MY ACCOUNT
– Liverpool have been level at HT and gone on to win in two of their last four matches
– Brentford have lost on their last three visits to Anfield without scoring a goal
– Recommended bet: Draw-Liverpool double result
Liverpool have had a difficult season but they are homing in on the consolation prize of Europa League qualification as they prepare for a tricky test against Brentford.
After being accustomed to fighting for the top prizes, Liverpool players are having to scrap it out to ensure some form of European participation.
But they have had a good week, racking up home wins over Tottenham (4-3) and Fulham (1-0), and should approach the weekend with reasonably high spirits.
Brentford are having another outstanding season and are almost certain to finish inside the top half.
They head to Merseyside on a two-game winning run having followed up a 2-0 success at Chelsea with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home to Nottingham Forest.
Team news
Jurgen Klopp dropped Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo to the bench for Wednesday’s 1-0 success at home to Fulham and he may continue to utilise his squad as he plots a path to a fifth place finish.
Liverpool’s injury list has shrunk in recent weeks although Thiago Alcantara (hip) has joined Stefan Bajcetic, Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino in the treatment room.
Brentford continue to impress despite having to cope without some key players.
Kristoffer Ajer is working his way back to fitness but Christian Norgaard, Thomas Strakosha (both calf), Pontus Jansson (thigh) and Keane Lewis-Potter (knee) remain unavailable.
The stats
Liverpool’s five-match winning sequence is their best of the season.
The Reds are unbeaten in ten Premier League home games since suffering a 2-1 loss to Leeds in October.
Brentford are ninth in the Premier League and are guaranteed to finish at least as high as 12th which would be their highest finish on the English pyramid since 1937-38.
The Bees have scored 52 league goals and 24 of them (46 per cent) have involved centre-forward Ivan Toney, who has contributed 20 goals and four assists.
Prediction
Liverpool have acquired the winning habit in recent weeks and they can do just enough to defeat Brentford at Anfield.
A stern test is in store for the Reds because their opponents are almost always ultra-competitive.
Brentford are a great example of a club which makes the very most of their resources and they have been a tough nut to crack for the majority of the campaign.
Thomas Frank’s side have sustained just nine league defeats — the lowest among clubs outside of the top four — and they are not daunted by trips to the biggest stadiums.
Their notable away results include a 2-1 victory at Manchester City and a 1-1 draw at Arsenal, although their Emirates’ stalemate was assisted by a VAR gaffe which went in their favour.
The Londoners are likely to put up stiff resistance at Anfield and could reach the break with the scores level, but they may struggle to see the job through.
Liverpool had a lot of problems earlier in the season when injuries affected their ability to manage a busy fixture list.
However, Jurgen Klopp’s side have settled to their task since exiting the cup competitions and they should find a way of extending their winning streak.
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