Gary Rose
BBC Sport at Anfield

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Wet and a bit windy at Anfield today as Liverpool host Brentford, but while the weather may be miserable the Reds’ home record certainly is not.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are looking to maintain their perfect home record so far this season, winning all five of their Premier League games by an aggregate score of 14-2.

It is an intimidating record for Brentford to try to end but they are in decent form themselves as they look to win four consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since March 1939.

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Luis Manuel Diaz, the father of Liverpool striker Luis Diaz, has spoken publicly for the first time since being freed by a Colombian guerrilla group.

Mr Diaz said he was made to walk "too much" with little sleep, while he was kept in a mountainous area.

"I would not want anyone to be in that mountain in the situation I was in," he told reporters in a tearful interview.

He was abducted on 28 October in his family's hometown of Barrancas in Colombia.

In a news conference on Friday, the 58-year-old said those days had been a "very difficult" time for him.

His son Luis came off the bench to score a 95th-minute equaliser against Luton Town last weekend, and started against Toulouse.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed striker Evan Ferguson suffered a back injury late this week that has ruled him out of today's game.

Ferguson played the final 25 minutes of Brighton's Europa League win over Ajax on Thursday.

Another teenage Irish forward, Mark O'Mahony, is included on the Seagulls' bench for the first time.

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Sheffield United have lost nine of their 11 league fixtures this campaign. But their one win came in their last game, the dramatic injury-time victory over Wolves.

No team have ever lost 10 of the opening 12 matches of a top-flight season and avoided relegation. Burnley are currently on that mark.

The last side to lose their first six away games of a Premier League season were the Blades themselves in 2020-21 under Chris Wilder.

The 30 league goals they have conceded is the most after 11 games of a top-flight season since West Bromwich Albion let in 32 in 1985-86.

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Steve Cooper is set to become the second manager to take charge of 50 Premier League games as Forest boss, emulating Frank Clark.

Brentford

Brentford manager Thomas Frank on the front three: "I'm so pleased for Neal Maupay, he scored a very important goal in our last game.

"He's been working hard, he's had some tough times recently but Neal, Bryan [Mbeumo] and Yoane [Wissa] have a top connection and are spending time off the pitch together.

"Liverpool are an unbelievable team at Anfield, which is one of the most difficult away grounds to go to.

"As always we trust in ourselves and believe in ourselves but we know it’ll be very difficult."

On set pieces: "It’s no secret we are good at set-pieces. Liverpool are very good at offensive, and defensive, set-pieces.

"It will be more than set-pieces that we will need. We will need to defend well to get something. We need to take the game to Liverpool for as many minutes as possible."

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Pat Riddell, The Famous Club, external:

If one thing has underpinned the two-year reign of Steve Cooper, it’s the feeling of togetherness that has become part of the City Ground experience. The team spirit, the noise generated on the banks of the Trent, the belief, the determination.

It wasn’t always this way - Chris Hughton’s short stint was an altogether different vibe - and you don’t need to look too hard at other clubs to know that it’s no easy feat to have created something this special.

It doesn’t always quite come together but Sunday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa showcased the fortress that the City Ground has become. Only Newcastle United and Manchester United have come away with a win since September last year.

Roared on by Mull of Kintyre, the players feed off the fans and vice versa. Players like Harry Toffolo, Neco Williams and Odysseas Vlachodimos make their way on to the pitch, after being out of the team or indeed the matchday squad, and still embody everything that the club stands for. There’s no ego, just a united group.

Not all games leave you feeling that proud and that in sync with everyone associated with the club. But it’s the special ingredient that’s seen us through the most successful period of the club’s history this century. Long may it last.

Chris Sutton
BBC football expert

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Fulham were only beaten by a stoppage-time goal against Manchester United last weekend but I'm still not convinced by them, especially in attack.

I was surprised to see Aston Villa lose at Nottingham Forest, but we all know how good they are at home, where they have won five out of five this season, scoring 20 goals.

Villa need to get back on track if they are going to keep pushing for the top four, and that's what I think will happen.

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David Moyes believes managers don't want to speak out on VAR controversies because they feel they are "locked down" or will be fined.

A host of managers have publicly aired their frustrations with officiating in recent weeks, including Gary O'Neil, Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Sean Dyche.

But Moyes feels managers of clubs outside the traditional top six struggle to have their views on it heard.

"We're all pretty disappointed with lots of aspects, but we're also all very much in favour of trying to make it work," he said.

"I just think we've all been disappointed with some of the officiating this season. My single opinion wouldn't matter a jot.

"They'll do what they need to do. When we're putting it over it's not getting much clout at the other end.

"You can ask us but we feel that we're not getting an awful lot back when we're giving it back to the officials or whoever."

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Liverpool are looking to bounce back from their disappointing 1-1 draw with Luton Town.

Their away record this season is starting to become a bit of a concern but at home, they are still formidable.

The Reds have won all five of their home league fixtures this season by an aggregate score of 14-2.

They are aiming to equal their club record of nine successive home wins by a margin of two or more goals, set from May to October 1980.

Overall, Jurgen Klopp's side have lost only one of their last 47 home league games, and none of the last 17.

To add to Brentford's task, Mohamed Salah has scored or assisted in each of Liverpool's last 14 Premier League home matches.

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Brighton have not won in their past five Premier League games - only Luton, with six, are on a worse run.

They have never gone six games without a league win under Roberto de Zerbi.

The Seagulls can equal the Premier League record for a team both scoring and conceding in the most consecutive matches: 16, set by Everton from September 2012 to January 2013.

Fifteen league games without a clean sheet is their longest run since October 1996.

Albion sit eighth in the table.

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Three switches for Aston Villa from their win over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.

