Liverpool have fallen short of their own high standards this season, but the Reds still possess quality in abundance and travel to face Brentford in pursuit of the top four.

Here, Sky Sports’ Richard Morgan provides the expert view before Liverpool's visit to the Gtech Community Stadium.

Liverpool were sixth in the table when Premier League football returned last week, after the World Cup break. What had you made of their season to that point?

Very disjointed and inconsistent, in part due to another worrying injury crisis that has affected both the midfield and the left-hand side of their front line.

And when compared to last season, when the club only lost twice in the Premier League and came within a whisker of a historic quadruple, this campaign could not have been any more different, with the team almost unrecognisable from just six months ago.

They did go into the break following wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton in the league and Derby in the Carabao Cup. How keen will Jurgen Klopp be to carry on that momentum and pick up where they left off?

Klopp will be absolutely desperate for his players to hit the ground running when the season restarts after the World Cup as they look to make up ground on the top four.

The Reds did appear to have gained some key momentum in the final few weeks before the season took a break for the World Cup, but that was in November, so it will be hard to gauge exactly how his players will perform when the action gets back underway again.

Either way, Liverpool cannot afford to keep dropping points - especially on the road where their league form has been dreadful so far this campaign - if they want to retain any realistic hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

What did you make of the performances of the seven Reds players that featured in Qatar last month?

A mixed bag really. The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho barely featured, while Darwin Nunez struggled to make much of an impact leading Uruguay’s line before their group-stage exit.

However, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson all impressed for Brazil, the Netherlands and England respectively, helping their nations all reach the quarter-finals, while Ibrahima Konate reached the World Cup final with France, after a man-of-the-match display in their semi-final win over Morocco.

Which player should Brentford fans be keeping an eye on on Monday?

Mohamed Salah looked to be hitting his stride just before the World Cup began, contributing six goals and three assists in his 14 Premier League games after finally signing a new deal at Anfield last summer.

Having not featured in Qatar, the forward will be absolutely champing at the bit to get going again, so Brentford’s defenders would be well advised to keep close tabs on the Egyptian at the Gtech Community Stadium.

How is Klopp likely to set up his side in west London?

As the German always does, in a 4-3-3 formation, with his full-backs high up the field and the defence holding its usual high line.

Nunez will once again have to fill in on the left side of the front three, with Salah on the right and, potentially, Roberto Firmino through the middle, if he recovers from injury.

In midfield, expect Thiago, Henderson and Fabinho to start.

Liverpool took four points from the two meetings last season, avenging the early 3-3 draw with a 3-0 win last January. What's your score prediction this time around?

Well, let’s hope the game will be as exciting as the corresponding fixture last season, also played in front of the Sky cameras, though I’m sure Klopp will be wanting a less open and frenetic encounter this time around!

I expect another tightly-fought contest on Monday Night Football to end 1-1.