Sports activities Mole previews Saturday’s Premier League conflict between Liverpool and Brentford, together with predictions, group information and attainable lineups.
Looking for vengeance on the group who made their begin to 2023 a depressing one, Liverpool welcome Brentford to Anfield on Saturday night for his or her penultimate house recreation of the Premier League season.
Jurgen Klopp‘s facet eked out a 1-0 win over Fulham in midweek, whereas the Bees received in equally nervy circumstances towards Nottingham Forest final weekend, coming from behind to prevail 2-1.
Match preview
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Nonetheless trusted with penalty tasks after his fluffed effort towards Arsenal final month, Mohamed Salah stepped as much as the spot to fireplace Liverpool into the lead towards Fulham on Wednesday night time after Issa Diop introduced down Darwin Nunez, albeit controversially.
Whereas the awarding of the penalty was up for debate, there have been no such questions on goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who single-handedly thwarted Carlos Vinicius on two events to protect a treasured win and clear sheet for his facet, receiving reward from Klopp for his “sensational” contributions within the course of.
Now basking within the adulation of a five-game profitable streak, Liverpool usually are not waving the white flag within the race for Champions League qualification and have entrenched themselves in fifth place with 4 video games to go, and whereas Manchester United failed to increase their lead over the Reds to seven factors by shedding to Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday, they nonetheless have a recreation in hand.
Not since April 2022 have the Reds managed to string collectively a six-game profitable run within the Premier League, and whereas it could realistically be too little too late for his or her top-four probabilities, Klopp’s males are actually ending the marketing campaign with a flourish.
The hosts enter the night battle having gone unbeaten in seven successive video games since their 4-1 trouncing by the hands of Manchester Metropolis, whereas their streak with out defeat at Anfield now stands at 10 Premier League matches, however Brentford had the Reds’ quantity earlier within the season.
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Three days on from comprehensively placing West London rivals Chelsea to the sword at Stamford Bridge, Brentford confronted a sterner check of their European credentials towards relegation-battling Nottingham Forest, who drew first blood on the stroke of half time by means of Danilo‘s second aim in as many matches.
Staring down the barrel of defeat, Brentford have been indebted to Ivan Toney for drawing them stage with a fortuitous twentieth top-flight aim of the season – a free kick which deflected in off Keylor Navas – earlier than impression substitute Josh Dasilva squeezed in an injury-time strike on the Costa Rican’s close to submit.
Having claimed back-to-back wins within the high flight because the flip of the 12 months, Brentford usually are not surrendering the European dream simply but as they occupy ninth place within the standings – 4 factors behind Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa – however eighth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion can soar out of sight ought to they win their three video games in hand.
Nonetheless needing to face Spurs and Manchester Metropolis earlier than one other optimistic season of progress attracts to an in depth, the Bees – who usually are not precisely the pressure they as soon as have been earlier within the season – journey to Anfield having solely received two of their final eight Premier League away matches, though their beautiful 2-1 Etihad success again in November implies that Thomas Frank‘s facet are to not be counted out earlier than the primary ball is kicked.
The New 12 months celebrations continued lengthy into the night time on the Gtech Neighborhood Stadium when Frank’s group secured a 3-1 overcome Liverpool in January, however the Reds had eased to a 3-0 win at Anfield 12 months earlier than that and haven’t suffered a house defeat to their capital counterparts since 1937.
Liverpool Premier League type:
Brentford Premier League type:
Workforce Information
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Having been seen limping in the direction of the benches previous to final weekend’s win over Tottenham Hotspur, the injury-riddled Thiago Alcantara is now set to overlook the remainder of the season as he prepares to endure surgical procedure on a hip downside – the newest in an extended line of setbacks for the 32-year-old.
Stefan Bajcetic (adductor) and Calvin Ramsay (knee) will welcome Thiago to the season-ending accidents membership, whereas Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino are stepping up their returns from muscular issues however usually are not able to return simply but. Jordan Henderson has additionally been despatched for scans on an unspecified downside and is a recent doubt.
Diogo Jota has been in a position to come off the bench in Liverpool’s final two video games regardless of a bruised rib, however the concern prevented him from coaching totally on Thursday, so an instantaneous recall needs to be to ensure that Cody Gakpo. Andrew Robertson will anticipate to come back in for Kostas Tsimikas at left-back too.
Equally, Brentford even have a quintet of damage issues to consider for Saturday’s recreation, as Malmo-bound captain Pontus Jansson (thigh) and Keane Lewis-Potter (knee) are going through races towards time to return earlier than the marketing campaign concludes.
No timeline has been positioned on Christian Norgaard‘s restoration from a calf concern both, however Kristoffer Ajer turned out for the Underneath-21s final week and will probably pressure his manner again in, though identical can’t be mentioned for second-choice goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
Two substitutes in Frank Onyeka and Dasilva mixed for the latter to interrupt Forest hearts final weekend, and whereas the previous is unlikely to be rewarded with a begin, Dasilva – who additionally accomplished all 4 of his dribble makes an attempt efficiently on the day – may problem Mikkel Damsgaard‘s spot.
Liverpool attainable beginning lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Fabinho, Elliott; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Brentford attainable beginning lineup:
Raya; Hickey, Mee, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen, Janelt, Dasilva; Mbeumo, Toney, Schade
We are saying: Liverpool 2-1 Brentford
Neither Liverpool nor Brentford have been completely convincing of their most up-to-date one-goal victories, and there is probably not so much to select from on this battle, significantly as fatigue units in for the hosts’ drained legs.
Klopp is blessed with choices to refresh his ahead line, although, and the in-form Reds’ house exploits distinction starkly with the Bees’ patchy outcomes on the highway, so we nonetheless think about Klopp’s facet to get the job finished. It is probably not fairly, although.
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