Liverpool came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Brentford, with Alexander Isak scoring the decisive goal on his return from injury.
The Reds struggled to find their rhythm early on and fell behind through Keane Lewis-Potter’s first-half header. However, Brentford’s dismissal of Yehor Yarmoliuk just before the interval shifted the momentum in Liverpool’s favour.
Víctor Muñoz equalised after the break before Isak struck his fifth goal of the season to complete the comeback. Brentford finished the match with nine players after Vitaly Janelt received a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Isak had missed Liverpool’s previous two matches but returned to the starting lineup alongside Florian Wirtz and new signing Bradley Barcola, forming an attacking trio reportedly worth £350 million.
Barcola, who scored a hat-trick against LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday, had an opportunity to open his Premier League account after a mistake by Janelt left him through on goal.
The £123 million winger attempted to chip advancing Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher but failed to make proper contact, sending the ball wide and prompting home supporters to chant “what a waste of money”.
Liverpool also suffered an early setback when Dominik Szoboszlai was forced off after just 32 minutes, apparently aggravating a previous knee problem.
The visitors were initially awarded a penalty after Dango Ouattara appeared to trip Alexis Mac Allister inside the box. However, a VAR review showed that the Brentford attacker had made slight contact with the ball, prompting referee John Brooks to overturn his decision after checking the pitchside monitor.
Brentford capitalised two minutes later when Lewis-Potter connected with Igor Thiago’s cross, powering a header into the top corner to put the hosts ahead.
The turning point came in first-half stoppage time when VAR spotted Yarmoliuk making a ‘headbutting action’ towards Jérémy Jacquet during a confrontation at a corner. The Ukrainian midfielder was shown a straight red card, although Liverpool were not awarded a penalty because the ball was out of play.
With a numerical advantage, Liverpool increased the pressure after the restart and found their equaliser when Wirtz released Muñoz down the right flank. The Spanish winger cut inside Lewis-Potter before firing a precise left-footed shot beyond Kelleher.
Liverpool completed the turnaround in the 70th minute. Mac Allister delivered a deep cross towards the far post, where Barcola headed the ball back into the danger area. Isak controlled it before unleashing a powerful finish past Kelleher.
Brentford’s difficult evening worsened in stoppage time when Janelt was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for pulling back Rio Ngumoha.
Liverpool held on to claim all three points, while Brentford were left to rue their disciplinary problems after surrendering an early lead.