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29 min: Brentford are winning their fair share of free kicks in Liverpool territory, but they’re not doing very much with them. In fact, once again Liverpool clear it easily, Van Dijk heading Jensen’s floated delivery out, Jota very nearly breaking free down the middle. But Hickey holds firm and ushers the ball back to Raya, who clears up.
27 min: … Nunez slips a pass down the middle for Jota. It’s perfectly weighted, and Jota latches onto it at full speed, only to be cynically checked on the halfway line by Mbeumo, who goes into the book.
26 min: Another free kick for Brentford out on the left. Van Dijk heads it clear. Liverpool break, and …
24 min: Jensen cops a finger in the eye from Gakpo. Accidental, but a free kick, out on the left. Jensen whistles the free kick down the left flank, hoping to surprise Liverpool and release Toney into the box, but the pass is too strong and Alisson claims. Meanwhile here’s Richard Hirst: “If one is allowed to quote a rival journal of record, Private Eye’s take on the coronation is surely the last word: ‘Man wearing hat sits on chair’.” Right up there with The Day Today’s “Car drives past window in town”, only even less captivating.
22 min: Nothing comes of the corner, but Liverpool keep the pressure on … until Van Dijk buys a ticket for the lottery, the best part of 30 yards out. The ball sails wide right, never threatening the goal.
20 min: Alexander-Arnold, tight on the right touchline, half-volleys a crossfield pass towards Robertson on the left. Roberson romps into space. Jones curls a weak shot straight at Raya. Brentford counter, Mbeumo speculating from a position out left. Alisson gathers. Liverpool keep up the basketball rhythm by chasing up the other end, Nunez winning a corner down the right.
18 min: That was also Salah’s 100th goal at Anfield. “The carpet bombing hype machine of the coronation has been unbearable but the Anfield defiance and the glorious Celtic response to the forced patriotism campaign warms my heart,” writes Evertonian Mary Waltz. “Back to the authentic majesty, Premier League football.”
16 min: Fabinho slips Nunez into space down the inside-left channel. Nunez enters the box, should get a shot away, doesn’t, sorts his feet out, and digs out an effort that Raya parries. Then the flag goes up for offside, so none of it mattered anyway.
15 min: That’s nine successive appearances scoring at Anfield for Mohamed Salah, breaking a record held jointly by Luis Suarez (2013-14) and Gordon Hodgson (1927-28).
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Brentford (Salah 13)
The corner’s worked back to Jones, who pearls a shot goalwards. Hickey blocks. Brentford clear, but Liverpool come again. Fabinho, on the edge of the D, wedges diagonally towards Van Dijk on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. Van Dijk heads across the face of goal for Salah, who needs two touches to force home … but force home he does!
12 min: Gakpo and Nunez combine well down the right to send Salah into acres. Salah curls into the middle. Jota prepares to nut home from six yards, but Zanka reads the danger and heads behind for a corner.
10 min: Robertson, Jota and Gakpo probe down the left to little effect. Brentford hold their shape. “On my way home from Perth,” writes Simon McMahon, whose Dundee United lost this afternoon to St Johnstone. “Should’ve stayed at home and watched the coronation. That’s how bad it was. Long live the MBM!”
8 min: … the ball’s pulled back to Salah, who wafts a tame shot straight at Raya. A nice brisk start to this game.
7 min: Fabinho is clumped by Hickey out on the left. Liverpool line up on the edge of the box. The free kick’s swung in by Robertson. Konate somehow misses his header, six yards out. But Liverpool have the consolation of a corner, from which …
6 min: Jensen hoicks the resulting free kick harmlessly into the Kop. Meanwhile, in the interests of balance, some folk in Anfield have pledged allegiance to their king. King Kenny, that is, the Fields of Anfield Road and all that.
5 min: It’s Onyeka versus Van Dijk again, but this time the Liverpool defender slides recklessly through the back of the Brentford midfielder. It’s a needless challenge and he quite correctly goes into the book.
4 min: Henry makes good ground down the left and is blocked by Konate. A free kick. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Liverpool box. The ball’s swept wide right for Onyeka, whose cross is headed clear by Van Dijk.
2 min: A slow start, during which Anfield collectively suggests, like Celtic’s fans last weekend, where the coronation should be stored for safe keeping.
Brentford get the match underway. They’ll be kicking towards the Kop in this first half.
The teams are out! Liverpool in red, Brentford sky blue. We’ll be off soon. But first, a musical interlude. Liverpool have been passive-aggressively cajoled into playing the National Anthem in honour of the coronation of King Charles III, despite the powers that be knowing full well that, in terms of pledging allegiance to the crown, the denizens of Anfield register a score of absolute zero on the Guardian’s patented Ibrox-o-meter™. So here it comes, drearily pouring out of the speaker, to be met with predictable results. A cacophony of booing, some loud and repeated chanting of “Liverpool, Liverpool”, then a lot more booing, after which a much more popular ditty, You’ll Never Walk Alone, gets the place back on equilibrium.
Jurgen Klopp speaks to Sky: “It’s a tough cookie … they are so smart … the whole club is set up for years … it is really great … they are very creative and super-dangerous … they are very well organised … counter-attacking really good … coaching all of a sudden is a real joy again because we all have different things to think about … usually you cannot do that in the middle of a season but we had nothing to lose … since then it’s going well … we are not there, not even close, we have to improve a lot, but the start is good enough to keep going.”
… and so does Thomas Frank: “It is a massive challenge … it is one of the most difficult grounds to go to in the world … we can’t wait … we know we can make it difficult … we have a chance … but we are also very aware that these guys come flying out and it will be very difficult.”
Liverpool make three changes to their starting XI after the sketchy 1-0 win over Fulham during the week. Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Andy Robertson are back, at the expense of Luis Diaz, Jordan Henderson and Kostas Tsimikas, who all drop to the bench.
Brentford make two changes to the XI that started their smash-and-grab 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest last Saturday. Mathias Jorgensen and Frank Onyeka nudge Mikkel Damsgaard and Kevin Schade down to the bench.
The teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Jones, Gakpo, Jota, Salah, Nunez.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Milner, Henderson, Elliott, Tsimikas, Diaz, Carvalho, Matip.
Brentford: Raya, Hickey, Zanka, Pinnock, Mee, Henry, Janelt, Onyeka, Jensen, Mbuemo, Toney.
Subs: Cox, Schade, Dasilva, Wissa, Ghoddos, Ajer, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Roerslev.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Preamble
Liverpool and Brentford both fancy playing some European football next season. The Reds still have a wafer-thin chance of making the Champions League, though the Europa League is much more likely; the Bees would happily settle for either Europa or Conference League action and a first-ever continental sortie. Both teams are in good form, Jurgen Klopp’s men winning their last five, Thomas Frank’s side their last two, while both have history on their side in their own way: Liverpool have only lost to Brentford once at Anfield, back in 1937; Brentford beat Liverpool handsomely just four months ago, 3-1 at the Gtech. Nicely balanced, then. Fun ahoy! Kick off is at 5.30pm BST. It’s on!
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