Yet if the hopeless (I would also accept: hapless) Hammers were toothless lions living on former glories and the current divisional whipping boys, this was different.
This is Liverpool Football Club – as their sign is fond of reminding everyone. A club, like West Ham, whose supporters have more than a foot in the past but who actually wear the crown of reigning Premier League champions. A team whose summer spending blew everybody out of the water in an attempt to consolidate and, indeed, whose pursuit of Alexander Isak sparked the whole Wissa thing.
Whilst all that transfer business eventually settled, they’ve struggled to make it gel. Isak, like Wissa, is injured and making zero impact for his new club. Mo Salah’s form has gone awol, and goalkeeper Alisson is injured. Having lost three league games on the bounce after storming to the top of the table in the opening weeks, they were suddenly ripe for the picking. Ripe for being propelled into Fulham territory, i.e, a run of LLLL.
Bees boss Andrews went bold, and it paid off in some style, giving fans everywhere a night to remember.
Keith vindicated. Arne terminated.
Brentford named the same team that began against West Ham. The same formation with four at the back rather than five. Henderson and Yarmoliuk at the base of the midfield. Damsgaard being afforded the opportunity to absolutely run wild, at, and through, the flimsy Liverpool midfield. A wet paper bag would have offered more resistance as the Bees went for it from the start.
The early signs that pressure would tell were on show as substitute ‘keeper Mamardashvili had to make a series of hurried clearances into touch. Yet all that did was unleash Kayode, whose much-touted weapon came to the fore. The second of two huge throws in front of the North stand flicked on by Kris Ajer and Ouattara, making no mistake on the far side of the box to fire home from close in after just five minutes.
It was wonderfully executed and even more so, given everybody knew exactly what was coming. That included a Liverpool defence that failed to read their notes. As with the impotence of West Ham, that’s hardly the fault of the Bees, whose own dedication to perfecting the route worked in some fine style.
One up and looking like more was to come. The home fans were ecstatic – the away support (and tourists by our seats seemed to have a somewhat unusual interest in filming the visitors) silenced.
The Bees continued. Ajer and Collins titanic at the back when called upon. Damsgaard waltzed his way forward whenever the mood took him. Kelleher saw a few attempts come his way, but either flashed wide or were well saved. The Bees were dominant but then suffered the misfortune of seeing their talisman of recent weeks, Yehor Yarmoliuk, forced off before even a half hour had been played. It was clear from where we sat that he wouldn’t be able to continue, but at least Vitaly Janelt was ready, willing, and able to make his way on from the bench.
Liverpool threatened a few more times, but still the Bees remained solid at the back and remained in the ascendancy. The pressure building as Kerkez was booked for stopping Dango in his tracks. Damsgaard firing one in from distance and forcing Mamardashvili into a finger tip save over the bar.
More long throws are hoisted in. The Dane with another fine run, but perhaps held on to it a touch too long – I’m sure he’d say he was just enjoying the freedom of the midfield. Surely the second would come? Then it did.
With the first-half time added on approaching, the lead doubled. Damsgaard, the architect. Schade the executioner. A sublime diagonal ball forward was met by the onrushing German.
Bearing down on the goal, there was heart in the mouth but no pressure. The finish perfect, and the Gtech exploding again. 2-0 Brentford and nothing to do but play out the three, that’s three, minutes of time added on that the fourth official told referee Simon Hooper we would need.
It had the feel of classic Hooper, though. Sure enough, he delivered in buckets. The whistle not coming despite the howls of protest. Kerkez eventually firing home from close in with the clock showing 45+5. Bees fans fuming and cursing a situation that had seen a comfortable lead transform into a potential get out of jail free. 2-1 now, the score as they headed in straight after the restart.
Yet if anybody had thought that was game over, think on. The second period kicked-off with Mr Hooper’s replacement. Ordered off, injured, or simply too embarrassed to continue. Who knows?
Brentford didn’t care, though. Keith Andrews doing a fine job of rallying his troops. Kayode leading the charge, and Schade continued to look sharp. Setting up Thiago, who might have done better. Damsgaard closed again after another stonking run.
One-way traffic for the opening quarter hour, which culminated in Van Dijk fouling Ouattara just outside the box. A free-kick was ordered before VAR intervened and suggested the ref take further action. Sure enough, his on-field announcement to all parties confirmed that the foul had been on the line, so it should actually be a penalty.
If Robinson barely watered an eye in squashing the Reds’ hopes by pointing to the spot, Thiago crushed them. He may not have the finesse of Mbeumo or Toney, but he’s just as effective.
3-1 Brentford. Liverpool fans were incensed, but the decision was technically correct – even if, as one North Stand observer suggested to me, it had more than a hint of what La Liga fans call ‘Ley de Compensación’. Compensation law: The ref gets one wrong. The ref gives one back.
