Liverpool slump continues with defeat to Brentford
Defending champion Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as it lost 3-2 at Brentford to continue a miserable run of form in the capital.
Arne Slot's stumbling side fell behind after five minutes when Dango Ouattara volleyed in after a long throw and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th.
Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage-time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley's cross.
Liverpool's expected second-half siege never really materialised, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford's two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark.
Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute but it was all too late.
The home fans took delight in taunting Slot with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side's title defence wilting was palpable.
Liverpool looked fragile at the back, was often out-muscled by Brentford and doubts about Salah's lack of impact will continue despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than month long scoreless run in the league.
Liverpool got back to winning ways with a 5-1 UEFA Champions League victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek but its domestic woes continued with a fourth league defeat of the campaign, as many as it lost in winning the title last season.
Slot said his side spent most of its last training session before the match focusing on Brentford's long throw-ins but his side was caught cold by the tactic after five minutes on a chilly night by the Thames.
Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo but was not convincing and was undone again as half-time loomed.
Mikkel Damsgaard's superb long pass sent Schade away and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili.
Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage-time despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement.
Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil Van Dijk clipped the foot of Ouattara on edge of the area and after a long video assistant referee (VAR) check referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle.
Salah's instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage-time that took the game into its 100th minute but Brentford held on for a thoroughly-deserved three points.
"Everyone has to look in the mirror including myself. I am sure we will get out of this," captain Virgil van Dijk said.
"But we won't do it just by talking about it. We need each other, we need the support. We need the people who were celebrating with us last year to be with us now even more. We will get out of this because we have the quality."
It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool has lost four successive league games, with three of those matches in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
It is now sixth on the table on 15 points, four behind leader Arsenal, which could extend that margin on Monday (AEDT) when it hosts Crystal Palace.
Brentford's second win in a row moved it up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool.
