Liverpool, coming off a thrilling five-goal encounter against Toulouse in the Europa League, fell short of securing a spot in the last 16 due to a contentious officiating decision. Despite goals from Cristian Casseres Jr and Diogo Jota, Liverpool's hopes were dashed when a last-minute equalizer by Jarell Quansah was disallowed for a handball against Alexis Mac Allister.
Manager Jurgen Klopp expressed dissatisfaction with his team's performance, acknowledging that recent games, including a 1-1 draw with Luton Town, revealed areas for improvement. The return to Anfield, where Liverpool has a perfect record of eight wins in eight home games this season, offers a comforting prospect for the third-placed team.
Meanwhile, Brentford, aiming for Europa League or Europa Conference League qualification, has enjoyed a resurgence with three consecutive victories. Despite a setback against West Ham, where they lost 2-1 after leading, Brentford climbed to ninth in the table.
Their recent wins against Burnley and Chelsea, coupled with Nathan Collins's decisive header against West Ham, have fueled optimism. The team could make history with a fourth consecutive top-flight win, a feat not achieved since 1939. However, facing Liverpool, who has dominated recent encounters at Anfield with 3-0 and 1-0 victories since Brentford's promotion in 2021, poses a significant challenge for the Bees.
The last time Brentford kept a clean sheet against Liverpool was in 1936, and they are eager to secure a landmark victory while maintaining their impressive scoring record.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
In addition to the ongoing absence of Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), and Thiago Alcantara (hip), Jurgen Klopp faced further setbacks as Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones, and Ryan Gravenberch were sidelined with various issues before the Toulouse defeat.Van Dijk is anticipated to recover from his illness and resume his defensive duties, and there's optimism that Gravenberch will overcome his knee injury in time for the upcoming match. Unfortunately, Jones is set to be sidelined with a hamstring problem until after the international break.
Klopp's midfield choices are complicated by the suspension of Mac Allister, who received his fifth Premier League booking at Kenilworth Road. This paves the way for Wataru Endo to start in the number six role this weekend.
Turning to Brentford, Thomas Frank had to make a halftime goalkeeping change last week, with Mark Flekken giving way to Thomas Strakosha due to a dead leg. However, Flekken is expected to reclaim his position at Anfield.
On a less positive note, Aaron Hickey is ruled out for the rest of 2023 with a thigh injury, joining Rico Henry (knee), Ivan Toney (suspended), Kevin Schade (groin), Mikkel Damsgaard (knee), and Josh Dasilva (thigh) on the Bees' extensive absentee list. Shandon Baptiste has a slim chance of making an appearance.
Keane Lewis-Potter is uncertain as he works on his return from a calf concern, and the long-term absences of Henry and Hickey might see Vitaly Janelt stepping in at left-back during the festive period.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Jota
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock; Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka, Janelt; Mbeumo, Wissa
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 3-1 Brentford
Considering Liverpool's occasional vulnerability in defense and Brentford's impressive recent goal-scoring form, the Reds might find themselves needing one of their classic come-from-behind victories to secure a win. However, with Klopp's team having already amassed 11 points this season from losing positions, there's confidence that they can clinch their ninth consecutive Anfield triumph before heading into the international break.
