Alexander Isak scored the winning goal as Liverpool came from behind to beat nine-man Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
Victor Munoz also scored for Liverpool after Keane Lewis-Potter had given Brentford the lead in the first half.
The hosts finished the match with nine players after Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt received red cards.
The victory helped Liverpool move above Brentford into fifth place in the Premier League table. It also ended Brentford’s unbeaten start to the season.
Liverpool started the match with attacking intent and created a good chance in the 20th minute.
Bradley Barcola took advantage of a Brentford mistake and raced towards goal. However, his attempted chip went wide. Brentford responded with an opportunity of their own, but Jeremy Jacquet made an important challenge to stop Igor Thiago from scoring in the 28th minute.
Liverpool suffered an injury setback four minutes later when Dominik Szoboszlai left the pitch. Trey Nyoni replaced him.
The visitors thought they had won a penalty in the 43rd minute, but referee John Brooks changed his decision after reviewing the incident.
Dango Ouattara had touched the ball while challenging Alexis Mac Allister, and the referee decided against awarding the penalty. Brentford took the lead just a minute later.
Thiago delivered a cross into the box, and Lewis-Potter headed past Alisson to put the hosts ahead. Brentford suffered a major setback deep into first-half stoppage time.
Yarmoliuk received a straight red card after headbutting Jacquet before a Liverpool corner. The referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor before sending him off.
Liverpool took control after the break as they looked to make use of their extra player. However, they suffered another injury blow when Jeremie Frimpong left the field just seven minutes after coming on at half-time. Rio Ngumoha replaced him.
Liverpool finally found the equaliser in the 62nd minute. Florian Wirtz played a clever pass to Munoz, who moved inside and finished well to make it 1-1.
The visitors continued to attack and completed their comeback eight minutes later. Mac Allister sent a cross towards the far post, where Barcola headed the ball into Isak’s path. The Swedish striker reacted quickly and fired past Caoimhin Kelleher.
It was Isak’s fifth Premier League goal of the season. He has now scored in five consecutive appearances against Brentford.
Despite playing with 10 men, Brentford nearly equalised in the 73rd minute. However, Thiago missed a clear chance from close range.
Barcola then came close to extending Liverpool’s lead in the 79th minute, but his curling effort struck the crossbar. Brentford’s hopes of a late comeback suffered another blow in stoppage time.
Janelt received his second yellow card after fouling Ngumoha near the penalty area in the 92nd minute. Liverpool held on to secure all three points and return to winning ways after their defeat against Manchester City.
However, manager Andoni Iraola expressed concern over the injuries to Szoboszlai and Frimpong.
Iraola confirmed that Szoboszlai had suffered another hamstring problem, while Frimpong picked up a new injury. Both players could face some time on the sidelines. Brentford manager Keith Andrews, meanwhile, admitted that Yarmoliuk’s red card changed the match after his side had taken the lead.
Liverpool will now look to build on the victory, while Brentford will aim to recover from their first league defeat of the campaign.
