Date published: Monday 2nd January 2023 9:24 – News Desk
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Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool could not deal with Brentford’s unique brand of “chaos” and bemoaned Darwin Nunez’s “shooting technique” as they slipped to a damaging defeat.
Liverpool’s poor defending cost them dearly against Brentford’s canny set-pieces as Thomas Frank’s side claimed another famous scalp with a 3-1 victory.
Ibrahima Konate scored an own goal from one corner and Yoane Wissa had two goals disallowed for offside from two more corners before putting the hosts 2-0 ahead before half-time with a fine header.
That was only after Darwin Nunez had added to his growing catalogue of wasted opportunities in front of goal, rounding David Raya only to see Ben Mee recover to make a goal-line clearance.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled one back after the break, but Bryan Mbeumo left Konate in a heap to fire in the third and finish Liverpool off.
It was a case of no Ivan Toney, no problem for Brentford as Liverpool went the same way as Manchester United and Manchester City this season.
They have now dropped 23 points so far this season – one more than they did all last term.
Klopp, who substituted key defender Virgil van Dijk at half-time, said: “Brentford create chaos with set-pieces. When I say they stretch the rules, they do, in offensive set-pieces.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s smart, but they do. If you could single out all the situations you would find five fouls but because it’s so chaotic no one sees it in the end.
“So that’s what they do and it’s really good. You know before the game how strong they are from corners. The game got decided by the second goal which was our fault.
“We got away with an offside. That’s all OK, and then we are not awake, they cross the ball and score the second that decided the game.
“The third goal should not have been allowed but we should have played better.”
Liverpool could have been two goals up before Brentford took the lead, but Nunez saw his shot cleared off the line after he had rounded David Raya, while Kostas Tsimikas shot tamely at the Brentford stopper.
READ MORE: Van Dijk: Can Liverpool win the Premier League again with the man who first made it possible?
Klopp added: “We conceded the first goal in the moment where we should already be 2-0 up, I think, super chances from Darwin (Nunez) and Kostas (Tsimikas), pretty much alone in front of the goal.
“Darwin doesn’t expect Ben Mee to be shooting there and, of course, the shooting technique can be better but we didn’t use that.
“It was more the game they wanted than we wanted which dictated, because of the game, the way it got whistled and how the situations were with set-pieces.
“We have to accept that but, of course, we have to be much more clear in the situations where we are in control of the game.”
