Liverpool is set for a Premier League clash with Brentford this Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Reds are looking to build on their recent boost of confidence, while Brentford aim to continue their strong home form.
For Brentford, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster season with some good times and some bad times. Softfootball reported how they pulled in a big win against West Ham, defeating them 2-0 away from home. Under Keith Andrews, the Bees aim to play a clever, tactical game to frustrate stronger opponents, while also using their pace to catch teams off-guard.
For Liverpool, it hasn’t been an easy run, but their electrifying 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt after a series of defeats has helped them regain confidence. Historically, Liverpool have dominated this fixture, with 15 wins compared to Brentford’s 4.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the match between Liverpool and Brentford, Arne Slot highlighted the status of his players, Mohammed Salah’s form and the challenges of the match.
Slot spoke in favor of Salah who has played a few matches without scoring, classifying the Egyptian star as one of the most reliable players in the team. He said:
The main thing is that Mo has always scored goals for our club. The last thing I worry about is Mo starting to score goals again because that’s what he’s done his whole life and what I expect him to do in the upcoming weeks and months for our club as well
When asked about the squad changes affect Salah’s form, the manager reflected on summer changes and their possible impact, saying:
It could. Not particularly maybe the right full-back, but it could [be]… for every player if you have quite a few changes in your squad during the summer then everyone needs to find new connections again… Mo is not an exception to this because he’s also a human being like all the others…
Slot noted Curtis Jones’ commanding midfield display against Frankfurt, explaining the tactical setup behind his influence:
I’m not so surprised that he touched the ball a lot because I positioned him and Dom a bit lower… Curtis has played a very good game against Frankfurt.
Speaking on the challenge of selecting the best XI, Slot said:
It’s not only about new signings… It’s about a lot of very good players, so what is your best line-up? The team you face, the tactics the other team plays with, the form of the player and the connections between the players… you can also have moments in the season where things are a bit more difficult.
He added that integrating new signings in matches also plays a role:
It was maybe also the first time there was an opportunity to play with both Alex and Hugo because of Alex missing out for so long… certain players bring different characteristics.
Watch the press conference below as was shared in the club’s verified X handle:
Keith Andrews, the head coach of Brentford also spoke ahead of the match. As shared in the club’s verified X handle, He sounded positive on the team’s recent performance and talked about the need for improvements.
The performance levels of so many aspects on Monday were very pleasing. There’s always things you can tweak. Naturally you can become a little bit more demanding, and fine tune, when everybody is in a good place. We need to build on that
He also spoke about his team’s preparation for the match against Liverpool. He admitted that the game will be tough but his players are ready.
Team News
For Liverpool, Alexandra Isak’s coming back is in doubt especially as he had come off at half-time in the game with Eintracht Frankfurt because of his groin injury. It is also not certain if Ryan Gravenberch will be playing in the match because of his ankle injury. Jeremie Frimpong, Alisson Becker, and Giovanni Leoni remain out
For Brentford, Antoni Milambo and Paris Maghoma will not play because of an ACL and thigh injuries respectively. There is doubt about Aaron Hickey because of a knock to his knee.
Possible Lineups:
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Collins, Van den Berg, Pinnock; Kayode, Henderson, Yarmolyuk, Lewis-Potter; Damsgaard; Schade, Thiago
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Bradley; Konaté; Virgil van Dijk; Robertson; Mac Allister; Jones; Salah; Szoboszlai; Gakpo; Ekitike.
Prediction:
With Liverpool’s superior quality, they could win with a 2-1 scoreline but Brentford will still make the game tough for them because of their strength at home.
