“Shambolic” Reds stung by the Bees
Brentford 3 Liverpool 1, 2nd January 2023.
Brentford 3 Liverpool 1, 2nd January 2023.
BRENTFORD 3 (Konate own goal 19, Wissa 42, Mbeumo 84)
LIVERPOOL 1 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 50)
Ex Liverpool Red Jamie Carragher described his old team’s first half showing as “shambolic” and a “shambles” after the full time whistle had brought an end to the Reds four game winning run in the Premier League, and that’s when I had to turn off after watching the beginnings of a long night of celebration for the “Bees” of Brentford, and a thoroughly deserved celebration it shall be. But there’s only so much footballing pain a man can take you know! The legendary defender also stated during the half-time inquest that he sees an ageing team coming to the end of their sporting cycle and worryingly, there’s an argument to made he’s correct here too, as well as being shambolic this evening (albeit making a huge second half effort to right the ship), there isn’t the impregnable strength in depth of yesteryear and without major January signings, qualification for the Champions League looks a long way off.
Thankfully, so is the end of the season.
Following Friday’s fortunate (and unflattering) 2–1 victory against Leicester City, the Reds were quickly out of the blocks and dominated the early exchanges and the first ten minutes of the game. There was a briskness and sharp edge to their early passing movements brilliantly typified by Mo Salah controlling a long ball instantly from a great height before an incisive pass split open the Brentford defence. Darwin Nunez had judged both the pass and his run perfectly, rounding goalkeeper David Raya in the process and seemed certain to score before the desperate defending of Ben Mee scrambled that certain goal from his very goal line.
The Reds were in charge but slowly and surely the home team “Bees” grabbed a foothold in the game before grabbing the first goal of the game.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 1 LIVERPOOL 0 (Konate own goal 19)
If the first ten minutes of the game was all Liverpool (in their visiting strip of green and white) the next ten was arguably all Brentford in their distinctive red and white stripes. The own goal itself from the shin of Ibrahima Konate was incredibly unlucky but the build up to the goal itself wasn’t. The ever impressive and always scampering runs of Bryan Mbeumo left Virgil van Dijk in his wake as he sprinted clear on goal on 18 minutes and it was only a firm one handed save from the Reds Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker that denied him. Seconds later, and from the resultant corner taken by Mbeumo himself, his curling centre went through a gaggle of bodies, hitting an unaware Konate before trundling into the corner of the Liverpool net, and the Reds were once again trailing early on in a Premier League game.
Five minutes later the Reds should have equalised after a brilliant Johan Cruyff style flick from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to an unmarked Kostas Tsimikas in the Brentford penalty area, but with only David Raya to beat, the Spanish goalkeeper prevailed over the Greek defensive left-back and his near post save kept the home team in front. From here, Liverpool rather capitulated under the weight of progressive and intense pressure from the West London team and corner after corner caused havoc and mayhem in the Liverpool penalty area that finally saw the home team double their advantage.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 2 LIVERPOOL 0 (Wissa 42)
Twice in the space of ten minutes, Yoane Wissa, in for Brentford’s injured and talismanic striker Ivan Toney, scored twice from a corner (or had his shot deflected in) and each time the dreaded VAR system came correctly to Liverpool’s rescue. Every time Brentford forced a corner or a long throw in near the Reds penalty area, panic and chaos ensued. Even more startling for Liverpool fans was the ease with which they gave away the ball mere seconds from being reprieved the second time and with the midfield absent and a defence in retreat, a simple through ball sent Bryan Mbeumo free on the right wing. His inside ball to Mathias Jensen was instantly swept into the Reds penalty area by the Danish international, and it was third time lucky for Yoane Wissa who’s header just crossed the goal line before being clawed away by Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal.
