Liverpool travel to Brentford on Saturday, October 17, looking to bounce back from their 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City and continue their push towards the top of the table.
Andoni Iraola’s side face a difficult test against a Brentford team unbeaten in their opening six league matches. The Bees have won twice and drawn four times, establishing themselves as one of the division’s most consistent sides this season.
Liverpool, meanwhile, arrive at the Gtech Community Stadium following an entertaining 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK in Austria.
However, the short turnaround could force Iraola to rotate his squad ahead of another busy week.
Liverpool team news and predicted line-up
Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai remain doubts after missing Liverpool’s previous two matches with injuries sustained during the international break. Iraola has left the door open for their involvement, pending further assessment.
Ryan Gravenberch is suspended following his red card against Manchester City, while Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike remain sidelined.
Trey Nyoni could feature again after impressing in his first Champions League start against LASK. The young midfielder has earned praise from Iraola for his tactical intelligence and maturity.
Predicted Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Ronald Araujo, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Alexis Mac Allister, Trey Nyoni; Victor Munoz, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola; Lewis Koumas.
Liverpool will wear their black and maroon Adidas third kit at the Gtech Community Stadium, switching away from their usual colours because of Brentford’s red-and-white home strip.
Match officials confirmed
John Brooks will referee Saturday’s 3pm BST kick-off, assisted by Neil Davies and Akil Howson.
Anthony Backhouse will serve as the fourth official, while Darren England will oversee VAR, assisted by Gary Beswick.
Prediction
Brentford’s unbeaten start and strong home record make this a challenging fixture for Liverpool. The hosts have also demonstrated attacking depth, with nine different players scoring in the Premier League this season.
However, Liverpool’s attacking quality was evident against LASK, and the Reds have won their last two league away matches without conceding.
If Wirtz and Barcola can provide creativity and Liverpool manage their workload after the midweek trip, the visitors should have enough to secure three valuable points.
Prediction: Brentford 1 Liverpool 3
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