Darwin Nunez was denied two goals by the assistant referee’s flag during the first half of Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday, and he took his frustration out on one opponent prior to the interval.

At one point during the match at Anfield, Bryan Mbeumo carried the ball out from the visitors’ penalty area as he sought to instigate a counterattack for his team.

However, he didn’t even make it 20 yards from his side’s goalline before the Uruguay striker caught up to him, steaming in at full speed to shove the Cameroonian off the ball and knock him to the ground, leaving the Bees attacker momentarily crumpled in a heap.

Nunez’s tigerish determination not to let the Brentford man surge upfield showed just why, despite his propensity for a glaring miss, he’s adored by the Liverpool faithful for his relentless energy and indefatigable attitude.

You can view the 24-year-old’s challenge on Mbeumo below, taken from @lfc770 on TikTok and shared on Twitter/X by @TheLiverpoolEra:

Play Darwin as a DM vs City pic.twitter.com/dPnzMrNBwu

— H (@TheLiverpoolEra) November 13, 2023

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Neil Mellor was left gobsmacked by one incident from Liverpool’s 3-0 win at home to Brentford on Sunday.

The visitors pleaded for a red card to be shown to Wataru Endo for his challenge on Christian Norgaard, but their cries were in vain as Paul Tierney didn’t even reach into his pocket for a yellow.

Nonetheless, the tackle was subjected to lengthy scrutiny from VAR before the referee’s on-field decision was preserved, and the LFC TV pundit simply couldn’t believe how much time was taken in reviewing the incident.

Taking to X with a screenshot of the challenge, Mellor posted: “13 times!! VAR looked at this tackle 13 times. I thought VAR was there to help officials instantly see what was missed on the pitch (even though he was 2 yards away). Watching it that many times shows it wasn’t a clear and obvious error and just meant an unnecessary delay.”

13 times!! VAR looked at this tackle 13 times. I thought VAR was there to help officials instantly see what was missed on the pitch (even tho he was 2 yards away). Watching it that many times shows it wasn’t a clear and obvious error and just meant an unnecessary delay. #var pic.twitter.com/ITz9DobLMd

— Neil Mellor (@NeilMellor33) November 13, 2023

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Mellor hits the nail on the head by reminding us all that the original purpose of VAR when it was introduced to football was to eradicate clear and obvious errors, not to scrutinise several incidents per game to a forensic degree.

Endo’s challenge might’ve seemed rash on initial viewing but replays showed that it certainly wasn’t endangering Norgaard, and that viewpoint was also voiced by former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch on Monday morning.

If a refereeing mistake fits the description of ‘clear and obvious’, VAR could reasonably be expected to pick up on it inside 40-45 seconds, so any reviews which go on for longer than a minute waive the right to be classified as blatant errors.

While the officials came to the right decision regarding that incident yesterday, it’s hard to blame Mellor for calling out the unnecessary length of time it took for the review to be completed.

These needlessly lengthy delays, which are routine in Premier League matches, antagonise not just fans of the clubs involved but also irritate neutral viewers. Also, as Roberto De Zerbi pointed out over the weekend, there are numerous instances where still the final call leaves players, managers and supporters baffled.

Most people watching at home could see almost straight away that Endo’s challenge wasn’t a red card offence, so you’d have to wonder why the VAR officials took as long as they did to let the match continue.

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Dermot Gallagher has given his verdict on two key moments from Liverpool’s win over Brentford at Anfield on Sunday which angered the visitors.

Making his customary appearances on Ref Watch on Sky Sports News, the former Premier League official was asked for his assessment of Wataru Endo’s challenge on Christian Norgaard, for which the Bees pleaded for a potential red card, and whether the ball went out of play in the lead-up to Mo Salah’s second goal.

On the first incident, the ex-top flight referee said: “I didn’t think it was a red card at the time and I don’t think it’s a red card now. If it’s a foul, which the referee doesn’t [give], he’s low, they are both going for the ball and keen to get it. It’s not an act of serious foul play.

