Brentford

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist at Anfield

Image source, Getty Images

"I am always happy when the window is shut," said Brentford boss Thomas Frank as he again answered questions about Ivan Toney's future following his side's 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

For the second successive week, England forward Toney did not feature as speculation continues about his future.

Will he be available for next Saturday's home game with Southampton?

"He trained all week and he trained well," added Frank.

Whatever happens to Toney, Brentford remain highly competitive at this level.

This was their ninth straight defeat at Anfield but it was not until Mohamed Salah scored in the 70th-minute that Liverpool could relax.

In Bryan Mbeumo they have a forward who is prepared to put in the hard yards, while Keane Lewis-Potter impressed without reward at Anfield.

There is much to be optimistic about for Brentford this season. Whether Toney is park of their plans remains to be seen.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat to Liverpool: "A game of two halves. We were very good in the first half. I thought it was very even, in the stats and everything. They scored the goal from our mistake which is a situation where you either take the ball or the man, then we also needed to defend the two on two situation better.

"We had a great chance with Christian Norgaard - a free header - and another chance. Our pressing and our overall build-up was good. So it was an even game, maybe our best first half here at Anfield.

"In the second half, Liverpool went up a notch. We still had a good chance through Nathan Collins at 1-0. So we had the chances, but we did not create enough today. In the end, Liverpool win fair and square."

On lessons to learn ahead of three difficult away games: "The first half [we can take into the next games], then [it is about whether] we can take it and build it 60 minutes, then 70 minutes, and so on into a game.

"We just know that Liverpool are a good team. For me Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are the three that are a little bit ahead of everyone else - some of the best teams in Europe.

"We hoped for more. We came here to try and win, but we couldn't do it."

On if his side is missing a main striker: "No. When we beat Liverpool at home a few years ago, we played with [Yoane] Wissa and Bryan [Mbeumo] up front. So, no."

On his current squad: "I think I've got a good squad. We have done some good business, I must admit. There is nothing big I need or want."

On whether Ivan Toney will stay at the club beyond the transfer deadline: "Maybe, I don't know."

Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken has been speaking to Sky Sports following the loss: "It was a tough game. I think we did well in the first half. We had to find our way in the first 15 minutes, but we found our rhythm and then we should have done better on the transition when we conceded.

"It seemed like they stepped their game up in the second half and, from their second goal, it was like a finished game.

"With their offensive forwards, they have you know it is a tough match every time you come here. You prepare yourself to stop as much as possible. I saved some, but I didn't save enough, and we lost the game.

"There are a lot of positive things. We had some good moments with the ball, maybe we should do better at finding that link up to our forwards. That is something to analyse. We have a game on Wednesday so we have a chance to win that."

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford have lost all four of their Premier League games at Anfield by an aggregate score of 9-0. Only Birmingham City have played at a particular venue more in the competition without scoring (seven games at Old Trafford).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool's performance, external

What did you make of Brentford's display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

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There are three games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action and reaction.

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week two, he takes on Make Me A Mixtape hosts Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Brentford have got a goal in them and Ivan Toney is back in training. There is talk of him going to Saudi Arabia. What a tragedy that would be at his age - he has plenty of time left to do that.

It was a really good win for Arne Slot's Liverpool at Ipswich. They had to work for it and he showed his ruthless side by taking defender Jarell Quansah off at half-time and putting Ibrahima Konate on.

Mo Salah looked good - he is ripped and looks fitter than ever. I think Liverpool's attack will be too strong for the Brentford backline but Brentford have a goal in them and I really like Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo.

Amfo's prediction: 2-1

Stephens' prediction: 4-2

I have gone for some goals here - well, I have done that with every game really. I'm hoping for some good games, but there is a good chance that so many of these will be goalless.

Read the full predictions and have your say

This season, English top-flight clubs are trialling a new financial system that limits spending based on the earnings of the bottom side, designed to "protect the competitive balance of the Premier League".

Football finance expert Rob Wilson tells The Football News Show why, if permanently introduced, it could make the top Premier League sides less competitive against their European counterparts.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On whether Ivan Toney will be in the squad this weekend, Frank said: "Who knows? Let's see on Sunday what will happen. Ivan trained the whole week, he trained with a good attitude in every aspect. So he could be involved, he could not. He could be here after the 30th, he could not be here. Basically, everything is up in the air. I said the whole time, if he's here, I'm very happy. If he's not here I am happy on his behalf."

• On signing Sepp van de Berg from Liverpool: "I think he is a great player with an even bigger potential. A good age for a young centre-back that played quite a significant amount of games in the Championship and in the Bundesliga. I heard the rumours about Leverkusen, if that is true, then I think it is a statement that players want to come to us over other top clubs and we know that we are interesting because we have a fantastic environment, we have a good team, good club and we are growing."

• On his squad: "We need a strong squad. We saw last year that we had a lot of injuries, we were unlucky, some of it in the defensive side. We lost Zanka [Mathias Jorgensen], so we need another one. We always want to sign one depending on what we need. Can we get a player that can lift the bigger picture, the bigger level, plus have potential to grow? That's always the best and we managed to get that in Sepp."

• On Rico Henry, who is recovering from long-term injury: "Rico is progressing very well and hopefully he'll be ready to join the squad soon. He's trained every session here with the full squad with no restrictions. He's so electric, so he catches the eye quite easily. I'm excited about it. I've been here close to eight years, and he is the only player who has been here the whole time, so it's quite emotional to see him coming back. I'm very pleased."

