Alexander Isak scored on his return from injury as Liverpool fought back from a goal down to clinch a 2-1 victory over Brentford, who had Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt sent off.
Isak, back in the side following a thigh problem, finished clinically from Bradley Barcola’s knockdown in the second half as Andoni Iraola’s side bounced back from their loss to Manchester City.
Liverpool had appeared in trouble when Keane Lewis-Potter’s header put Brentford in front moments after the visitors had a penalty correctly overturned, but Yarmoliuk’s moment of madness in first-half stoppage time changed the game.
With only seconds remaining until the break, Yarmoliuk headbutted Jeremy Jacquet before a Liverpool corner, with referee John Brookes brandishing a straight red card for violent conduct after being sent to the pitch-side monitor by the VAR.
Liverpool made their man advantage count after the break as Victor Munoz latched onto a Florian Wirtz through ball to score a superbly-taken equaliser, before Isak completed the turnaround.
Brentford had a golden chance to equalise when Igor Thiago failed to convert from close range and they finished the game with nine men as Janelt was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time for a foul on Liverpool substitute Rio Ngumoha.
The victory allows Liverpool to climb above Brentford into fifth in the Premier League table but it was not without problems.
Dominik Szoboszlai had to come off with another injury in the first half on his return to the side, while half-time substitute Jeremie Frimpong only lasted seven minutes before being forced off.
Iraola moved Munoz to right-back after Frimpong’s injury but it did not stop the summer signing from charging forward to score the equaliser as Liverpool punished Yarmoliuk’s ill-discipline to inflict Brentford’s first defeat of the campaign.
The key moments from the game
- 20: BIG MISS! Barcola pounces on a Brentford error to run through on goal but his chipped shot bounces wide of the post
- 28: CHANCE! Jacquet gets a crucial foot in to stop Igor Thiago from scoring at the back post
- 32: INJURY! Szoboszlai is forced off with another injury as Trey Nyoni is sent on in his place
- 43: PENALTY OVERTURNED! Referee John Brooks overturns a Liverpool penalty, with Dango Ouattara having clearly touched the ball when challenging Mac Allister
- 44: GOAL! Lewis-Potter powers an emphatic header past Alisson from Thiago’s cross to put Brentford ahead
- 45+8: RED CARD! Yarmoliuk is sent off for a ‘headbutting action’ on Jacquet following another monitor check by the referee
- 52: INJURY! Frimpong is forced off only seven minutes after his introduction, with Ngumoha sent on
- 62: GOAL! Munoz makes the breakthrough for Liverpool after cutting inside to finish from Wirtz’s clever pass
- 70: GOAL! Isak finishes clinically from Barcola’s knockdown following Alexis Mac Allister’s back-post cross
- 73: MISS! Igor Thiago spurns a big chance to equalise for the 10-man hosts
- 79: BAR! Barcola sends a curling shot onto the crossbar for Liverpool
- 90+2: RED CARD! Janelt is shown a second yellow card after tripping Ngumoha on the edge of the Brentford box
What the result means and next fixtures…
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
