The Athletic's Andy Jones has highlighted Liverpool's midfield as an area Brentford could look to target when they face the Reds on Sunday, with Alexis Mac Allister missing for the Premier League clash.

The former Brighton man picked up his fifth booking of the season against Luton Town last weekend, which potentially leaves Jürgen Klopp's side weaker in the no.6 position for their game against the Bees.

Liverpool are third in the Premier League going into Sunday’s final outing before the international break. What have you made of their season to date?

It has been really encouraging. Liverpool are probably a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of where people thought they would be at the start of the season, given the amount of change they have had in midfield and coming off the back of a season where they did underachieve.

They started to get their act together at the back end of last season and it seems they have carried that momentum into this season, with a number of their signings hitting the ground running, which has really helped.

They have just been able to put some really good results together, though the draw against Luton was probably the first time where you were able to look at it and think they have not played anywhere near the level you would expect them to.

The Newcastle away game felt like a big moment; even though it was so early in the season, to turn around a one-goal deficit with one man less seemed to give them a strong belief.

They have got such attacking firepower and they have been able to, generally, couple that with good enough defensive displays so, while they have conceded goals, they have been able to outscore the opposition on most occasions.

It has been really encouraging and you feel like they are in the title picture, which was the aim entering the season, though not necessarily the expectation among the fanbase.

As you say, it’s fair to say last season didn’t pan out how anyone of a Reds persuasion had hoped, so how reassuring has it been to see them bounce back this well, with just one defeat in 16 in all competitions?

It has lifted the mood massively. It does feel like a new era. A lot of players have left, a lot of players have come in, there are a lot of young players and there has been an evolution of the side, particularly in midfield. There is a freshness and belief, and they have a renewed energy since Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have left.

In the strikeforce, too, they have been able to keep everyone, largely, fit. Having fresh legs on the bench when things are not going well is something they did not have throughout last season, so it feels like they have been able to put the parts together, but it did start from that run at the back end of last season that I mentioned.

They went 11 games unbeaten but, in 10 of those, they changed the system to a 3-box-3 system, where Trent Alexander-Arnold was moved infield, which really opened up the game for him and gave Liverpool a different way of controlling games.

Even though they did not qualify for the Champions League, they found a way of getting results again with a consistency and style, which, for large parts of last season, was missing.

Had it not been for a touch of inconsistency on the road – they haven’t won an away league game since September 16 - Jürgen Klopp’s side would likely be top. Is there anything noticeable as to why there’s a considerable contrast between the home and away form?

Liverpool’s home record has always been unbelievably strong, bar that very strange blip in the season during Covid-19, where they lost six on the bounce at home.

Generally, under Klopp, it has always been a bit of a fortress. The players are just very confident playing at home. This season, fixtures may have swayed it a little bit more in terms of being a little bit easier - not that any game is easy in the Premier League - but the types of teams have maybe been a little bit more favourable than the teams they have played away.

Circumstances have not helped in the away games either - the Tottenham game was another level of craziness; Wolves was at 12.30pm after an international break and you saw the players were struggling in that one; and then Luton were always going to cause a couple of teams problems at Kenilworth Road.

The away form was a massive problem last season and it is something they are trying to fix but, evidently, they are still in that phase of trying to get it right and back to the levels they hit in the past.

Which player should Brentford fans be keeping an eye on?

Mohamed Salah is the obvious one, but I will go with Dominik Szoboszlai. He had probably his worst game of the season against Luton, where he was pretty ineffective and a bit anonymous, but you hope that will be a very small blip on what has been an unbelievable start to his Liverpool career.

The Hungarian has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. He is excellent on the ball, creative, powerful, runs forward, and has an excellent shot from distance.

But he does the other side of the game well, too. He is very aggressive in his press, can chase people down, and everything about him has been impressive - that is why the Luton game was a bit of a surprise.

It may just have been one game too many and he might need a rest. He has quickly become Liverpool’s talisman in the middle of the park and he sets the tempo and the tone.

How is Klopp likely to set up at Anfield on Sunday?

Alexis Mac Allister is suspended after picking up his fifth booking against Luton, so it will be interesting to see who plays in that no.6 role.

He may want to use Wataru Endo, who has been playing in the cup games and the Europa League, or push someone like Curtis Jones a bit higher, but I would suspect it will probably be Endo who comes in.

The back four picks itself, bar left-back, so that will be Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, probably Ibrahima Konaté (though he has used Joel Matip at times) and Virgil van Dijk. It will then be Kostas Tsimikas or Joe Gomez at left-back, with Andy Robertson out. There is not a clear, definite pick in that position.

The front five are all fit and firing, so it will be interesting to see which three Klopp goes with.

He has been able to rotate and keep opposition managers guessing, which has not always been the case with Liverpool teams. The style, structure and shape, though, will be the same as it has been all season.

Both teams have tended to fare well in their respective home games, but not so much away. What’s your score prediction this time around?

I’m going to go with Liverpool’s favourite scoreline this season, which is a 3-1 win.

From their perspective, they would like to think they have the firepower to get the better of Brentford, who will have chances on the break and might look to target that no.6 area in transition as Mac Allister is not there.