'It will be a challenge,' says Arne Slot ahead of Liverpool's first home fixture
Liverpool face Brentford at Anfield on Sunday 25 August at 16:30 (GMT+1) in the second round of Premier League fixtures. Stuart Attwell takes charge as referee, with Michael Oliver serving as VAR.
Liverpool looking to build on flying start on home soil
Arne Slot launched his Premier League tenure with a commanding 2-0 victory over promoted Ipswich Town. Diogo Jota opened the scoring in the 60th minute before Mohamed Salah made it 2-0 five minutes later. Now comes Liverpool's first home game of the season, and Slot is eager to sign off with another three points. 'I'm looking forward to it, but I look forward to every game I've managed — this is no different,' the Dutchman said. He was also quick to warn of the opposition's qualities: 'They had a very good first game and put in a strong pre-season. It will be a challenge for us to face them on Sunday.' Should Liverpool win, it would be the first time the Reds have won their opening two Premier League fixtures of a season since 2021/22. Their home record gives Slot every reason for confidence: in their last 61 home matches, Liverpool have lost just twice, winning 46 and drawing 13. On top of that, they have won five consecutive league games against Brentford and kept the Bees out in five successive home meetings. As for the line-up, a 4-2-3-1 formation is expected with Diogo Jota leading the attack. Darwin Núñez, who did not come on as a substitute last week, is targeting an appearance off the bench against the Bees.
Brentford travel to Anfield on the back of a flawless opening-day performance
Brentford also began the season on a positive note, with the Londoners defeating Crystal Palace 2-1 to remain unbeaten in their four Premier League opening fixtures to date, recording two wins and two draws. It would be a remarkable achievement for the Bees to take points at Liverpool, but their historical record at Anfield offers little encouragement: just one win in six away games there, alongside one draw and four defeats. Manager Thomas Frank is expected to stick with the 4-3-3 system that served him so well last weekend. Goalscorers Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo will line up alongside Kevin Schade in attack. The squad is, however, hampered by injuries, with at least four players unavailable, including Josh Dasilva and Aaron Hickey. New signing Sepp van den Berg, who recently joined from Liverpool on a five-year contract, could make his debut for the Bees. There remains uncertainty over the availability of Ivan Toney.
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Source: Sportmonks
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