“The referee has got the best view, so he knows the speed he has come at, he knows the intensity of it. For me, not a red card.”

On whether Kostas Tsimikas had managed to keep the ball inside the goalline before crossing for Salah’s 200th goal in English football, Gallagher stated: “It’s definitely not out. The whole of the ball has to be over the whole of the line.

“When you look at a football and you look at that line, there’s a lot of ball to go over that line before it’s out of play.”

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Gallagher was reviewing those two incidents with total impartiality, so for him to state that the officials got both calls right would indicate that Brentford weren’t hard done by in either instance.

Endo’s challenge on Norgaard was firm, and from one angle it mightn’t have looked too pretty, but it certainly didn’t enter the realms of a malicious tackle which would’ve endangered an opponent.

Paul Tierney didn’t even deem it worthy of a yellow card, so that should quell any arguments that the Liverpool midfielder was fortunate to remain on the pitch.

As for Salah’s second goal, TV replays showed that Tsimikas got to the ball in the nick of time to keep it in play, and in any instance Brentford fans ought to look at the negligence of their team’s defence in allowing the lethal Egyptian a free header, rather than pointing to any potential refereeing injustice.

The Reds were unquestionably the better team yesterday, even though the Bees had some decent chances of their own, and thankfully the officials didn’t have any major bearing on the eventual result with the calls they made.

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Virgil van Dijk has been getting close to his best form for Liverpool this season after a rocky 2022/23 by his own lofty standards, and he again proved why he’s one of the world’s best defenders during the 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday.

Despite the comfortable nature of the scoreline, the Bees asked a few questions of the home side’s defence, and thankfully the Reds skipper was alert to one particularly dangerous attack in the final 15 minutes.

Christian Norgaard got his head to a corner kick and diverted the ball towards Neal Maupay at the far post, but just when it looked as if the Frenchman had a tap-in, Van Dijk was on hand to maintain a clean sheet with a vital goal-line clearance.

You can view Van Dijk’s clearance here, via Master_BenKenobi on Reddit

It was one of four that the Dutchman made this afternoon, along with two blocks, three tackles and a whopping 10 duels won as he kept Brentford at bay with a titanic defensive performance (Sofascore).

The broad smile from the 32-year-old as he reacted to that moment illustrated just how much pride he places in the art of defending!

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Two goals from Mo Salah and a fantastic Diogo Jota strike helped Liverpool return to winning ways as they dispatched Brentford at Anfield.

It was the perfect response to the midweek Europa League defeat to Toulouse, and one man who endured a difficult night in France would’ve silenced his critics with a redemptive performance this afternoon.

Kostas Tsimikas was horribly caught in possession for the Ligue 1 club’s opening goal on Thursday but he came good for the Reds today, providing the assists for both second half strikes against the Bees.

READ MORE: (Video) Joel Matip simply couldn’t believe how he was booked against Brentford

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Ian Doyle gave the 27-year-old a 7/10 in his player ratings for the Liverpool Echo, with the left-back ‘more steady defensively than in midweek’ as he ‘took opportunities to augment attack, particularly when crossing for second goal’.

Meanwhile, the match statistics from Sofascore highlighted the impact that the Greece international made this afternoon.

The two assists were the obvious standout, with Tsimikas ending the day with three key passes and three successful crosses (best of any Reds player for both metrics), along with completing 34 of his 40 passes (85% success rate).

The Greek Scouser also impressed defensively, winning five duels along with making two tackles and one interception.

With plenty of scrutiny on the 27-year-old amid Andy Robertson’s long-term injury absence, performances like this will go a long way towards reassuring Liverpool fans that our number 21 can be a reliable deputy until the Scot regains full fitness.

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Diogo Jota scored a sublime goal to extend Liverpool’s lead during the second half of today’s Premier League clash against Brentford.

Mo Salah’s double had the Reds in a commanding position, and the Portugal winger put the result to bed in some style on 76 minutes.

