Liverpool weren't able to carry the momentum from a 5-1 victory over Frankfurt into the Premier League as they suffered their fourth league defeat in a row, this time to Brentford
TOPSHOT - Liverpool's Dutch manager Arne Slot reacts after the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Liverpool at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on October 25, 2025. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Arne Slot is one loss away from a club record run of defeats in the Premier League era
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Match of the Day pundits Ashley Williams and Michael Carrick have detailed what went wrong in Liverpool's 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Saturday night.
Despite Liverpool's best efforts to fight back late in the match, with Mohamed Salah scoring an 89th-minute goal, Arne Slot's side suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the Premier League.
The Liverpool boss was visibly frustrated during the game as two penalty decisions went against the current Premier League champions.
Before Brentford scored their second, the Reds felt they should have been awarded a penalty as Cody Gakpo went down in the box following a challenge by Bees skipper Nathan Collins.
Former Premier League defender Williams, though, believes it was the right decision from the officials.
He said on BBC's Match of the Day: “I can see why because Cody Gakpo receives the ball and is really clever with this little one-two, give and go, gets it back and at this pace and angle it looks like there’s contact made.
Cody Gakpo went down in the box after a challenge from Nathan Collins
Cody Gakpo went down in the box after a challenge from Nathan Collins(Image: 2025 Marc Atkins)
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“The official wording is that Nathan Collins has planted his foot and not made contact with Cody Gakpo which I can go with. I don’t think that there’s any contact in that. I think Collins has put his foot down and Cody Gakpo has gone over probably just expecting contact and didn’t really come. For me it’s not a penalty.”
In the second half, Brentford were awarded a penalty following a challenge by Virgil van Dijk. The referee had initially given a free-kick, but a VAR review deemed the contact to be on the penalty-box line, which counts as in the area, as Carrick explained.
“It’s really, really close," he said. "Initially, I thought it was outside the box in real time. I wasn’t sure about the contact from where we were watching it. I have to say, when you stop it, it’s on the line and it’s very close. If it’s on the line it’s a penalty.
"My little one, from a referee’s point of view, historically, it needs to be more [contact] inside the box to give a penalty than it does outside the box to get a free-kick. If the referee is thinking it’s outside the box I can give a free-kick and it’s not the end of the world, whereas a penalty is a bigger decision. It’s taken away from him because it’s in the box anyway. The penalty was well taken. Cool, calm, collected. Fantastic finish and sent them on their way.”
Liverpool's defence has looked fragile this season. They have conceded 14 goals in their first nine games - already 34% of the total goals they let in across the whole of last season, with 29 matches still to play.
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 25: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool looks on alongside teammates during the Premier League match between Brentford and Liverpool at Gtech Community Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk and Konate struggled against Brentford
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Williams commented on Liverpool's backline and said: “Brentford show a little bit of class actually and it’s a really good goal from their point of view. As they win the ball back, Damsgaard, who is a cracking little player, that pass is sublime, splitting the centre-backs. It’s a brilliant run from Schade, keeps his composure.
"I think Mamardashvili will be a little disappointed but if you look at the defending from Liverpool’s point of view, we’ve highlighted the two centre-backs there, Konate can see him and has a 15-yard head start on him and he just doesn’t realise the danger at all, until it’s too late. Both of them are nowhere near him when he puts the ball in the back of the net. Van Dijk doesn’t really sprint back, Konate can’t get back.
"He puts it down the middle of the goal and I think the goalkeeper will be disappointed. From Liverpool’s point of view, that’s an unacceptable goal. I think possibly because of the penalty shout just before that, they might have been thinking about that but it’s not good enough."
The latest defeat is Liverpool's fourth in a row in the Premier League. The last time the club lost four league games consecutively was under Jurgen Klopp back in 2021. Five-time Premier League winner Carrick believes the players’ mentality has shifted.
He added: “I try to put it in perspective of a player’s mindset really. Being in it personally, you go through really good runs and good times and it comes quite easy. You’re in a flow and confidence is there, you’re not quite thinking too much. You’re instinctive and it all goes to plan.
"Then a couple of little things, little details that don’t go your way and it snowballs a little bit. You can start thinking as a player, ‘I’m doing exactly the same, I’m putting the same effort in. I’m trying to do the same things they’re just not coming off.'
“At the minute it looks like they’re second-guessing a little bit. A few new players and a lot of talent in that group but it just shows you how hard winning is. It doesn’t take much for it to look harder than it did. I do think they’ll be okay but they need to put a stop to that run pretty quickly.”
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