Liverpool will entertain Brentford at Anfield on Sunday, as Jurgen Klopp aims to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
The Reds were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by 10-man Arsenal in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash at home on Thursday evening.
Prior to that, they dropped points in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, after the Blues came from 2-0 down to take a point.
Brentford, on the other hand, have won two out of their last five league games and head to Anfield off the back of a 4-1 thrashing at Southampton.
Liverpool vs Brentford – Team News
Liverpool
Nat Phillips, Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliot are all out injured for Liverpool, while Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita are unavailable due to their participation in the AFCON.
Divock Origi has returned to light training after recovering from a hamstring issue but is not expected to feature against Brentford. So Jurgen Klopp has the same squad to choose from their midweek EFL Cup clash with Arsenal.
Alisson Becker will continue between the sticks for Liverpool and will hope to keep a clean sheet when they face the Bees on Sunday.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are expected to start at the heart of the Reds defence, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson operating from the full-back positions.
Fabinho will fulfil the defensive midfield role, as usual, protecting the backline and allowing fellow midfielders Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones to get forward and create openings for the forwards. Liverpool’s midfield three are expected to dominate the ball against a Brentford side devoid of confidence.
Roberto Firmino will lead Liverpool’s attack on Sunday. The Brazilian will be flanked by Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino, and the Reds’ attacking trio will fancy their chances against Thomas Frank’s team at Anfield.
Brentford
David Raya, Mathias Jorgensen, Julian Jeanvier, Charlie Goode and Josh Dasilva are all out injured for Brentford, while Frank Onyeka has teamed up with Nigeria for the AFCON.
👊 Just the 6⃣ goals when we met The Reds back in September #BrentfordFC #LIVBRE pic.twitter.com/NSiGKB4Xhq
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 15, 2022
But Brentford will welcome back Sergi Canos and Rico Henry against Liverpool after the full-backs have recovered from a thigh injury.
In David Raya’s injury absence, Alvaro Fernandez will continue deputising in goal for Brentford. There isn’t likely to be much change in Brentford’s defence, with a back three of Kristoffer Ajer, Pontus Jansson and Ethan Pinnock set to start at Anfield.
Having trained in the last couple of days, Rico Henry and Sergi Canos could be thrown straight into the Brentford lineup by Thomas Frank. They will supply width and energy from the wing-back positions, with Vitaly Janelt, Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen stationed in the middle of the park.
Bryan Mbeumo will partner Ivan Toney up top, and Frank will hope the two forwards create enough problems for the Liverpool backline at Anfield.
Liverpool vs Brentford – Predicted Lineups
Liverpool Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Curtis Jones; Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino, Takumi Minamino
Brentford Predicted Lineup (3-5-2): Alvaro Fernandez; Kristoffer Ajer, Pontus Jansson, Ethan Pinnock; Sergi Canos, Vitaly Janelt, Christian Norgaard, Mathias Jensen, Rico Henry; Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney
Liverpool vs Brentford – Key Players
Liverpool—Diogo Jota
In Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah’s absence, the onus is on Diogo Jota to deliver the goods for Liverpool. The Portuguese has been among Liverpool’s best players this season and will carry the biggest threat for the hosts on Sunday.
Brentford—Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo scored a fine hat-trick in Brentford’s 4-1 win over Port Vale in the FA Cup third round last weekend. He failed to do much in the defeat at Southampton but will be eager to make a mark against Liverpool. With his pace and dribbling in tight spaces, the Frenchman can give headaches to Klopp’s side.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Brentford