Collecting the ball on the corner of the penalty area, the 26-year-old cut inside his nearest opponent and let fly with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box which left Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken making a despairing dive in vain.

A superb finish which shows Liverpool’s number 20 at his finest!

You can view Jota’s goal below, taken from Viaplay Sports’ match coverage and shared on Twitter/X by @starsblls:

pic.twitter.com/VisJfOjIRa

— starsblls (@starsblls) November 12, 2023

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Mo Salah was on target yet again with his second goal of the afternoon to put Liverpool 2-0 up against Brentford on 62 minutes.

Diogo Jota’s pass into the penalty area was retrieved by Kostas Tsimikas in the nick of time to stop the ball from going out of play, and the left-back picked out the Egyptian inside.

The 31-year-old was amazingly left with a free header, which he dispatched with ease into the empty net to put the Reds into a commanding position just after the hour mark.

You can view Salah’s second goal below, taken from beIN SPORTS’ match coverage and shared on Twitter/X by @HnaTghtyt56801:

الحساب الاساسي : @SIRDLV
الحساب الاساسي : @SIRDLV#LIVBRE pic.twitter.com/oayiwapRUS

— 996 (@HnaTghtyt56801) November 12, 2023

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Joel Matip was less than impressed with his yellow card in the first half of Liverpool’s clash against Brentford on Sunday afternoon, and he didn’t exactly hide his indignation.

The Reds defender was booked by Paul Tierney in the 37th minute, and it looked a very harsh decision, as it appeared that Christian Norgaard actually jumped into the Cameroon international.

Sadly, that’s not how the referee saw it, and out came the yellow card, much to the 32-year-old’s visible and justifiable bewilderment.

You can view Matip’s reaction to being booked below, via @LfcRvideos on Twitter/X:

pic.twitter.com/j9hmuTW01h

— LFCRvideos (@LfcRvideos) November 12, 2023

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After Darwin Nunez was twice denied by the offside flag, Mo Salah finally fired Liverpool in front against Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

There were 39 minutes on the clock when Joel Matip dispossessed Bryan Mbeumo near the centre circle and laid the ball off to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who slipped a delicious through pass to Darwin Nunez.

The Uruguayan picked out the 31-year-old to his right and the Egyptian King did the rest, sliding it coolly past Mark Flekken to make the Reds’ territorial dominance tell on the scoreboard.

You can view Salah’s goal below, taken from beIN SPORTS’ match coverage and shared via @FerneA5290 on Twitter/X:

@CARTER7ii@CARTER7ii pic.twitter.com/1u5VdBljPh

— تغطططيات HD (@FerneA5290) November 12, 2023

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Darwin Nunez twice had the ball in the Brentford net in the opening half-hour at Anfield this afternoon, only for the Liverpool striker to be thwarted by the offside flag on both occasions.

Midway through the first half, the Uruguayan applied the finishing touch to a miskicked Dominik Szoboszlai pass, but the assistant referee had his flag raised. A subsequent VAR review judged that the 24-year-old was offside by literally inches.

Darwin Nunez offside goal. pic.twitter.com/OUXFzhZAGQ

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) November 12, 2023

Five minutes later, the Reds’ number 9 found the net again, but was once more denied by the assistant. This time the decision was much clearer, with Nunez visibly offside as his brilliant overhead kick finish was ruled out.

Imagine if this overhead Nunez goal stands #LIVBREpic.twitter.com/lOKf3EnXj4

— K (@KeiLFC8) November 12, 2023

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Nunez was rather unlucky with the first disallowed goal, although the second was clear-cut.

It’s been a frustrating first half for the most part for the Uruguayan, and for Liverpool as a whole, with the Reds seeking to atone for poor results against Luton and Toulouse in the past seven days.

However, if the Uruguayan keeps getting into good positions and Brentford’s defence doesn’t quite apply the same rigid discipline, our number 9 could find a route to a legitimate goal sooner rather than later (at the time of writing).