Diego Carlos was injured in that game with Pau Torres taking his place. Matty Cash and Douglas Luiz replace Clement Lenglet and Leon Bailey.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Torres, Konsa, Digne, Kamara, Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn, Diaby, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Traore, Moreno, Chambers, Lenglet, Zaniolo, Duran, Bailey, Dendoncker.

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Fulham make two changes from the side who lost to Manchester United last weekend.

Raul Jimenez replaces Rodrigo Muniz, who injured his knee in that game, and Bobby De Cordova Reid replaces Harry Wilson.

Adama Traore is on the bench following injury.

Fulham XI: Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson, Iwobi, Palhinha, Pereira, Willian, De Cordova Reid, Jimenez.

Subs: Rodak, Tete, Reed, Wilson, Cairney, Traore, Ballo-Toure, Lukic, Vinicius.

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David Moyes make three changes to the West Ham side who won 1-0 against Olympiakos in the Europa League on Thursday.

Alphonse Areola starts in goal ahead of Lukasz Fabianski.

Kurt Zouma returns in defence and captains the side after missing the last few games. Konstantinos Mavropanos drops to the bench.

Tomas Soucek replaces Said Benrahma in midfield.

West Ham XI: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Kudus, Paqueta, Soucek, Bowen.

Subs: Fabianski, Cresswell, Fornals, Antonio, Mavropanos, Ings, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Kehrer.

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Nottingham Forest are unchanged from the side who beat Aston Villa 2-0 last weekend.

Divock Origi and Chris Wood are back on the bench after injury lay-offs.

Nottingham Forest XI: Vlahodimos, Aina, Niakhate, Murillo, Toffolo, Sangare, Mangala, Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Awoniyi, Elanga.

Subs: Turner, Williams, Kouyate, Wood, Yates, Aurier, Origi, Danilo, Boly.

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Brighton make six changes from the side that beat Ajax 2-0 in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Lewis Dunk and James Milner miss out with injuries while goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, Joel Veltman, Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro drop to the bench. Top scorer Evan Ferguson, who came on as a substitute on Thursday, is also absent from the squad.

In come Jason Steele, Igor Julio, Facundo Buonanotte, Billy Gilmour, Pascal Gross and Adam Lallana.

Brighton XI: Steele, Webster, Van Hecke, Julio, Adingra, Gilmour, Dahoud, Buonanotte, Gross, Lallana, Fati.

Subs: Verbruggen, Veltman, Baleba, Moder, Hinshelwood, Baker-Boaitey, Mitoma, O'Mahony, Pedro.

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Visitors Sheffield United, meanwhile, make just one change from the side that claimed their first Premier League win of the season against Wolves last weekend.

Rhian Brewster, who came off at half-time of that game, misses out with injury and is replaced by James McAtee.

Sheff Utd XI: Foderingham, Baldock, Trusty, Robinson, Bogle, Souza, Norwood, Thomas, Hamer, McAtee, Archer.

Subs: Amissah, Lowe, Larouci, Fleck, Osborn, Brooks, Slimane, Osula, Traore.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport at Anfield

Liverpool make four changes to the side that drew with Luton in their previous Premier League outing.

In come Wataru Endo, Cody Gakpo, Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip. Virgil van Dijk, who missed the Europa League defeat to Toulouse in midweek through illness, also starts.

Alexis Mac Allister is suspended.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Tsimikas, Szoboszlai, Endo, Gakpo, Salah, Nunez, Jota.

Subs: Diaz, Elliott, Chambers, Scanlon, Doak, McConnell, Kelleher, Quansah, Nyoni.

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There's two changes for Brentford as Ben Mee and Mads Roerslev come into the first XI.

Goalkeeper Mark Flekken went off in the 3-2 win against West Ham last-time out with a dead leg, but starts today.

Brentford XI: Flekken, Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt, Mee, Mbeumo, Wissa.

Subs: Maupay, Jorgensen, Ghoddos, Onyeka, Strakosha, Peart-Harris, Baptiste, Yarmolyuk, Olakigbe.

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We've got team news coming up very shortly but Brighton are one of those teams with several key players missing through injury...

Anon: Newcastle and Spurs moaning about injuries. Brighton today without Dunk, March, Welbeck, Estupinan, Enciso, Lamptey and Milner. All regular first teamers when fit. Squad very thinly stretched at the moment.

It's fair to say Villa are flying at the moment, sitting fifth in the Premier League.

Don't trust us though, trust these stats...

• Villa are vying to win a 13th top-flight home game in a row for the first time in 40 years.
• Unai Emery's side can equal the club record of 21 Premier League victories in a calendar year, set in 1998. Only Manchester City have won more often in 2023.
• They could also start a season with six straight home league wins for the first time since 1959. They last managed this in the top flight in 1932.
• Aston Villa have scored three goals or more in each of their five Premier League home matches in 2023-24. The only side to do so in six successive home fixtures from the beginning of a season is Manchester City last year.
• Douglas Luiz has provided a goal or assist in each of Villa's seven home league matches since the 1-0 win against Fulham in April. It's the longest run ever by an Aston Villa player in the Premier League.

BBC Radio 5 Live

You can listen to live radio commentary on all five of today's Premier League games at the top of this page (if you're in the UK).

You have a choice of 5 Live or local radio for some of them.

If you want to listen on an actual radio it's Liverpool v Brentford on 5 Live and Aston Villa v Fulham on Sports Extra.

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Chelsea forward Armando Broja is available again after a month out with a knee problem.

Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are nearing a return, but Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana remain out.

Manchester City are without John Stones due to the injury which forced him off against Young Boys on Tuesday.

However, fellow defender Manuel Akanji has overcome the back issue that ruled him out of that game.

Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Gomez remain on the sidelines.

Here's how the top of the table stands at the start of the day.

Manchester City can open up a three-point gap again with victory over Chelsea.

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