Third time lucky or not, it was undeniably a shocking and shambolic first half of football from the Reds and they were arguably lucky to only go in at half-time trailing 2–0. They could in all honesty have been four goals adrift.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp rang the changes at half-time with an immediate triple substitution, introducing Naby Keita for the ineffective Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson in place of Kostas Tsimikas and, presuming an injury, Joel Matip for Virgil van Dijk. The changes appeared to have an instant impact when just a couple of minutes into the second half Thiago Alcantara set Darwin Nunez free on goal. The Uruguayan held off a strong defensive challenge before delicately volleying over a somewhat stranded David Raya in the Brentford goal but as Nunez celebrated and rallied support from the travelling Reds in the corner of the Gtech Community Stadium, the VAR system came to the rescue of Brentford this time, his goal disallowed, and the score remained 2–0.
Moments later, the Reds were definitely back in the game.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 2 LIVERPOOL 1 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 50)
Thiago Alcantara was again at the heart of everything progressive and positive (as he would be throughout the second half) and his simple cross field pass found Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right wing. The young Liverpool defender trapped and controlled a difficult and bouncing pass before transferring the ball to his weaker left foot and delivering an inch perfect cross for the run and header of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain which gave Brentford goalkeeper David Raya no chance, and with fully 40 minutes of the game remaining, the Reds had dragged themselves back into contention for at least a point.
Leading the charge and recovery was stand in skipper Andy Robertson together with Thiago and Naby Keita in midfield ahead of a shored up defence patrolled now by Joel Matip. For 20 minutes the Reds penned their hosts in their own half yet didn’t overly create any clear cut goal scoring chances. It took until the cusp of the 70th minute for Naby Keita to stride purposely into space in midfield before releasing Mo Salah who in turn set up a presentable, if wide, goal scoring chance for Darwin Nunez, but the Uruguayan dragged his half chance well wide of goal. 10 further minutes ticked by in which Brentford had ostensibly seen out the Liverpool storm and were just a further 10 minutes away from a historic victory when from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner, Ibrahima Konate headed the Reds final chance on goal inches wide.
4 minutes later, the game was well and truly up for the Reds from Liverpool.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 3 LIVERPOOL 1 (Mbeumo 84)
The third goal angered me! Naby Keita was simply bundled (fairly) off the ball just inside the Brentford half of the field by substitute Keane Lewis-Potter. Taking control of the loose ball, Christian Norgaard’s simple long ball forward saw a one-on-one between a retreating Ibrahima Konate and Bryan Mbeumo, and the Cameroonian striker was too physical and strong in fairly shoving the Reds defender off the ball before stroking the ball home under a despairing and advancing Alisson Becker in the Reds goal. Twice in the space of mere seconds two far more physically imposing Liverpool players had been bounced and bundled (fairly) off the ball, and at 3–1 the game was up and indeed over.
It must be noted that Andy Robertson gathered the troops together for one final push but even with the addition of injury time and ten further minutes overall still to play, the Reds barely threatened at all, and Brentford FULLY deserved their first home win over Liverpool since 1938.
Postscript
Rather than my thoughts as usual, here are a selection from the Boss, Jurgen Klopp:
“The game got decided by the second goal in the end, which is absolutely our fault and nothing else. We got away with an offside or whatever it was. That’s all OK and then we are not awake when they just go directly against our line again. They can cross the ball and there they score the second goal and that decided the game in the end”.
“Through set-pieces, Brentford have always the chance to create chaos. That’s what they do and they do that really well. I respect that a lot and it is really good and well-organised and everything, but we had a lot of chances in not a top, top, top-class game. We still had these chances and that’s what we know, we have to improve that, in other moments — the second goal — it was a present to Brentford and that’s the one I am really angry about”.
“They put everything in, we took the fight — it’s not that we didn’t fight, not at all — but in the end we are responsible for the defeat”.
All quotes taken from www.liverpoolfc.com
Thanks for reading. Back to Liverpool duty now following the enforced absence during the World Cup. Here are links to the Reds three previous games since the return from the recent shindig in Qatar:
Foxes come bearing Christmas gifts for a below par Reds
Liverpool 2 Leicester City 1, 30th December 2022.medium.com
Game of 2 halves but Reds grab all 3 Christmas points at Villa Park
Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 3, 26th December 2022.medium.com
De Bruyne masterclass dumps Reds out of the Carabao Cup
Manchester City 3 Liverpool 2, 22nd December 2022.medium.com