Brentford vs. Liverpool: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Brentford are in decent form and have been very strong at home this season, but recent games have shown a few vulnerabilities in their home showings, with just one point from their last three home games in the league, with a defeat to Plymouth in the FA Cup sandwiched in there. There are, though, a high likelihood of goals, with four of Brentford's last five league games having seen BTTS occur, with an average of 4.2 goals scored per game.

Despite somewhat of a dip in form, Liverpool still have only one defeat in their last 27 games in all competitions, and have shown impressive resilience in games where they've fallen behind in recent weeks. We do, then, fancy the Reds to win what should be a very close game. Brentford 1-2 Liverpool.

Liverpool are looking for a much-needed win in their quest for another Premier League title as they take on Brentford this weekend.

• Date: 18/01/2025
• Kick-off time: 15:00
• Location: Brentford Community Stadium, West London

Brentford come into this game in 10th place in the Premier League with 28 points from 21 games. The Bees are having a fine campaign in the Premier League and will fancy their chances of a top half finish. Having embarrassingly being knocked out of the FA Cup at the hands of Plymouth Argyle last weekend, the squad now owe the fans a league campaign for the memory book and they're in a good position to deliver that.

Thomas Frank's side have certainly been one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the league, with their campaign averaging 3.67 goals per game. Brentford's total of 37 goals conceded in the league will no doubt bother Frank, whose side had a strong defensive foundation in their first two seasons following promotion to the Premier League, but with the number of goals the team scores, they're certainly value for money from an entertainment perspective.

Brentford's highest finish in the Premier League was 9th in 2022-23, and they're currently only two points shy of Fulham in 9th, so they'll have their eyes firmly set on matching their finish of two seasons ago at a minimum. The Bees are extremely strong on home soil and have lost only two of their 11 league games in front of their own fans this season, and while Liverpool will be a huge test of their metal, it's not a game Brentford will be fearful of.

Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League with 47 points from 20 games. The Reds have been in rampant form this season and are the hot favourites to claim what would be a second league title. Arne Slot's side are seven points clear of Arsenal as things stand, and with Arsenal - and every other big team in the league - struggling for top form and consistency, they'll feel extremely confident about maintaining their position until May.

With just 20 goals conceded, Liverpool have been the second-strongest defence in the league on a statistical basis, while 40 goals scored makes them the most impressive attack. However, some fans are concerned about a potential drop in performance in the second half of the season, something that was a fairly regular feature during Jürgen Klopp's tenure at the club. Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have only one win - against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup - and their performances have not quite been as impressive as they had been in the opening few months of the campaign.

Such suggestions are probably premature, and Liverpool have still shown signs of promise in their last few games, even if the wins haven't been there. It is, though, something to keep an eye on, and it could make what has often looked like a one horse title race extremely interesting.

This game will not be televised live in the UK, but full radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Merseyside.

Brentford Team News:

Brentford remain without Ethan Pinnock, Josh Dasilva, Igor Thiago, Kristoffer Ajer, Gustavo Nunes and Aaron Hickey.

Yehor Yarmolyuk and Kevin Schade will be hoping to come into the starting XI for this one, but Thomas Frank could name the same side that started the game against Manchester City on Tuesday night.

Predicted lineup: Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Van Den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard, Janelt, Jensen; Mbeumo, Wissa, Damsgaard.

Liverpool Team News:

The Reds are missing Joe Gomez, but the defender is likely to be Liverpool's only injury absentee this weekend.

Diogo Jota could be in line for a start after a crucial goal off the bench last time out, while Konstantinos Tsimikas will battle with Andy Robertson for a start at left-back.

Predicted lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota.

Brentford:

Brentford come into this game with two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five games. In midweek, the Bees took on Manchester City, and despite falling 0-2 down to a Phil Foden brace, a late comeback through goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Nørgaard secured a 2-2 draw.

Before that, Brentford beat Southampton 5-0 thanks to goals from Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo (X2), Keane Lewis-Potter and Wissa, which followed a 1-3 loss to Arsenal, despite taking the lead through Mbeumo.

Those results followed a 0-0 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, which came after a 0-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool:

Liverpool's form is mixed, with the Reds having won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five games. Last time out, Liverpool drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest, with a goal from Diogo Jota off the bench salvaging a point after they fell behind in the first half.

Prior to that, goals from Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa secured a 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley, which was preceded by a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the League Cup.

Those results were preceded by a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, through goals from Lisandro Martínez and Amad Diallo, and a 5-0 win over West Ham United, courtesy of Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Jota.

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