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Liverpool will aim to go into the international break on a winning note when they host Brentford at Anfield in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Reds have endured a difficult week on the pitch, needing a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a point at Luton and losing to Toulouse in the Europa League, so Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to see his side return to winning ways and doing so with conviction following those couple of insipid performances.

We go into the game with a 100% record at home in all competitions this season, although the Bees come to Merseyside off the back of three successive wins, with Thomas Frank’s side hoping to bloody the noses of a ‘big 6’ club once more today.

In terms of the Liverpool team to take on Brentford, there are unsurprisingly a plethora of changes in personnel from Thursday’s defeat in France, with some established names coming back in and others ruled out due to injury or suspension.

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Alisson resumes his place as our first-choice Premier League goalkeeper, coming back in for Caoimhin Kelleher.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are restored to the defence, with Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip keeping their places from the Toulouse game.

Wataru Endo starts again in midfield and Dominik Szoboszlai returns to the starting line-up, having come on as a substitute in France. Alexis Mac Allister’s domestic suspension forces him out of the side, with Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch both missing out through injury.

Cody Gakpo moves to a midfield role, with a fully changed front three of Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Standing out among the substitutes is 16-year-old Trey Nyoni, off the back of some superb displays at underage level.

You can catch the full team news below, courtesy of @LFC on Twitter/X:

The Reds to take on Brentford #LIVBRE

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 12, 2023

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Jurgen Klopp has teased one possible selection hint when it comes to picking his Liverpool team for today’s Premier League clash against Brentford.

The Reds will be deprived of several midfielders this afternoon, with Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Curtis Jones all injured, and Alexis Mac Allister suspended. Ryan Gravenberch could also be a doubt due to a slight knee problem which saw him miss the defeat to Toulouse on Thursday (Liverpool Echo).

That leaves the manager with rather limited options in the middle of the park, but one viable alternative has arisen and could be utilised against the Bees.

When asked if Trent Alexander-Arnold might be deployed in midfield today, Klopp replied (via liverpoolfc.com): “Yeah, a possibility, it depends on the situation, the opponent, on a lot of things. We know that he can play there.

“For us, if we just put him there then we lose one of the best right-backs in the world, so we should not forget that completely at least. Of course he is an option for that position.”

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Trent’s starting position today – on the team sheet, at least – could depend on whether or not Gravenberch is fit enough to play.

Dominik Szoboszlai is a certain starter, and the aforementioned absences should see Wataru Endo given a first Premier League start since the last week of August. Harvey Elliott may also come into the line-up if the Dutchman doesn’t recover in time.

However, should those three start, it could leave Klopp with a total dearth of midfielders on the bench, so it’s not unthinkable that one of those might be held in reserve, with Trent starting in the middle of the park and Joe Gomez playing on the right-hand side of defence.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to playing in a more advanced role, having been utilised in an inverted full-back role towards the end of last season to good effect and also doing a stellar job in midfield for England during their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

The manager has a few dilemmas to ponder ahead of kick-off, given the number of options unavailable to him, but he’s found a way to handle selection crises in the past and will have been thinking long and hard about how best to set up today.

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Jurgen Klopp has issued glowing praise of his opposite number Thomas Frank ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Brentford on Sunday.

The Bees make the trip to Anfield tomorrow off the back of three successive wins, with their last away match seeing them triumph 2-0 at Chelsea, while the Reds will hope to atone for poor results and performances against Luton and Toulouse in recent days.

The west London club have excelled in the top flight since returning to the division two years ago, finishing ninth last season and beating LFC 3-1 along the way, and they go into the weekend’s fixtures occupying a top-half berth again.

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Klopp said of Frank (via Sky Sports): “[They make] very smart transfer business and Thomas is adapting with style.

“He plays against possession teams one way and plays against other teams when all of a sudden they are a possession team themselves. It’s really interesting. He’s doing a brilliant job. He seems to be very happy there.

“He’s a cool guy. I respect him a lot. They are doing really well and [he’s] really smart.”

