Portuguese midfielder Fabio Carvalho, 23, could leave Brentford on loan in January to gain playing time, with a return to the Bundesliga on the cards. (Florian Plettenberg), external
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Phil McNulty
Chief football writer
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford's decision to appoint coach Keith Andrews in succession to Thomas Frank in June raised eyebrows in some quarters, but he deserves full credit and respect as he moves his side into a new era.
The 2-0 win at West Ham on Monday was no reflection of their total domination and this success against the fading champions falls into the same category.
It may have looked close by the scoreline, but in every other way this was a dominant display in which Andrews' side made struggling Liverpool look strictly second best.
And while much will be made of Michael Kayode's long throw that produced the first goal, this was a complete team performance of which that strategy was simply one part of the success.
Brentford lost key trio Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard in the summer, but the signings of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, as well Dango Outarra and goalkeeper Caoimhim Kelleher have proved inspired.
Brazil striker Igor Thiago is a powerful spearhead, netting his sixth league goal this term, while the pass from Mikkel Damsgaard that created Kevin Schade's strike was of the highest class.
No-one will ever forget how former boss Frank transformed Brentford - but Andrews has shown his qualities in a highly impressive start to his first managerial post.
Pundits Michael Carrick and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.
And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Brentford were 'fearless' in significant win over Liverpool - Andrews
Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to BBC Match of the Day after beating Liverpool 3-2: "Once we got a grip of the game after 10-15 mins we were excellent."
On the character his side showed: "It was in an abundance. We had to show it. We knew it would be a difficult game so we're really, really pleased with how we showed our personality and character and the resilience in the group.
"It's twice in a row we havve had a disappointment just before half-time [conceding] but how we started in the second half was excellent
"Our home record has been really good. The way we approach games we're growing in confidence. We're heading in the right direction and to win against the Premier League champions makes it a pretty special evening."
Bees forward Kevin Schade also spoke to BBC Match of the Day: "It was hard. It is very hard against Liverpool every time, but we know especially at home that we can hurt them like every team and that's what we did.
"I think if we get the basics right we can beat anyone. Obviously they are the better team in general, but we knew we can hurt them and that's what we did."
On his goal and whether it's his biggest moment in football: "Damzy [Mikkel Damsgaard] and me, we have a special connection. I know he can pass like this so I just go deep and he can do the nice passes.
"In general I think the biggest part of my career right now is to be healthy and play games and play 90 every time."
Did you know?
Brentford have scored eight Premier League goals from throw-ins since the start of last season, more than twice as many as any other side.
The Bees have won 33% of their games against the reigning Premier League champions, among teams to play more than two seasons in the competition, only Manchester United (44%), Liverpool (39%) and Manchester City (38%) have better win percentage against these sides.
Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.
Have your say on Brentford's performance
What did you make of Liverpool's display?
Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies
Brentford make no changes from Monday and the team that beat West Ham.
Brentford XI: Kelleher; Ajer, Van den Berg, Collins, Kayode; Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard; Schade, Thiago, Ouattara.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Nelson, Carvalho, Onyeka, Lewis-Potter, Janelt
Liverpool make three changes to the side that saw off Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday as Mohamed Salah returns to the starting line-up.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexander Isak haven't made the bench as youngster Kieran Morrison gets a seat.
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Jones, Wirtz; Gakpo, Ekitike, Salah
Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Robertson, Ngumoha, Nyoni, Morrison
There are four games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Chelsea v Sunderland (15:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Newcastle v Fulham (15:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Man Utd v Brighton (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Brentford v Liverpool (20:00)
Kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated
Follow all of the action and reaction here
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Liverpool will probably be without Alexander Isak after he was injured against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
It feels like what has happened to him is a case of you reap what you sow. Isak has been short of full fitness and especially sharpness all season anyway, and he did not help himself there by missing training with Newcastle in order to try to force his move to Anfield through.
He got what he wanted, but now he is trying to play catch-up instead of hitting the ground running because of the time he had off, and that is when you can pick up injuries.
Isak is too good a player not to eventually start scoring goals but this whole situation has affected Liverpool as a team too, because his lack of fitness is one of the reasons they have not clicked in the final third yet.
They scored a few goals against Frankfurt on Wednesday but this is going to be much harder for them.
Brentford were more dominant on the ball when they beat West Ham on Monday but you know how Bees boss Keith Andrews will set up his team for this game - they will sit and then counter, and they are good at it.
Liverpool's attack will click at some point, but I don't think it will happen here, and their vulnerability to direct balls in behind their defence means I don't see them keeping a clean sheet either.
Sutton's prediction: 1-1
Inconsistent Brentford host Liverpool on Saturday, with the visitors vying to get their Premier League campaign back on track.
Liverpool's comfortable win in Frankfurt on Wednesday ended a run of four straight defeats in all competitions.
The Reds put five past the Bundesliga outfit and did so without Mohamed Salah, who was relegated to the bench in Germany.
