Isak completes Liverpool comeback as Brentford finish with nine men

Liverpool 2-1 Brentford: Late Isak strike seals comeback

Liverpool climbed into fifth in the Premier League as Alexander Isak completed a second-half turnaround at the Gtech Community Stadium, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Brentford who finished with nine men.

Brentford had taken the lead when Keane Lewis-Potter powered home an emphatic header from Igor Thiago’s cross shortly after referee John Brooks overturned a Liverpool penalty after checking the pitchside monitor, with Dango Outtara having first touched the ball when challenging Alexis Mac Allister.

The game turned in first-half stoppage time. With seconds remaining until the break, Yehor Yarmolyuk headbutted Jérémy Jacquet during a Liverpool corner. Brooks sent for the monitor by VAR and showed a straight red for violent conduct.

Second-half turnaround

Liverpool made the man advantage count after the break. Florian Wirtz, who has struggled since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen last year, collected his second assist of the season when he played a clever inside ball, allowing Victor Muñoz to cut inside Lewis-Potter and finish low past Caoimhín Kelleher in the 62nd minute.

The second goal arrived in the 70th minute. Wirtz combined with Mac Allister and Bradley Barcola headed the Argentina midfielder’s cross down, with Isak, back after a thigh problem that ruled him out of last week’s defeat to Manchester City, fastening on to the ball and driving an emphatic shot past Kelleher.

Brentford pressed for an equaliser through Thiago after Jaidon Anthony broke through on the left, but they were left further exposed when Vitaly Janelt, already on a booking, picked up a second yellow for a foul on substitute Rio Ngumoha in stoppage time.

Injury-hit Liverpool

The victory was not without problems for Andoni Iraola’s side. Dominik Szoboszlai was forced off in the first half on his return, with Trey Nyoni replacing him, while half-time substitute Jeremie Frimpong lasted only seven minutes before injury forced him off and was replaced by Ngumoha. Ronald Araújo had come on at right-back before Frimpong’s introduction.

Brentford remain without a win since the dismissal and see their unbeaten start to the season ended, with Keith Andrews’ side raging at the officiating as they finished with nine men after losing Vitaly Janelt late on.