Alexander Isak marked his return from injury with the decisive goal as Liverpool recovered to beat Brentford 2-1, but another early withdrawal for Dominik Szoboszlai complicated an otherwise valuable afternoon. The hosts finished with nine players after dismissals for Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt.
Keane Lewis-Potter headed Brentford ahead shortly before half-time, only for Yarmoliuk’s dismissal before the interval to change the conditions of the contest. Victor Munoz equalised after the break and Isak completed the recovery in the 70th minute, converting after Bradley Barcola headed the ball into his path.
According to post-match reporting, Liverpool moved above Brentford into fifth and ended the hosts’ unbeaten league start. Yet the result offered two different assessments of Liverpool’s returning players: Isak supplied the finishing touch they needed, while Szoboszlai’s comeback lasted little more than half an hour.
The dismissal changed more than the scoreline
Liverpool had struggled to establish an attacking rhythm before Brentford went ahead. Barcola wasted an opportunity after breaking through, while a penalty initially awarded for Dango Ouattara’s challenge on Alexis Mac Allister was overturned following a video review that identified contact with the ball.
Lewis-Potter then met Igor Thiago’s delivery to give Brentford the lead. At that point, the home side had both an advantage to protect and evidence that Liverpool could be threatened.
Yarmoliuk’s subsequent dismissal was therefore the central event, rather than a footnote to the comeback. Reports agree that his action towards Jeremy Jacquet at a corner prompted a review and a straight red card. Because play had not restarted, the incident did not bring Liverpool a penalty, but it left Brentford facing the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage.
That distinction matters when assessing Liverpool’s improvement. Their two goals demonstrated attacking quality, but they arrived under substantially more favourable circumstances than those in which the visitors had initially laboured. This was a successful response to an opportunity, not clear evidence that their earlier difficulties had disappeared.
Janelt’s second booking came in stoppage time, after both Liverpool goals. Describing the victory simply as a win against nine men obscures the sequence: the comeback was built against ten, with the second dismissal arriving too late to explain it.
Munoz supplied the unexpected solution
Liverpool’s reshuffling made Munoz’s contribution especially significant. Szoboszlai went off in the first half, and Jeremie Frimpong, introduced at the interval, was himself unable to continue after only seven minutes.
According to match reporting, those changes pushed Munoz into the right-back position. His equaliser nevertheless came from an aggressive forward movement, collecting Florian Wirtz’s pass before moving inside Lewis-Potter and finishing with his left foot.
The sequence showed the value of flexibility when substitutions are being dictated by injuries rather than preference. Liverpool lost players but retained a route forward on the right, and Wirtz found the runner who could exploit it.
There is a limit to the conclusion, however. Advancing from that position against ten players is not the same challenge as balancing defensive and attacking responsibilities against a full side. Munoz solved an immediate problem; the match alone cannot establish whether that arrangement offers a durable answer.
Isak’s finish mattered more than his involvement
Isak had missed Liverpool’s previous two matches and was returning after a thigh problem. For much of the first half, his presence did not transform the attack. His decisive contribution instead came from making one brief opening count.
Mac Allister delivered towards the far post, Barcola redirected the ball and Isak controlled before finishing past Caoimhin Kelleher. The move combined delivery, support and execution rather than asking the striker to manufacture the chance alone.
Barcola’s involvement also provided an important corrective to his earlier miss. His afternoon contained wastefulness, but his contribution to the winner meant it could not fairly be reduced to that failed opportunity.
Liverpool were not entirely secure after taking the lead. Thiago missed a close-range chance to equalise, a reminder that Brentford’s reduced numbers had not removed their attacking threat.
The injury picture remains unresolved
Pre-match coverage presented the returns of Isak and Szoboszlai as a welcome strengthening of Liverpool’s options. By full-time, that shared starting point had produced sharply different outcomes.
The available reports do not establish the nature or severity of Szoboszlai’s latest problem, nor provide a firm diagnosis for Frimpong. Their withdrawals should not be treated as proof of lengthy absences or a premature return.
For Liverpool, the distinction is important: Isak’s goal delivered an immediate reward, but the afternoon did not resolve the broader question of availability. Three points and renewed injury uncertainty arrived together.