Head coach Arne Slot instead opted to start with Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak as a front two for the first time. The gamble certainly paid off. However, the Swede failed to emerge for the second half and Slot later confirmed that the £125m striker had suffered a groin problem.
Isak's injury, coupled with another for right-sided player Jeremie Frimpong, all but confirms a return for Salah this weekend - but his numbers across all competitions in 2025-26 show a stark drop-off from the previous campaign.
Salah is enduring arguably the toughest period of his career in England to date, excluding his unsuccessful and brief spell at Chelsea more than 10 years ago.
However, this weekend's opposition have proven favourable for the 33-year old - he has registered six goals and one assist in seven previous Premier League meetings against the Bees. His manager is also backing him to return to scoring ways.
"We're not used to him missing chances, let alone in a few games in a row, but these things happen," said Arne Slot in his pre-match press conference. "The last thing I worry about is Mo starting to score goals again because that's what he done his whole life and that's what I expect him to do again."
Brentford have no obvious selection issues and after a dominant display at West Ham on Monday their starting XI, barring injuries, will likely pick itself.
Igor Thiago has emerged as one of the Premier League's form strikers and his goal against the Hammers took his total to five in the top flight this season, only behind runaway leader Erling Haaland, who has 11, and Antoine Semenyo, with six.
Marauding full-back Michael Kayode created seven chances at London Stadium - the joint-most of any Premier League player this season - while ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson again proved to be a key cog in the machine.
The 35-year-old contributed an assist against both Chelsea and Manchester United and was recently labelled a Liverpool "legend" by his friend and former colleague Andy Robertson.
Henderson is one of four ex-Liverpool players in the Brentford squad and he is set to make his 440th Premier League appearance on Saturday, moving him one behind the league's all-time top scorer Alan Shearer. Of current top-flight players, only another of his former team-mates James Milner has featured more in the division.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
There are no fresh injury concerns. Aaron Hickey "won't make this weekend" but should be back in training next week after recovering from a knee injury picked up while on international duty with Scotland.
Paris Maghoma and Gustavo Nunes are both in contention though, after featuring in the Brentford B team's 6-1 victory over Luton Town on Tuesday.
Andrews has "enjoyed watching" Nunes' recent performances, adding: "He is building. I've been at both games and when he came on against QPR, he had those glimpses. We need to keep nudging him in the direction we need him to go because there's certainly a very good player there."
On Josh Dasilva signing a new contract with the club, he said: "I'm really happy we were able to sign him to a new contract because he is a big part of this football club and he has been very helpful to me during this transition period. He also stood out to me last season in terms of set pieces."
Arne Slot's team "doesn't have the rhythm it once did" but Liverpool have "world-class players" and the ability to be "absolutely lethal" in certain moments.
When asked if he has a game plan ready, he replied: "We will have to manage the game. We are well aware of the strengths they have. We will see what their teamsheet brings tomorrow evening. We will be prepared for it and we are really looking forward to it."
He is aware that Liverpool enjoy tweaking their system and has briefed his players on it: "We will see who starts the game and that will give us an indication as to which way they will go in possession."
It is "nice to have options" at left-back, but it is leaving the Brentford boss with a bit of a conundrum. He explained: "It was a tough call to not play Rico [Henry] against West Ham, but [Kristoffer] Ajer played very well against Manchester City and deserved to keep his place. He played well again against West Ham. If people play well, they will stay in the team."
On Yehor Yarmoliuk's "outstanding performances" this season, he said: "This is his first real season as a starter and he has grasped that opportunity. He has grown in stature, grown the personality that he is playing with, grown his understanding of the game, and grown within the group."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Image source, BrentfordBrentford midfielder Josh Dasilva says he "can't thank the club enough" for giving him a new contract until the end of the season.
The 27-year-old has had an injury-plagued two years, undergoing three operations since sustaining a significant knee injury in February 2024.
Dasilva's contract expired in the summer but he has remained at the club to complete his rehabilitation and now hopes to return after the November international break.
"It's been a long journey, but I can't thank the club enough for giving me this opportunity," Dasilva said. "I don't know how many clubs would have given a player this opportunity to carry on.
"It's been hard, but I'm very thankful for it, and I just can't wait to be out there enjoying my football with the boys and putting on the shirt again.
"I did my ACL, MCL and meniscus in early February 2024, and then I had to have another operation six months later, and then another operation eight months later. This is why it's been a minute since I've been on the pitch.
"Right now, I'm just doing rehab outside, doing ball work and running. I've been doing that for quite a few weeks now, so hopefully, within the next month or so, I can start training with the team.
"I try not to look too far ahead because I've got today and tomorrow to focus on. I'm just taking every milestone as it comes."
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews added: "I've been keen to get this done and had discussions with Phil Giles around it, stressing the importance of Josh to the group.
"He's someone that I've involved a lot around the next chapter of where we're going with the club and the steps we need to make.
"Josh is someone who really understands Brentford Football Club and he's a really intelligent young man who cares about the club - I don't think we should forget that.