• On Arne Slot and Liverpool: "We are going into a fantastic team, against a good manager. I followed his work with Feyenoord, of course seen his pre-season games, the Ipswich game and it looks good. He tried to add layers to the fantastic job [Jurgen] Klopp did. He inherited a fantastic team. The team that started against Ipswich is a fantastic team. I saw some awesome stats. At home, they are so frightening, I expect them to be an unbelievably difficult task. We know we have the capacity to go anywhere and try to win it. We will go there and try everything we can to win it."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association tells The Football News Show why he is concerned at the current and potential future financial rules in the Premier League.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

We asked for your views on Brentford's signing of centre-back Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool in a deal reported to be worth £25m.

Here are some of your comments:

Gabe: Very happy with this signing. We needed defensive reinforcements and signing a young player like Van den Berg is a brilliant bit of business from Brentford as we have a few aging centre-backs.

Mark: Yes he seems a good player, but I thought we would be after a decent wing-back as ours are both injured while we already have Pinnock, Collins, Ajer and Mee.

Rhys: Good to be getting some players, especially defenders, into the squad. However, we should be more focused on signing some wing-backs.

Mahogony: Trained by Liverpool and wanted by Leverkusen. Good signing written all over it.

Conor: Finally, we have a wing-back replacement for Henry if he gets injured. Van den Berg will do wonders for us, let's hope he's available for the Liverpool game.

Brian: Why are we buying all these defenders? We desperately need a holding midfielder with experience and quality.

Ray: Slightly puzzled with the number of potential centre-backs we now have on our books, yet we have not had dedicated full-backs for nearly a year and that's what cost us last season. Roerslev is ok, but not a first XI Premier League full-back.

Brentford are set to wrap up a £10m deal for 18-year-old Brazilian winger Gustavo Nunes from Gremio. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has said new centre-back Sepp van den Berg is a "great signing for the club and the team" after the 22-year-old joined the Bees from Liverpool.

Frank added: "Sepp is a centre-back with a good level and he has the potential to develop even further. He fits our culture and the way we want to play; he is quick, he reads the game well and is composed on the ball in the build-up and in the decisive defending actions.

"Sepp is a great character and I am convinced that he will fit in well with the group and help us to push forward."

Brentford fans, how do you feel about the signing?

Have your say here, external

Nick Mashiter and Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporters

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley are holding firm on their £15m valuation of defender Dara O'Shea - with the defender favouring a move to Wolves.

The 25-year-old is eager to make the switch to Molineux - returning to the West Midlands having previously played for bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion - but Wolves are yet to meet the Clarets' asking price.

They have offered around £13m for the centre-back but, with Brentford having previously bid £15m, that remains the asking price.

The Bees have signed Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg in a deal believed to be in the region of £25m, leaving their position on O'Shea unclear.

Any deal for O'Shea is not imminent and is likely to go into the last week of the transfer window.

O'Shea has made 39 appearances and scored five goals for Burnley since moving from Albion last summer. He scored in the Clarets' 4-1 Championship opening day win at Luton and also played in their 5-0 victory over Cardiff.

Wolves are in the market for a new centre-back having sold Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m but boss Gary O'Neil's spending power is restricted.

He is not expected to be able to make many signings before the closure of the window next Friday, despite also selling Pedro Neto to Chelsea in a deal worth £54m.

Wolves have made a loan offer, with an obligation to buy, for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale but the Gunners would prefer a straight sale. Any deal is also likely to go into the final week of the window.

Image source, Getty Images

In a run stretching back to 1939, Liverpool have won each of their past five home games against Brentford. The Reds have also kept a clean sheet in each of those matches.

Brentford and Wolves are keen on Burnley defender Dara O'Shea, 25, but they must pay £15m to sign the Republic of Ireland international. (Mirror), external

Brentford hope to scupper Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso's efforts to sign Sepp van den Berg from his former club Liverpool, with the Reds set to demand £25m for the Dutch defender. (Times - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves want to beat Brentford to Burnley defender Dara O'Shea.

A centre-back is a priority for the club having sold captain to Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m.

But Gary O'Neil's spending power is restricted despite also selling Pedro Neto to Chelsea in a deal worth £54m.

O'Shea came through the ranks at Wolves' bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion and made 107 appearances for the Baggies.

The 25-year-old joined Burnley last summer but was unable to help keep them in the Premier League. O'Shea has played in the Clarets' opening two Championship games, scoring in the 4-1 win at Luton.

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Miracles do happen - Brentford have beaten Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the seventh time of asking!

It has been a frustrating summer with the Ivan Toney transfer saga continuing, his replacement Igor Thiago immediately being injured and both our first-choice full-backs still sidelined.

With our first four away games at Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United, early home points are crucial.

Although we rode our luck at times on Sunday, once again it was the team’s togetherness which sealed the victory.

Six of the starting XI played for us in the Championship five years ago and they, and the newer players, have a strong bond with the supporters.

For at least 10 years, the players and staff have done a lap of the pitch to thank fans after every home game - win, lose or draw.

After Premier League victories, this turns into a bit of a party, which at times is mocked by visiting supporters.

Sunday's post-match celebration felt even more special than usual, given the summer and the struggles last season, when we only won five home matches.

The team spirit was summed up by Yoane Wissa pushing new signing Fabio Carvalho in front of the other players to receive his own applause.

One player who was missing was of course Toney.

He has been great for us and will be missed. However, good players leaving is what has got us where we are, so we thank him for what he has done, and wish him all the best, safe in the knowledge that we have the talent to replace him.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external