Brentford travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool on the second weekend of the Premier League season. Both sides enjoyed winning starts to the campaign.
- Date: 08/25/24
- Kick-off time: 11:30 AM ET
- Venue: Anfield
New Liverpool manager Arne Slot takes charge of his first game at Anfield as he and his side look to continue their winning start to the season. It was a 2-0 victory away at newly promoted Ipswich to kick-start their new era following the departure of Jurgen Klopp over the summer. Last season, the Reds finished third in the table, ending seven points behind runners-up Arsenal and nine behind champions Man City.
The hosts have yet to make any signings for their new manager, coming into the campaign with the same squad as last year. It remains to be seen how many, if any, they bring in before the end of the window, but despite their lack of activity, they still have plenty of talent to remain competitive towards the top of the table. Mo Salah led the way with 18 goals last season, and he hit the ground running once more this time around with a goal and assist in the opener. Diogo Jota scored the other goal, and should he stay fit, will also be a key figure in attack.
They face a Brentford side looking to put an underwhelming season behind them. Eventually finishing 16th, the Bees spent the majority of the season among the bottom sides, but ended 13 points clear of relegation. There has been plenty of transfer speculation surrounding striker Ivan Toney, and he was left out of their squad last weekend, with a move seemingly on the way. In their opening game, they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at home, and will be hoping to build on this momentum. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa stepped up in Toney’s absence, leading them to victory.
Goals could be a feature in this game, especially with the vulnerabilities the visitors possess at the back. Only six teams conceded more than their 65-last season, and these struggles continued into pre-season. In five games, they allowed 11 goals, before conceding another to Palace last week. Liverpool will expect to take advantage in front of their home fans.
Since Brentford’s promotion to the top flight in 2021, these two sides have met six times. As expected, Liverpool have been the superior team, winning four of these games. The first fixture between the pair was a thrilling 3-3 draw, but Liverpool have won three consecutive games. The latest of those was in February, in which the Reds won 4-1 away from home. Liverpool won the home fixture 3-0, with goals from Salah (x2) and Jota.
Premier League 
