Brentford hammers Liverpool to end talks of title race

Liverpool players engage in quick town hall meeting after conceding the third goal against Brentford at the Community Stadium on Monday. Brentford won 3-1. (Photo credit: Premierleague.com)

“It’s hard to concede but after today and with that performance, Liverpool are out of the title race, it’s over!” – Ex Liverpool gunman Michael Owen

Not many sides have enjoyed their trips to the Community Stadium at Brentford but Liverpool made a huge mess of whatever they’re up to this season with a 3-1 loss that came from school boy errors and failure to deal with the basics.

The Kops traveled to Brentford for a league game that was supposed to send them into the top five, above Tottenham and breathing down on the top four but it didn’t take long for the traveling fans to realize they should have done something else with their evening.

The Bees were without the injured Ivan Toney but he was in the stands to encourage the lads and he celebrated every goal with the fans. Liverpool were without captain Jordan Henderson and a midfield trio of Harvey Elliot, Fabinho and Tiago Alcantara couldn’t get the job done.

Ibrahim Konate, partnering Virgil Van Dijk diverted the ball past his own keeper on the 19^th minute and it began to fell apart for the Kops from there. Yoane Wissa, standing in for Toney had a goal disallowed for offside but three minutes later, he was wheeling away in celebrations after scoring one that stood.

Liverpool huffed and puffed till the break and Jurgen Klopp made an unprecedented decision, taking off Van Dijk, alongside Tsimikas and Elliot for Joel Matip, Andy Robertson and Naby Keita respectively, the first time a Liverpool manager is making triple substitution at halftime since Klopp came on.

It proved to be the difference with Darwin Nunez scoring a disallowed goal before Alex Oxlade Chamberlain fired one in to half the deficit. Liverpool attacked with reckless abandon but Nunez was guilty of missing a couple of big chances.

Brentford made safe of the points late on. Konate lost a duel with Mbeumo and slotted past Allison, the result means Brentford has now beaten United, Manchester City and Liverpool at the Community Stadium; only Arsenal has been able to come out of Brentford’s home ground unscathed.