Darwin Núñez scored twice in stoppage time to consign Brentford to a 2-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Bees defended doggedly during an entertaining encounter at Gtech Community Stadium, but substitute Núñez secured the points for the visitors with a late brace.
Thomas Frank made one change to the side that lined up against Manchester City in midweek, with Yehor Yarmoliuk coming into midfield in place of Mathias Jensen who dropped to the bench.
Brentford started brightly and were inches away from taking an early lead. Bryan Mbeumo advanced into the area and slid the ball into the path of an overlapping Mads Roerslev. The full-back’s low delivery flashed across the face of goal, narrowly evading Mikkel Damsgaard who was left unmarked in the six-yard box.
Liverpool then registered the first shot on target. Luis Díaz, having advanced down the right, lifted a cross into the box and Cody Gakpo’s header was comfortably held by Mark Flekken.
On 11 minutes, Keane Lewis-Potter sprayed a pass out to Mbeumo on the right and the forward’s low drive from the edge of the area was saved by Alisson.
Alexis Mac Allister led an immediate charge up the other end, laying the ball off to Luis Díaz whose shot was blocked by Nathan Collins.
The lively Luis Díaz then failed to hit the target - the ball coming off the forward’s back rather than his head - having been picked out deep in Brentford territory by Ibrahima Konaté.
Ryan Gravenberch’s long-range effort was pushed around the post by Flekken, while Mbeumo had another shot saved by Alisson after a raking pass forward from Vitaly Janelt.
Christian Nørgaard rose highest to head Mbeumo’s free-kick over the bar before Dominik Szoboszlai won Liverpool a corner as the two sides continued to trade chances.
Szoboszlai had three efforts at goal within the space of a minute. The midfielder poked the ball into the side netting after Mohamed Salah cushioned down Gakpo’s cross. He then concluded a mazy run with a tame shot straight at Flekken, before crashing the ball against the crossbar having been given too much time and space 20 yards out.
Liverpool had a big opportunity to break the deadlock at the end of the half. Salah found Gakpo in plenty of space in the Brentford box, but Flekken advanced off his line quickly to narrow the angle and the Dutchman steered narrowly wide.
Liverpool began the second half with purpose. Straight after the restart, Szoboszlai dragged across the face of goal and wide having been fed by Salah.
Gakpo and Szoboszlai then had efforts blocked by Collins and Sepp van den Berg respectively, before Salah’s attempt from the right of the area clipped Lewis-Potter’s outstretched leg and dropped out for a corner.
Shortly after the hour mark, Luis Díaz fired low through the legs of former team-mate van den Berg and Flekken dropped down quickly to turn the ball out for a corner.
Moments after replacing Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez nodded fellow substitute Andy Robertson’s cross wide of Flekken’s right post.
Mac Allister had two shots blocked in quick succession, and then headed Robertson’s corner into the side netting, as the league leaders continued to push for an opener.
Brentford, despite spending much of the half defending their own box, still posed a threat on the counter and from set-pieces.
On 72 minutes, Mbeumo’s menacing free-kick from the left bounced right in front of Alisson. The ball was palmed away by the keeper before Robertson hacked away to safety.
Mbeumo’s effort from the right of the area was gathered at the second attempt by Alisson. The Cameroon international then headed straight at the Liverpool keeper having been picked out at the back post by Yoane Wissa.
Wissa, latching on to Kevin Schade’s through ball, tried to sneak the ball beyond Alisson at his near post but the keeper made a smart save to deny him. Trent Alexander-Arnold then pulled just wide from 20 yards after a blistering counter.
On 89 minutes, Salah curled the ball through a crowd of defenders and just wide of the post.
Brentford’s stubborn defence was breached in the first minute of stoppage time as Alexander-Arnold crossed low from the right of the area and Núñez bundled home from close range.
Núñez then added a second. Played in by Harvey Elliott after Brentford had committed bodies forward, the forward took a touch to set himself before lifting the ball beyond Flekken and into the roof of the net.
Brentford: Flekken; Roerslev, van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard, Janelt (Schade 65), Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard (Jensen 80); Mbeumo, Wissa
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Henry, Carvalho, Mee, Konak, Maghoma, Ji-soo
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Tsimikas (Robertson 65); Gravenberch, Mac Allister (Jones 80); Salah, Szoboszlai (Elliott 80), Gakpo (Chiesa 86); Luis Díaz (Núñez 65)
Subs not used: Kelleher, Endo, Quansah, Bradley
Attendance: 17,215
Frank reflects on Liverpool defeat
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has reflected on the Bees' loss to Premier League leaders Liverpool on Saturday.
"It's, of course, annoying, going into injury time at 0-0 and not getting something from the game," said Frank.
"In many ways, we performed very well, again, against a top team.
"This Liverpool team are exceptional and are probably the best team in the Premier League, if not in the world right now.
"We defended well - we had to do that at times - we were good going forward, we created some good situations but we didn't get enough out of those moments."
Van den Berg: We can be proud of ourselves
Defender Sepp van den Berg insisted that Brentford’s players can be proud of their performance against league leaders Liverpool.
“We can be proud of ourselves - I am proud of the team,” he said.
“We did very well against the best team in the league - maybe the best team in the world.
“We knew it was going to be very difficult and it was. But we did well, particularly during the second half, and created some good chances. We played well. We were brave; we played out from the back.
“It’s very unfortunate to concede two goals like that in the last few minutes.”