Liverpool found six goals in Austria on Wednesday. Turning that lift into a Premier League win is the next job, and unbeaten Brentford are unlikely to make it comfortable.
The teams meet at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 17 October, with kick-off at 3pm BST. For Andoni Iraola, the challenge is to build on the 6–3 Champions League win at LASK without letting another busy week blur the need for a league response.
Barcola provides the spark, but the league needs a response
Bradley Barcola's hat-trick was the standout moment of Liverpool's midweek win. It gave the Reds an emphatic answer to Sunday's 3–0 home defeat by Manchester City, though conceding three in Linz means the result was not simply a story of problems solved.
Liverpool have scored seven goals in their opening six league games, only one more than they managed in that single European outing. They have won twice, drawn three times and lost once. There is attacking encouragement to take into this trip, but the league has been a less forgiving setting.
Both league victories came away from home: 2–0 at Ipswich and 1–0 at Bournemouth. That is a useful reminder that Liverpool have already found a way to win on the road under Iraola. Saturday asks them to do it against a side that has yet to lose in the competition.
Brentford have more than an unbeaten label
Keith Andrews' team have taken ten points from six league matches, with two wins and four draws. Their home results show why Liverpool cannot treat this as a routine chance to get back on track: Brentford beat Tottenham 3–0 and Chelsea 3–0, either side of a 1–1 draw with Sunderland.
The Bees returned from the international break with a 2–2 draw at Aston Villa last weekend. Their six league games have produced 12 goals for and six against. Those results give the hosts reasons to be positive without needing to promise another upset.
Iraola has changes to make
In Liverpool's pre-match update, Iraola said he expected further changes after the midweek game. Ryan Gravenberch is unavailable through a one-match league suspension following his red card against City.
Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai could return, but Iraola had not confirmed their availability. Their possible involvement should not be mistaken for a settled starting side. Brentford are also assessing Kevin Schade and Jannik Schuster, with Andrews reporting that both had been back on the grass during the week.
The key question is whether Liverpool can keep the attacking lift from Linz while giving away less at the other end. Brentford's home results suggest they will punish a loose afternoon. For the Bees, this is a chance to turn a resilient start into another notable win; for Liverpool, it is a chance to make a European response count in the league too.
Follow the day's fixtures on our football schedule and check the latest results.
Sources: Liverpool's pre-match update, Barcola's European hat-trick and Brentford's official preview.
