Brentford script history, clinch memorable 3-1 win over Liverpool
Jan 03, 2023
Brentford [UK], January 3 : Brentford scripted history after registering a memorable 3-1 win over Premier League giant Liverpool, their first victory over the Reds since 1938 at the Brentford Community Stadium, England on Monday.
The stunning victory was achieved thanks to goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and an own goal from Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate.
Like Leicester's Wout Faes on Friday night, Konate unintentionally put the ball in his net to score the game's first goal in the 19th minute while Wissa duly extended the hosts' score off a cross from Mathias Jensen in the 42nd minute.
Following a dramatic triple substitution from Jurgen Klopp in which Virgil van Dijk was removed, which caused a change in shape and momentary change in fortune, Liverpool sprang into action after the interval.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's precise delivery was met by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, giving his Reds career new life, who flicked a header beyond David Raya(50) and Brentford held off the rest of Liverpool's haphazard pressure, putting an end to any chance of an unlikely comeback.
Liverpool's defensive flaws were exposed when they locked horns against Brentford, who were without their leading scorer Ivan Toney but still managed to tear apart the Reds' shaky defence to pieces with their incisive counterattacking tactics.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank termed the win the most satisfying victory of his four-year tenure. Brentford can now add their victory over Liverpool to their shocking 4-0 win over Manchester United in August and their 2-1 victory against champions Manchester City in November.
The Reds missed out on the chance to get closer to the Champions League berths and are currently four points behind Manchester United in fourth place, while resilient Brentford ascend to a soaring seventh place and fall two points short of their Merseyside rivals.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was disappointed with the team's performance and called Brentford's second goal a gift seemingly frustrated about it.
"Of course I'm not happy [with set-piece defending] - we'll have to watch it back - the two corners they scored, one was offside or whatever it was, and the other one. Of course, we don't behave perfectly but, like I said, they stretch the rules in these moments, they're really pushing, really holding and everything. Not a top-class game, but we still had chances. The second goal is a present to Brentford, which I'm really angry about. It doesn't feel great. It's not that we didn't fight, in the end, we are responsible for the defeat," said Klopp as quoted by Sky Sports.
While the Liverpool boss was furious with the loss, Brentford's manager Thomas Frank was ecstatic after the historic win and applauded the players for their mentality to perform spectacularly against a top Premier League side.
"These players keep surprising me. They keep massively impressing me with mentality, effort and willpower as a group. It shouldn't, in a way, be possible as for Brentford to beat Liverpool. But with everything together we managed to do this," expressed Frank.