Brentford heaped further misery on Premier League champions Liverpool with a well deserved 3-2 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium.
An emphatic midweek triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League ended a sequence of four successive defeats in all competitions for the Reds – but it proved to be a false dawn as the weaknesses that have plagued Arne Slot’s side this season surfaced yet again.
Michael Kayode’s lethal long throw exposed Liverpool’s shaky rearguard in the fifth minute, with Dango Ouatarra scoring from Kristoffer Ajer’s flick-on.
Mohamed Salah came close to an instant response for the Reds, but he was thwarted by former Liverpool stopper Caoimhin Kelleher before Florian Wirtz missed the chance to score his first goal for the Reds when he sliced a half-volley wide.
The hosts continued to trouble Liverpool and it was no surprise when they doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time, Kevin Schade running on to Mikkel Damsgaard’s magnificent through-ball to sweep past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Defender, Milos Kerkez gave Liverpool hope in added time in the first half, but Brentford continued to dominate after the break.
The Bees continued in the ascendancy after the break, and after a stunning Mamardashvili save against Damsgaard, Brentford were awarded a controversial penalty when VAR deemed Virgil van Dijk had fouled Ouattara right on the line of the penalty area.
Igor Thiago assumed responsibility from 12 yards and coolly slotted home to restore the Bees’ two-goal cushion, with that his fourth strike in as many matches.
Liverpool have now lost five successive games in London for the first time since 1970.
The Reds are in sixth place – four points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Crystal Palace on Sunday – while Brentford are 10th after an impressive fourth win of the campaign.