Who cares? They all count. The two-goal advantage was restored. The game continued hell for leather. Van den Berg with a stunning block. Kayode setting up Dango for what should have been 4-1. Schade, Ekitiké, and Salah all with opportunities. The clock racing toward the 90-minute mark, and then, disaster.
Brentford masters of their own misfortune as a woeful attempt to play it out saw Ajer caught napping, the ball won by the visitors, and who else but Mo Salah to rediscover his goal-scoring mojo? Urghhhh. The score now 3-2, just before time added on being declared.
Yet if the additional ‘three’ from the first half had felt like squeaky bum time, the ‘seven’ that Mr Hooper radioed in were excruciating. The sort of torture that the Geneva Convention was put in place to outlaw.
The clock not helped by an injury to Thiago, requiring treatment, but then running on for a good 10-11 minutes. Collins and van den Berg were again colossal in the back line as Liverpool threw the kitchen sink and even Mamardashvili into the Brentford box.
It was agony. It was horrific. Yet it was that pressure that actually makes the joy of full-time and the taste of victory all the sweeter.
Brentford 3. Liverpool 2. The Bees up to 10th in the table, and Keith Andrews very much the man of the moment. His decision to go big against class opposition was thoroughly rewarded. Presumably, now, starting with a back five will be a thing of the past?
Still, that discussion can wait for another day. Until then, our usual game-by-game search for the top five players of the season. As always, five points being awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third, etc, with the totals added up game-by-game to see who ends up the eventual winner after game 38.
1st (5 points) Michael Kayode. We’re starting to run out of superlatives for Michael. Nine games and nine appearances in our top five. This was next-level stuff, though. I’d say hands down his best performance in a Bees’ shirt since.
He was in their face from the very start. The now trademarked ‘Kayode Long Throw’ wreaking havoc in the box and delivering results early on. If we’re being greedy, it’s now almost expected that he’s going to create opportunity, but what a way to prove it!
The thing is, though, it’s beyond just throw-ins. They’re a mere bonus in the skill set of a player I still can’t believe we’ve been able to sign. He was beyond immense.
All four of the backliners were solid, no question whatsoever, but he was next level. He set off on so many rampaging runs forward. Caused absolute mayhem on the break. Didn’t know when to stop. His confidence is through the roof with the players and fans feeding off this.
It was about as complete a performance as we’ve any right to see. He really was incredible.
2nd (4 points) Mikkel Damsgaard I’ll tell you what, though. On any other night, Mikkel would have won it hands down. He must still be smiling this morning, given the fun he seemed to have running Liverpool absolutely ragged.
His pass to set up the second goal was sheer delight. It was just one of many times he opened them up like a can of corned beef – a task normally impossible for others, made to look like absolute child’s play by Damsgaard.
If this was Kayode’s greatest performance yet for the Bees, I’d certainly say it was Mikkel’s best of the season so far. He’s our current champion, and how good to see him playing to those levels.
Might have had a goal, too. He won’t care, though. The final result is all that counts.
3rd (3 points) Nathan Collins. Even tougher calls now, but I’m giving it to Nathan. For all that Brentford were dominant, Liverpool are no slouches themselves and had more than enough opportunity to make a game of it. Indeed, they scored twice.
They’ll be thinking it should have been more. They didn’t count on Nathan, though. The Bees’ skipper brutally strong in the middle. Never flinching. Getting in the way of everything and everyone. Leading by example.
4th (2 points) Sepp van den Berg. It was the sort of game where you want to give first place to everybody.
Sepp took fourth spot and was absolutely integral to Brentford taking the win. He and Nathan forged such a partnership that there was no way through – no parting for the Reds, see.
That buttock-squirming denouement made to feel like just another day at the office from a player who must be so pleased to have gotten one over his old team.
5th (1 point) Kevin Schade Oh, decisions. Kris Ajer had a stormer on the left for 88 minutes. Ouattara and Thiago both scored, whilst may have had more. In the end, though, it goes to Kevin.
He got the second goal, which was probably the turning point of the game. The point at which Liverpool realised that no matter how much they may feel victory to be a divine right, there would be no joy on Saturday night.
Yet like Mikkel, I thought it was also his strongest showing of the campaign. Playing at the levels we saw last season and enjoying himself like you wouldn’t believe.
Give these players some freedom and just look at what they can do…..
All of which means that after Round 9 of fixtures, the current top five sees Kayode moving further clear, but the Greatest Dane isn’t looking to hand over his crown without a fight as the battle behind the leader intensifies
1st Michael Kayode – 27 points
2nd Jordan Henderson – 17 points
2nd Yehor Yarmoliuk – 17 points
4th Mikkel Damsgaard – 15 points
5th Igor Thiago – 13 points
