Prediction: Liverpool vs Brentford

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure began with a composed and clinical 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town, marking an encouraging start to the new Premier League season. The Reds now prepare for their first home game of the campaign, welcoming Brentford to Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Brentford also started their season on a high, earning a hard-fought 2-1 win against Crystal Palace at home. Both teams will aim to build on their early success, setting up an intriguing battle between two confident sides.

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah once again showcased his knack for finding the back of the net on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, netting his ninth goal in such fixtures, which set a new record ahead of legends like Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney. It should also be said that Leicester City’s veteran striker Jamie Vardy has eight as well, after scoring against Tottenham Hotspur last week.

Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Ipswich saw Salah’s clinical finish in the second half, following Diogo Jota’s opener, as the Reds capitalized on a strong second-half performance after a tricky opening 45 minutes.

Arne Slot, who became Liverpool’s new head coach after leaving Feyenoord, ended a 25-year managerial hoodoo, as no Liverpool boss had won their opening Premier League game since Gerard Houllier in 1998. Slot now prepares to experience his first Premier League game at Anfield, where Liverpool were a formidable force last season, losing just one of their 19 home matches. Furthermore, the Reds haven’t suffered an August home defeat in the league since a 3-0 loss to West Ham United in 2015.

As Slot looks to build momentum, he has the chance to do what none of his recent predecessors—Brendan Rodgers, Jurgen Klopp, Roy Hodgson, or Rafael Benitez—could accomplish: win his first two Premier League matches in charge of Liverpool. The last manager to do so was Graeme Souness, back when the competition was known as the First Division in 1991.

Team News

Jarell Quansah made a rare start in Liverpool’s Premier League opener at Portman Road, chosen over Ibrahima Konate. However, Arne Slot opted to substitute the youngster at halftime, explaining that it was due to lost duels rather than fitness issues. Ironically, Quansah has now picked up a training injury and is doubtful for the weekend clash against Brentford. This means Konate is set to rejoin Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.

Slot otherwise enjoys a clean bill of health for the weekend, with no new injuries or concerns emerging from the squad. Lacking new signings in the transfer window so far, Liverpool are expected to field an almost identical lineup to the one that secured victory against Ipswich. Ryan Gravenberch is likely to retain his spot in a deeper midfield role for the Reds’ first home fixture of the new season, alongside Alexis Mac Allister.

Brentford

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was briefly linked with a possible move to Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp announced his departure from the club, but he reaffirmed his loyalty to the Bees, who got off to a strong start in the Premier League by defeating Crystal Palace. Despite the pre-match focus on Ivan Toney’s transfer situation, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa stepped up to secure the victory, sparing Ethan Pinnock’s blushes after an own-goal.

Frank’s side benefited from a controversial decision when an Eberechi Eze free kick was disallowed for a foul, but the Brentford boss celebrated an “unbelievable” opening-day win, especially against a London rival. This victory followed their strong finish last season when they won their final away match against Bournemouth.

Brentford last achieved consecutive top-flight away wins when they beat Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and followed it up with a victory over Fulham in their first away match of 2023/24. However, repeating that feat at Anfield will be a tall order, as Brentford lost both encounters with Liverpool last season and have not triumphed at Anfield since 1937, with eight straight defeats on Merseyside since.

Team News

As Brentford prepare for their trip to Anfield, the future of star striker Ivan Toney remains uncertain, with no progress on his potential move to the Saudi Pro League or other clubs. His participation this weekend is doubtful.

Brentford will definitely be without Rico Henry (knee), Igor Thiago (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee), and Aaron Hickey (thigh). Frank is hopeful that Henry will return after the September international break.

With Toney’s absence likely to continue, Yoane Wissa will be up front once more.

Brentford have signed Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool, but the Dutch defender is unlikely to feature in the starting XI against his former club.

Conclusion

Brentford’s attacking prowess, especially with Wissa’s recent form and Mbeumo’s impressive goal contributions in Toney’s absence, means they could pose a threat to Liverpool’s defence.

However, Frank acknowledged that they were fortunate at times in their win over Crystal Palace. Given Liverpool’s full-strength lineup and their strong start to the season, they are well-positioned to exploit any defensive lapses from Brentford.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: Olympusbet