Brentford welcome Liverpool to Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday in the early Premier League kick-off (12.30pm), live on TNT Sports.
The Bees are boosted by a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, while league leaders Liverpool have won four of their last five.
Pre-match Analysis
Stephen Gillett, Playmaker Stats: Saturday’s clash promises to be an intriguing tactical battle
In any sport, at any level, you need to be on your mettle when the league leaders roll into town - and Brentford will want to bring their A game when they host Liverpool at Gtech Community Stadium in Saturday's early Premier League kick-off.
The tactical battle between Thomas Frank and Jürgen Klopp promises to be an intriguing one, the Merseysiders’ manager branding Brentford a "super difficult opponent" with "really good ideas" after the two sides' last meeting at Anfield last November.
There are plenty of team stats to mull over prior to the game - for example, Liverpool average more shots (19) and the joint-most accurate crosses (5.2, level with Brentford) per game in the Premier League this season - but there will be fascinating individual duels all over the park.
One outstanding match-up to keep an eye on is that between Brentford's Ethan Pinnock and his Liverpool counterpart Virgil van Dijk. Both defensive powerhouses are enjoying fantastic seasons for their respective clubs, and they feature in a number of chart-topping stats between them.
Pinnock ranks first for clearances (141), second for aerials won (93), fourth for interceptions (36) and 10th for shots blocked (21) this term in the top flight, while Van Dijk leads the division for headers won (100) and shots from set-pieces (25), the Netherlands international in the Premier League's top 10 for a raft of other statistics.
At the sharp end of things, the head-to-head between Brentford's Ivan Toney and Liverpool's Darwin Núñez offers another fascinating subplot to follow.
Back from a lengthy suspension, Toney has hit the ground running: a clinical first-time finish in the Bees' 2-0 win over Wolves last weekend marking his third goal in four games.
Despite his spell on the sidelines, Toney's trademark physicality and goal threat are clearly in evidence, and he already ranks second for shots (2.5) and aerials won (3.5) per game for the Bees since his return to action.
Liverpool livewire Núñez, meanwhile, offers Klopp's side genuine penetration and unpredictability in the final third.
The Uruguayan (78) has taken on more shots than any player in the Premier League this season, although his ongoing feud with the frame of the goal is gaining notoriety: the 24-year-old hitting the woodwork seven times already in 2023/24 (Liverpool denied by the post or bar on 14 occasions!).
Zooming out beyond personal battles, it is worth noting that Liverpool will arguably be without their most fearsome weapon when they face Brentford at the Gtech... and we're not talking about Mohamed Salah.
Injured last month while at the Africa Cup of Nations, 'The Egyptian King' remains the most productive player in the top flight this season with 14 goals and eight assists, and he will no doubt be missed by the Reds on Saturday.
However, the special ingredient missing for Liverpool relates to location rather than personnel - as they will be shorn of their invincible home form.
Unbeaten on their own patch (17 wins and two draws) in 19 games across all competitions this season, Liverpool at Anfield represents one of the hardest fixtures in football.
Away from home, the Reds have still been formidable this term (nine wins, five draws and four losses), but they have at least been beatable - their two Premier League defeats this season both dished out in London, at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Roared on by a raucous home crowd in the capital, Brentford will once again look to make life “super difficult” for the current table-toppers.
Scout Report
Liverpool looking to make more history in Klopp’s final months in charge
Liverpool were already motoring in the Premier League before they recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Brentford at Anfield in mid-November.
Jürgen Klopp’s side had won seven of their first 11 games and were well on their way to the top of the pile, which they reached just under a month later after coming from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
Mohamed Salah scored the all-important equaliser that day - and joined an exclusive club as only the fifth player in history to reach the 200-goal mark for the club. “I am sure we can do something special this year,” the Egyptian said afterwards.
Draws with old foes Manchester United and Arsenal in the two games before Christmas temporarily knocked them back into second, but since Boxing Day, they have stormed back and led the way ever since, with five wins from the last six.
However, though they currently lead both Manchester City and Arsenal by two points, there would be a much bigger comfort blanket had they not lost the return fixture against the latter just under a fortnight ago.
Gabriel’s own goal on the stroke of half-time cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s opener at the Emirates, with strikes from Gabriel Martnelli and Leandro Trossard taking the game away from them and reinvigorating the Gunners’ title hopes.
It was the second heavy blow that had been landed on them in the space of eight days, with Klopp having rocked the club when he announced his intention to leave at the conclusion of the season, by which point he will have been in charge for almost nine years.
