Liverpool v Brentford preview: Reds eyeing sixth straight win
Their fine form has been rewarded with an elevation to fifth place in the table and almost ensuring European football next season, but some devout Reds fans still hold out hope that a top-four finish could yet be on the cards.
As unlikely as that seems, Jurgen Klopp’s men do tend to excel as the season draws to a close having won 12 of their last 13 games in the month of May (D1).
Liverpool will know they simply need to keep winning and see where they end up, and with an impressive record across their last 40 PL matches at Anfield in tow (W30, D9, L1), they’ll be on the hunt for three more points here.
It’s perhaps no surprise then that Brentford are massive underdogs, especially since they’ve won only two of their 14 PL matches against sides in the top five at the time the Bees faced them (D5, L7).
But every dog has its day, and Brentford will certainly have some confidence in their camp having been victorious in their last two PL outings, including a victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
There may be no better time for manager Thomas Frank to etch his name into the history books, as he could register only Brentford’s second-ever win at Anfield in 11 attempts (D2, L7) while completing their first-ever league double over the Reds in the process after a 3-1 win in the reverse.
A point wouldn’t necessarily be a bad result for Brentford either, and considering they’ve drawn more PL matches this season than any other side (14), they could prove stubborn to break down.
Players to watch: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been involved in 12 goals in his last 11 PL outings (G10, A2), the most of any player across the league since the start of March prior to the weekend.
Brentford will look to their own top-scorer Ivan Toney for inspiration, and he’s netted their opening goal in 13 of his 17 goalscoring outings this season.
Hot stat: Liverpool are the only side yet to drop points when winning at half-time this PL season.
