An afternoon that had looked so promising ended in abject frustration for Brentford as Liverpool ran out eventual 2-1 winners at the Gtech. Here are your player ratings.
It was a result made all the more irksome by two red cards for Brentford. Ironically, about the only decisions our charlatan of a referee, John Brooks, got right all afternoon. The first coming when Yarmo reacted to Jérémy Jacquet getting in his face as the teams set up for a corner kick just prior to half-time. The Bees’ midfielder delivering the softest of attempted headbutts back in the direction of his opponent but it allowed Jacquet to perform the theatrical reaction he was looking for.
Brooks missed this but was soon bailed out by VAR. Again. (See also: the ‘penalty’ he awarded against Dango). This time he was left with no choice but to send the Brentford number 6 for an early bath. Frustratingly, there could be no complaints about an incident that was to prove beyond the turning point in a game that the Bees had been leading through KLP’s thumping header minutes earlier.
The second red card was perhaps even more infuriating. At that point the Bees had seen their 1-0 lead switch to a 2-1 deficit with full-time approaching. Vitaly had already been booked for mouthing off at Mr Brooks (understandably) and soon after had to remember himself as he looked to go again.
“Keith needs to take Vitaly off before this ref does” I had actually commented to my North Stand neighbour as the last subs were prepared. Instead, Jaidon Anthony and KLP made way. Rio Ngumoha then led Vitaly on a merry dance through the midfield that culminated in the Liverpool player being bundled over as the German caught up with him on the edge of the box.
Again, Brooks left no choice. That he had turned a blind eye to all the other diving, play-acting, theatrics and sh*thousery from a Liverpool team so far from the historic highs their fanbase still believe they operate at was an irony that even Alanis Morissette could probably appreciate. Then again, with the beyond inconsistent Brooks allowing them to get away with everything from blocking free kicks to kicking our dead balls away, why not?
Ultimately, it made no real difference. The game might have ended up 3-1 to Liverpool but just as they had done in the first-half through Barcola, the visitors conspiring to somehow miss a glorious opportunity when clean through.
Dreams of an even more glorious equaliser being bundled home for what would have been the sweetest of points were dashed. Brentford struggling to create opportunity when down to ten men, very much on the back foot with their nine at a time when the full complement of personnel were required for that final blitzkrieg assault.
It could all have been so different. As with the game against Chelsea, the Bees began a game against a side with pretensions for a top four finish in cautious style. Both sides testing each other out. The aforementioned Barcola effort probably the best chance in the opening period but slowly the Bees started to turn the screw.
Igor Thiago, who on current goal-scoring form and team tactics Keith has turned from Pele to Proschwitz, once again finding himself drifting increasingly wide but playing a teasing cross back in to the box for KLP. The left back, rightfully restored to that position, rising like a salmon to meet it (think Kevin Godfrey in the play-offs against Tranmere) and leaving goalkeeper Alisson mesmerised.
1-0 Brentford. The interval approaching. Everything looking positive and then it all went south in the most awful of fashions. Enough about the execrable half-time home/away game though (the only redeeming feature of which was an opportunity to see who had contradicted the flag group’s orders by turning up in a non-red/white shirt).
Instead of being able to push on as we had done against Blues, the Bees were now on the back foot. Kelleher having to pull off a fine save to his left in order to prevent Alexis Mac Allister from equalising – not the first time the Liverpool man was involved in a key incident that revolved around a dive. Víctor Muñoz then doing what his team mate couldn’t with a little more than a quarter hour of the second-half gone.
Picking up the ball on the right, to be fair not the Wirtz pass we’d seen all afternoon, he ran on before cutting inside KLP and fired low in to the far corner. Kelleher no realistic chance to stop it and the scores now level. Muñoz completing the most miraculous recovery since Bobby Ewing stepped out of the shower after his own ‘horrific injury’ (your definitions may vary) in the first half.
On went Liverpool. If not an unstoppable juggernaut, certainly the team now in the ascendancy and looking the side most likely to. Ten minutes later they did.
This time, Alexander Isak. His shot across the face of goal helped in by KLP but in truth, it was already heading in and by that point had passed Kelleher. There was nothing either Brentford player could have done to deny the inevitable.
2-1 Liverpool and there it stayed. Janelt’s red denying the Bees any realistic attempt at a final flurry. It probably should have been 3-1 but that’s on Liverpool, not us. Frankly, a defeat is still a defeat. Points dropped are still points dropped.
“2-1, to the referee”, the song ringing around the stadium but it could do nothing beyond serve as an outlet for frustration. Instead, we need as much to look at how this was a fifth league game out of the seven played this season where Keith has been unable to turn a lead in to a win. To Leeds (a), Sunderland (h) Bournemouth (a) and Aston Villa (a) we can now add Liverpool (h).
Other results from the Saturday games yet again going Brentford’s way, meaning only a slight slip in table position. Sixth place after seven played still a wonderful achievement although once the Sunday matches play out, there could be further leapfrog.
The unbeaten run is now over. With Everton also losing, that leaves only Manchester City with an unblemished ‘L’ column. Probably of greater long-term concern for Brentford is the fact that Keith has only overseen three wins from our last 17 league games played. Sunday’s trip to Hull City, even without Yarmo and Vitaly, an excellent opportunity for that trend to be bucked.
