Brentford’s home support:
The popular story may be about Liverpool’s misery, but for every loser there is a winner, and in this instance there could be no argument. Brentford deserved their win, and their home fans deserved the chance to rub it in to their Red counterparts. “We’re just too good for you,” sang the Brentford fans in the closing stages as Liverpool, like Manchester United earlier in the season, left the Gtech Community Stadium with nothing. Jurgen Klopp’s side had returned to Premier League action with a pair of scrappy wins over Aston Villa and Leicester, but they had no answer here to the Bees’ robustness, energy and set-piece threat, especially in the first half. They rallied after the break – they had to – but Thomas Frank’s side stood firm and took advantage of yet another defensive slip-up to seal the points. As Liverpool’s players sloped off to the dressing room at the final whistle, Brentford’s conducted a lap of honour, and why shouldn’t they? 2021 was glorious, 2022 successful, and 2023 has started in fine fashion for the men from West London.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain:
It feels a little bold to single out any Liverpool player as a ‘winner’ from this contest, but Oxlade-Chamberlain at least marked a landmark game with a goal, and a well-taken one at that. It says everything about his injury struggles at Anfield that this was his 100th Premier League appearance for the Reds. He has, after all, been with the club for five-and-a-half years. And some would say his presence in the starting XI for a third successive game hints at the squad issues facing the Reds currently. But there he was, setting up a chance for Kostas Tsimikas in the first half with a lovely flick and then timing his arrival into the penalty area perfectly to glance Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross home. It looked then like Liverpool may be set for a rousing fightback, but it wasn’t to be. Oxlade-Chamberlain made way for Curtis Jones late on, continuing a remarkable record; he hasn’t completed 90 minutes in the Premier League since April 2018. At least he was on the scoresheet here, not that it will provide him or his team-mates with much consolation.
Manchester United:
Tottenham are faltering, Chelsea are struggling and Liverpool remain nothing if not inconsistent. And with all that, Manchester United find themselves in the box seat to secure a top-four finish, and with it a return to the Champions League. Erik ten Hag’s men can move seven clear of Liverpool by beating Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Given the way Klopp’s side are playing, that would be a significant deficit.
