Toothless Liverpool stung 3-1 by the Bees of Brentford in Premier League encounter

Liverpool suffered their fifth defeat of the season as Brentford inflicted a 3-1 drubbing over the Merseyside Reds on Monday. A goal apiece from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and an own goal from Ibrahima Konate were enough for the Bees to start the year off on a sparkling note.

Liverpool had themselves to blame for the loss as defensive errors and tactical lapses allowed Brentford to cash in.

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Akin to the last year's 3-3 draw between the two sides at the same stadium, Brentford bullied Liverpool on the set pieces, especially the corners.

Heavily overloading the six-yard box, Brentford drew first blood when Ibrahima Konate's own goal past a diving Alisson granted the hosts a well-deserved lead.

The lead was doubled through Yoane Wissa in the 42nd minute who could have easily bagged a hattrick if it wasn't for the two marginal offside calls. Wissa scoring three goals in a single half was a prime example of the defensive fragility in the Liverpool backline.

With the team looking ill-disciplined, Klopp made three changes at half-time, bringing Andy Robertson, Joel Matip and Naby Keita in place of Kostas Tsimikas, Harvey Elliot and Virgil van Dijk. The move worked almost instantly as Darwin Nunez made a great run and slotted one past David Raya.

However, VAR ruled out the goal as Nunez had strayed offside. The Reds kept on the pressure and through a cushioned header from Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, managed to reduce the deficit by one.

Despite conceding the goal early in the half, Brentford did not panic and managed to keep wave after wave of Liverpool attacks at bay. In the end, Brentford forward Mbeumo managed to outmuscle Liverpool centre-backKonate and scored a third for his side in the 84th minute, effectively sealing the game.

Liverpool changes

Liverpool went into the match making two changes from their victory against Leicester City in the midlands last week. Captain Jordan Henderson missed out due to a concussion and was replaced by Fabinho while Ibrahima Konate came in place of Joel Matip.

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The Frenchman had a fabulous World Cup where he impressed fans and critics alike with his tenacious performance. However, on Monday, Konate was directly responsible for two of three goals.

Liverpool looked sluggish as Klopp's gegenpress remained non-existent, as has been the case all throughout the season. Brentford utilised the physicality of its midfield and hurled directlong balls to create chaos in the Liverpool penalty box.

Klopp's team have already dropped 23 points in the season so far. They are four points adrift of the top 4 spot and 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Last year, Liverpool managed to turn around their fortunes after going on a 10-match unbeaten streak which pushed Manchester City to the final day of the league to decide the champions.

However, with a depleted midfield and an injury-prone forward line, it looks highly unlikely that Liverpool will be mounting a similar comeback unless statement signings are made in the ongoing winter transfer window.

As for Brentford fans, the fans in West London are having a fairy tale season. Having already beaten the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United, the victory on Monday has propelled them to the seventh spot on the table, just behind Liverpool.

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