Until then, the last thoughts in what was an exasperating afternoon are the usual top five player ratings. Five points awarded for star player, four for second, three for third etc etc. The overall winner of our player-of-the season then determined after game 38 when the final tallies are confirmed.
Star player (5 points) Kris Ajer. Back to back star player awards for Kris.
What can you say though? He was outstanding. Even before the game we’d been saying he could only be nailed on to start, despite the returns of Sepp and Nathan Collins to the matchday set up. During it, with the Brentford midfield slowly decimated, the one player still keeping together at the back. Not to mention the midfield.
The longer the game went on, the more his drive increased. The more his energy levels seemed to grow. Did he have a can of ‘Red Bull’ tucked down his shorts? His ability to be in whichever box the ball was, yet still get to the other end with what seemed comparative ease, was flabbergasting.
Nathan Collins does this too and it’s one aspect of Keith’s set up I really enjoy. His encouraging ball-playing centre-backs to have the confidence to come forward rather than lumping it up. Yet Kris also brings bucketloads of calm organisation and the experience of now being in his sixth season at Brentford. It was essential on an afternoon where the flood gates threatened to open yet at the end, only saw a trickle of goals against rather than a deluge.
For this, Kris was instrumental.
Second (4 points) Michael Kayode. Happy days, Kayode is back in the top five.
It has been a lean start to the season for Michael, at least in terms of defending his 38-game star player crown (obviously, the main prize he’ll be competing for). This was much more like the Kayode we all know and love .
When the chips are down the cream rises to the top. He was on fire. Whilst Kris edged him out to top spot, he wasn’t far behind. At times, it was less Italian international goal scorer (which, of course he can now legitimately claim to be) and more 1970s Dutch master. The breaks down the right were terrifyingly fast but the shimmies, turns and twists would have made even Mathias Jensen take a bow. Just how does he do that?
The spaghetti not so much what he is supposed to eat, if you believe the song, but more the legs which twist and turn in every direction possible.
I thought he had a cracking game. So good to see him at his very best .
Third (3 points) Jaidon Anthony He was very unlucky to miss our top five in the last game at Aston Villa.
I won’t deny him twice.
Pound for pound he really is looking like one of the strongest investments made for Brentford over the last window. £15m is still a hefty price tag but a snip compared to the £40m+ paid for each of Sangaré and Diouf. That’s not to diss either of those two but more show what a shrewd investment we may have made in the great relegation sell-off
He looks so comfortable with the ball. He can deliver a mean cross too. On an afternoon where the Bees were forced on to the backfoot rather than being able to continue building the pressure, he still looked like one of our primary outlets and as such, I still think it was a mistake from Keith to pull him off. Regardless of it exposing Vitaly in front of that volatile man-in-the-middle.
Jaidon played great. He’s in my top three. Had he lasted the whole 90, who knows what might have happened. Football’s easy in hindsight but…
Fourth (2 points) Keane Lewis-Potter Brilliant.
The first half-especially. Absolutely closed down the left flank, leaving the visitors to resort to cheap tricks, school-boy dives and niggly fouls. Then again, with the ref seeming to leave his contact lenses in the changing room, why not?
It didn’t phase Keane. Fair play to Keith for restoring him to left back, this time around. He’s arguably our best player in that position at present, even despite Rico Henry and El Hadji Malick Diouf also in the squad. Just ask Víctor Muñoz if any character reference is needed.
Didn’t he show his own self-belief, too? That he has now added goal-scoring to his wonderful array of talents after displaying almost Proschwitzian levels of finishing when he first started, all the better. He’s not in the team to score the goals – his role is to help keep them out then set them up – yet his newfound freedom of movement in to the danger zone is another string to the bow.
He took this one like Pontus in his prime. The jump timed to perfection. The placement equally good. The finish, powered home. Alisson hammered although sadly for the only time.
Fifth (1 point) Caoimhín Kelleher
Thinner pickings for the final position but I’m giving it to Caoimhín.
Without him, whether in terms of actual saves or simply intimidation by presence (how Liverpool conspired to miss that pair of cast iron one-on-one opportunities as much down to his) this game could have been long out of sight. It ended with the visitors having 21 shots (Bees: 10) and 38 touches in the opposition box (Bees: 21).
Yet despite the direction of travel, he remained unflappable and was there when it counted. The post-match musical choice of Blossoms’ ‘The keeper’ was, I am sure, nothing more than a coincidence about a player I’m, still amazed the Liverpool let go so easily. Once again, DJ MC Matthew Benham proving why he is the best owner in the country.
Next up, the trip to Hull City. With four of the back line in our top five for this one, it tells you everything you need to know about a game that Brentford were leading at half-time. Whilst I’m sure Keith is already beavering away over his line up for that one, given enforced absences, for now let’s take a look at the current ‘top five’
Caoimhín nudges clear from last week’s three-way tie for second place whilst Kris Ajer is now just outside the leading pack on 12. Being on that trip to Hull when it could all change once more.
- 1st Kevin Schade 15 points
- 2nd Caoimhín Kelleher 14 points
- 3rd= Jannik Schuster 13 points
- 3rd= Vitaly Janelt 13 points
- 5th Keane Lewis-Potter 12 points
