BRENTFORD heaped further misery on Premier League champions Liverpool with a fully deserved victory at Gtech Community Stadium.
An emphatic midweek triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League ended a sequence of four successive defeats in all competitions for the Reds – but it proved to be a false dawn as the weaknesses that have plagued Arne Slot’s side this season surfaced yet again.
Michael Kayode’s lethal long throw exposed Liverpool’s shaky rearguard in the fifth minute, with Dango Ouatarra scoring from Kristoffer Ajer’s flick-on.
The hosts continued to trouble Liverpool and it was no surprise when they doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time, Kevin Schade running on to Mikkel Damsgaard’s magnificent through-ball to sweep past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Milos Kerkez, who had another nightmare evening in defence, gave Liverpool hope in added time in the first half, but Brentford continued to dominate after the break.
The Bees restored their two-goal advantage on the hour when they awarded a penalty following a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention, which adjudged Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had fouled Outarra on the line of the penalty area.
Igor Thiago completed the formalities from the spot, and even though Mohamed Salah’s instinctive late finish set up a nervy finale, a fourth successive league loss was confirmed on another bitterly disappointing night for Slot.
Liverpool are in sixth place – four points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Crystal Palace on Sunday – while Brentford are 10th after an impressive fourth win of the campaign.
Brentford’s decision to appoint coach Keith Andrews in succession to Thomas Frank in June raised eyebrows in some quarters, but he deserves full credit and respect as he moves his side into a new era.
The 2-0 win at West Ham on Monday was no reflection of their total domination and this success against the fading champions falls into the same category.
It may have looked close by the scoreline, but in every other way this was a dominant display in which Andrews’ side made struggling Liverpool look strictly second best.
And while much will be made of Kayode’s long throw that produced the first goal, this was a complete team performance of which that strategy was simply one part of the success.
Brentford lost key trio Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard in the summer, but the signings of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, as well Outarra and goalkeeper Caoimhim Kelleher have proved inspired.
Brazil striker Thiago is a powerful spearhead, netting his sixth league goal this term, while the pass from Damsgaard that created Schade’s strike was of the highest class.
No-one will ever forget how former boss Frank transformed Brentford but Andrews has shown his qualities in a highly impressive start to his first managerial post.