Frank and Brentford have been a breath of fresh air since coming into the Premier League, taking to the division with an ease which must be the envy of other promoted clubs who’ve been swiftly relegated without a whimper.

They’ve been the scourge of Liverpool and other big-name clubs in that time, and it’ll take a very strong performance from the Reds to preserve their 100% record at Anfield this season when they face the Bees tomorrow.

You can view Klopp’s comments on Frank below, via @SkySportsPL on Twitter/X:

"He's a cool guy, I respect him a lot!"

Jurgen Klopp has praised Thomas Frank and the job he is doing at Brentford pic.twitter.com/GVp3PIsHl9

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 10, 2023

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Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that a historic feud with one man in particular won’t be reignited when Liverpool face Brentford next Sunday.

The Premier League has confirmed the refereeing appointments for the upcoming round of fixtures, with Paul Tierney the man in the middle at Anfield.

It’ll be the first time the 42-year-old has officiated a game involving the Reds since the dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham last April, after which the LFC manager was hit with an improper conduct charge for comments he made about the whistler.

The refereeing team for the Liverpool-Brentford game is completed by Scott Ledger, Mark Scholes (assistant referees), Tim Robinson (fourth official), Stuart Attwell (VAR) and Harry Lennard (assistant VAR).

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Liverpool fans could be recoiling in horror at discovering that Tierney will take charge of the Brentford game, given the history between him and the Reds over the past couple of years.

It was he who neglected to penalise Oliver Skipp with a card for a brutal, over-the-top lunge on Luis Diaz in Spurs’ defeat at Anfield towards the end of last season, just three weeks after he booked Andy Robertson for protesting about being elbowed in the throat by assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis against Arsenal.

When LFC met Tottenham away in the previous campaign, the Scottish left-back was on the wrong end of a horrific challenge from Harry Kane, who somehow wasn’t sent off, and Tierney also let Emerson Royal away with a clear foul on Diogo Jota inside the penalty area that evening (BBC Sport).

The 42-year-old’s rap sheet when Liverpool face London opposition is worryingly populated, and Klopp will just be hoping there aren’t further flashpoints added to it next Sunday.

Nobody wants to be haranguing referees, who undertake an incredibly difficult and thankless job, but as we’ve witnessed so often already this season, match officials in the Premier League frequently don’t help themselves.

Ideally will preserve their 100% home record at the weekend and will do so without Tierney being the talking point.

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Liverpool reportedly have eyes on one Premier League youngster in a potential swoop which’d have echoes of the signing of Andy Robertson six years ago.

According to The Mirror, the Reds are ready to submit an offer to Brentford for Aaron Hickey, who’s also attracting interest from Manchester United and Arsenal.

The 21-year-old has caught the eye at both club and international level in recent months, starring for Scotland as they close in on qualification for Euro 2024, and is likely to be valued at a minimum of £50m by the west London club.

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If Liverpool were to win the race for Hickey, he could well be the long-term successor to international teammate Robertson at left-back.

The Brentford ace is equally comfortable on either flank (Transfermarkt), so he may also be viewed as a right-sided alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who in turn could be freed up to adopt the midfield role in which he’s excelled this year.

When breaking through at Hearts in 2019, the youngster was tipped for an ‘unbelievable future’ by veteran compatriot Christophe Berra (The Scotsman), and his subsequent performances at Bologna and now the Bees suggest that the 21-year-old is living up to that billing.

A tidy operator on the ball with a 90.9% passing success rate so far this term, Hickey is a pest for direct opponents (being fouled 1.8 times per match) and is very competent in his core defensive duties, winning 2.2 tackles per game (WhoScored).

Those returns would place him among the top four in Liverpool’s squad for each metric (WhoScored), so there’s every chance that he’d integrate just as effectively as Robertson did when he first came to Anfield as a 23-year-old.

The comparison with the Scotland captain is obvious, given their shared nationality and position, and the Brentford defender may well be one to keep an eye on between now and the January transfer window.

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