“This club, especially with the team we have and all the super things we have, needs on top of that a manager in his top game and top level,” said Klopp. “I cannot be that anymore. I wish this club for the future the very, very best.”
There is no denying that the focus from here on in for the Reds will be to ensure one of their greatest-ever managers will leave on a high by adding to the six trophies they have already won during his time on Merseyside to date.
It just so happens that achieving the quadruple is, at this moment in time, entirely plausible.
They have a place in the FA Cup fifth round, where they will face Championship side Southampton later this month, and a place in the last-16 of the Europa League, with their opponents to be decided in the draw on 23 February.
There is also the Carabao Cup final to look forward to a couple of days after that. At Wembley, there will be a repeat of the 2022 final against Chelsea. With the Blues enduring another difficult campaign so far, they will be fancying their chances of silverware - though their confidence will certainly be unspoken.
Klopp has long been a vocal critic of the packed schedule his side have to contend with in their attempt to be successful, but if he can tolerate it a little longer, the dream of going out with a bang might just come true.
In the Dugout
Jürgen Klopp
Jürgen Klopp was an amateur footballer in his youth and, after studying at university and playing for Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, it was not until after his 23rd birthday that his playing career began when 2 Bundesliga side Mainz signed him.
Klopp retired at 33 in February 2001 when he was installed as Eckhard Krautzun’s successor at Mainz.
Just over two years later, he guided the club to promotion to the Bundesliga, where they spent three seasons before being relegated back to the second tier. When Klopp could only guide the club to fourth in 2007/08, he resigned.
His reputation had blossomed during his time with Die Nullffunfer and, before long, he had been appointed by Borussia Dortmund.
It took a little bit of time for his plans to take effect, but the club became a real powerhouse under his direction.
Between the 2010/11 and 2014/15 seasons, Dortmund won the Bundesliga twice, finished as runners-up twice, won the DFB Pokal twice, the German Super Cup twice, and reached the 2012/13 Champions League final.
The conclusion of the 2014/15 season saw Klopp depart after seven years and he had a rare breather before taking over from Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool in the October.
At Anfield, he has won the lot: the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup, the Champions League twice and, of course, that elusive first Premier League title in 2019/20.
He has written himself into Liverpool folklore a hundred times over and, having passed eight years in the job in October, he is the current longest-serving boss in the top flight and the third longest-serving across the top four divisions of English football.
However, following last month’s announcement, he will leave Anfield at the end of the season.
Team News
Onyeka and Wissa fit and available following AFCON return
Thomas Frank delivered a positive squad update at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
The Bees have no fresh injury concerns following a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out and will be boosted by the return of midfielder Frank Onyeka and forward Yoane Wissa.
“They’ve been important and good for us, so it’s good to have them in training,” said Frank.
“They’ve come back with energy having had, in many, many ways, fantastic experiences.
“Unfortunately, they finished second and fourth rather than first and third, but we are very proud of them and what they achieved.”
The Gameplan
With Richard Morgan, senior digital sports journalist at Sky Sports
Richard Morgan, senior digital sports journalist at Sky Sports, explains how Jürgen Klopp is likely to set up his Liverpool side at Gtech Community Stadium:
"It will be 4-3-3 - it just depends who will be the midfield and attacking trio.
"Expect Waturo Endo to play as the holding midfielder, with Curtis Jones and Alexis Mac Allister as the two no.8s.
"Luis Díaz will operate as the left-sided forward, Diogo Jota on the right and Nunez through the middle, although he is flexible enough to also play from the left, with Jota as the central striker."
Read the full interview with Richard Morgan
Match Officials
Michael Oliver
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook
Fourth official: Graham Scott
Video assistant referee: David Coote
Additional video assistant referee: Timothy Wood
Michael Oliver was one of six English officials to oversee matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Oliver officiated three matches in Qatar, including the quarter-final between Croatia and Brazil.
The Northumberland-born referee’s most recent Brentford assignment was the Bees’ 3-1 defeat to Everton in September.
Last Meeting
Liverpool 3 Brentford 0 (Premier League, 12 November 2023)
Brentford were beaten 3-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, as Mohamed Salah’s brace was added to by a second-half strike from Diogo Jota.
Despite carving out plenty of chances of their own, the Bees were unable to keep out Salah’s close-range finish and then a back-post header either side of half-time.
Jota then scoring a curling effort of his own from just outside the penalty area, as the home side picked up all three points and consigned Brentford to a first defeat in four Premier League matches.