"But, ultimately, we want to get him back on the grass because, if we get him back to the level he was at, he's going to be a major asset for us."
Ian Westbrook
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesMonday night's important win at the London Stadium was our seventh Premier League victory over West Ham in nine meetings - and certainly the most comprehensive.
The Bees produced our best away performance of the season and should have won by more.
Our 15 first-half shots was our joint highest in our four-and-a-bit years in the Premier League and our 22 in total in the match our best this campaign.
It was also our first away league win this season and pushes us closer to halfway in the table.
Everyone played well, with midfielders Yehor Yarmoliuk and Jordan Henderson particularly outstanding.
We were solid at the back and the front three linked up well together. The number of crosses we delivered into the area was incredible - it was just a pity we only converted one of them.
West Ham were poor - but that takes nothing away from the Bees' performance. Despite that, even an off-form team can score, so I found the last half-hour more nervy than enjoyable as I could see an undeserved equaliser coming.
As Brentford fans, we have seen this happen too many times over the years!
Luckily the Hammers never looked likely to ruin our night, but my nerves were only calmed when Mathias Jensen - for the second time in three games - blasted in a last-gasp goal to seal the win only minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Next up are out-of-form Liverpool - another game on a Saturday night, which I still feel is a terrible time to have a match.
They have a Champions League fixture at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, which could be their fifth successive defeat.
Teams have often ended losing runs against us, but if we are brave and take the momentum from this result, who knows what could happen.
Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external
Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist
Brentford took full advantage of a passive display by West Ham to produce one of their most dominant away performances in the Premier League.
They had 42 touches in the opposition box and registered 22 shots, with both figures their highest in a top-flight game on the road since promotion in 2021.
Several of the visitors' other key metrics, including expected goals, also ranked amongst their best as the Bees produced what head coach Keith Andrews called their "most complete performance of the season".
The concern for Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be just how one-sided the game was – and why his side weren't more competitive.
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We asked for your thoughts after Monday's Premier League match between West Ham United and Brentford.
Here are some of your comments:
West Ham fans:
Blake: Absolutely shocking performance from West ham. Absolutely no urgency anywhere on the pitch and everyone looked tired. Need to have a big look at ourselves and try again.
Jade: That's one of the worst performances I've seen from us in years (and I've seen some stinkers). What exactly was Nuno's plan tonight? No striker, full-backs playing on the wrong sides, a midfield with no presence - looked like 11 strangers out there. No cohesion, identity or fight - utterly toothless.
Roger: Expected so much more passion on the pitch for the new gaffer's first home game. Time for some radical action. 17-year-old Airidas Golambeckis is our best young player since Rice.
Robbie: Poor West Ham team, not a one off, major problems ahead.
Brentford fans:
Mike: Andrews quietly silencing the doubters. Young coach learning game by game, will be there for many years I feel. Well don't Bees.
Lee: Brentford looked much fitter than West Ham. The Hammers looked very lethargic.
Drew: Only consolation for West Ham United tonight was the scoreline. Brentford should've been in double figures. Worst performance by a Premier League team I've seen in years. Brentford's Thiago looks some player. Brentford will be OK with the quality they've got throughout the squad.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews speaking to BBC Sport after the 2-0 win at West Ham: "Very content. The performance was excellent on a lot of fronts - the chemistry, the conviction. It was a very good performance. A lot of individuals taking the next steps.
"What we've seen from Igor Thiago is that he will score goals. He's a handful. He's a personality.
"Jordan [Henderson] is imperative. We have a young squad. He's brought in his experience."
On if this was their best performance of the season so far: "Yes I think so. We've shown parts in games and got good results, but performance-wise this is the most complete."
Did you know?
Brentford remain one of only two sides, along with Liverpool, to have scored in every Premier League away game in 2025, last failing to do so against Brighton in December 2024.
Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford had lost all three of their away league matches before the win at West Ham
Brentford started the day 16th in the table but jumped up to 13th as boss Keith Andrews celebrated his first away Premier League victory as a manager.
He would surely have been surprised by just how easy it was against struggling West Ham, as the visitors to London Stadium had 58% of possession.
Andrews' side were better in every department and just about every statistic. Their 15 shots in the first half alone was their joint highest ever in the Premier League, while the overall total of 22 shots in the match was their highest in this campaign, as was the 451 attempted passes.
With England midfielder Jordan Henderson superb in central midfield, Brentford were outstanding throughout. They were also a constant threat from corners and Michael Kayode's impressive long throws.
Igor Thiago scored just before half-time, but so many other chances were not converted: Nathan Collins headed over, Thiago volleyed against the top of the crossbar, Mikkel Damsgaard had a header saved by Areola, Dango Ouattara twice missed with headers, Kevin Schade headed against the bar and Keane Lewis-Potter curled a shot wide.
Substitute Mathias Jensen's late goal gave the scoreline a closer resemblance to the domination Brentford had enjoyed.
Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.
Have your say on West Ham's performance
What did you make of Brentford's display?
Come back on Tuesday for a selection of your replies
