salah scores our second goal of the day. A perfect time for Liverpool to make their first changes of the day. Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo come on for Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Another plan probably mainly to save legs for the busy season ahead. Slot makes another change in the 82nd minute, finally bringing on Harvey Elliott for Mohamed Salah.
Final thoughts
Liverpool did it! This game was a pleasure to watch, many of the problems in defence were solved calmly and quickly. Brentford had a few chances to score but ultimately couldn’t really get anything done. A clean game at home in the second game of the season? Long live the damn Reds.
