Isak and Muñoz complete Liverpool comeback as nine-man Brentford implode
Liverpool came from behind to win 2-1 at Brentford in the Premier League, with Víctor Muñoz and Alexander Isak scoring after Keane Lewis-Potter had headed the hosts in front. Brentford finished with nine men after red cards for Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt.
- Result: Brentford 1-2 Liverpool
- Venue: Gtech Community Stadium
- Competition: Premier League
- Goals: Lewis-Potter 44; Muñoz 62, Isak 70
- Red cards: Yarmoliuk (45+), Janelt (90+2)
- Referee: John Brooks
The story of the match
Brentford started with energy and made life difficult for Liverpool, pressing with intensity and looking to exploit space in the final third. Michael Kayode was especially impressive, offering quality and drive down the flank as the hosts built a foothold.
The breakthrough came in the 44th minute. Igor Thiago supplied the assist and Keane Lewis-Potter delivered an excellent header to put Brentford 1-0 ahead, rewarding their first-half work and handing Liverpool an immediate problem to solve.
The closing stages of the half brought a major setback for the hosts. Yehor Yarmoliuk was shown a red card in added time following what referee John Brooks described as a "headbutting action" involving Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet. Brentford went in 1-0 up but with a numerical disadvantage that would reshape the second half.
Muñoz and Isak turn the game around
Liverpool returned with greater urgency, moving the ball forward faster and testing Brentford's defensive shape. With an extra player, the visitors could stretch the home side and create openings around the penalty area.
The equaliser arrived in the 62nd minute. Florian Wirtz picked out Víctor Muñoz, who cut inside before finishing with his left foot past Caoimhin Kelleher — a composed piece of attacking play that levelled the score and shifted the pressure firmly onto Brentford.
Eight minutes later the comeback was complete. Alexis Mac Allister delivered a cross that Bradley Barcola headed down into a dangerous area, and Alexander Isak finished clinically to make it 2-1. Isak's goal proved decisive, while Muñoz's equaliser had given Liverpool the momentum.
Red cards compound Brentford's frustration
Brentford's hopes of salvaging a point suffered another blow in the 90th minute plus two, when Vitaly Janelt received a second yellow card for a foul on Liverpool substitute Rio Ngumoha. Reduced to nine men, the hosts faced an uphill battle to mount a late response, and Liverpool managed the closing stages to secure all three points.
Lewis-Potter and Kayode were among Brentford's strongest performers, but Yarmoliuk's dismissal and Janelt's late red card overshadowed their contributions. For Liverpool, meanwhile, the comeback will provide encouragement as the Reds look to build consistency.
Player ratings
Brentford
- Caoimhin Kelleher, 6
- Michael Kayode, 8
- Sepp van den Berg, 6
- Kristoffer Ajer, 7
- Keane Lewis-Potter, 8
- Yehor Yarmoliuk, 3
- Vitaly Janelt, 6
- Mathias Jensen, 5
- Jaiden Anthony, 6
- Dango Ouattara, 6
- Igor Thiago, 6
Liverpool
- Alisson Becker, 6
- Ronald Araújo, 6
- Jeremy Jacquet, 7
- Virgil van Dijk, 7
- Milos Kerkez, 6
- Alexis Mac Allister, 6
- Dominik Szoboszlai, 6
- Florian Wirtz, 7
- Víctor Muñoz, 8
- Bradley Barcola, 6
- Alexander Isak, 8
The numbers
- Brentford 1-2 Liverpool — full-time score
- 44 — minute of Keane Lewis-Potter's opening header
- 62 — minute of Víctor Muñoz's left-footed equaliser
- 70 — minute of Alexander Isak's winning goal
- 90+2 — minute of Vitaly Janelt's second yellow card
- 9 — players Brentford finished the match with
- 8 — joint-highest rating, shared by Kayode, Lewis-Potter, Muñoz and Isak
Why Liverpool's patience mattered more than Brentford's discipline
For 44 minutes this was Brentford's game. Their pressing was organised and aggressive, with Michael Kayode and Keane Lewis-Potter giving them genuine width and threat in the final third. Igor Thiago's assist for the opener was the reward for that intensity, and the hosts deserved their interval lead on the balance of play before the sending-off.
Yarmoliuk's red card changed the shape of the contest entirely. Liverpool could commit Florian Wirtz higher and wider, and the equaliser came precisely from that adjustment — Wirtz finding Víctor Muñoz in a pocket Brentford could no longer cover. Once Muñoz had levelled, Brentford's back line had to defend more space than their nine outfielders could protect.
The winner was a blueprint of what Liverpool do well with a man advantage: Alexis Mac Allister's delivery, Bradley Barcola's headed knockdown and Alexander Isak's clinical finish. Isak's movement in the box remains the difference between Liverpool drawing games and winning them, and his rating of 8 reflects that. Brentford, by contrast, will rue a Vitaly Janelt second yellow that removed any chance of a late response.
Talking points
- Was Yarmoliuk's red card for a "headbutting action" the correct call, and did it decide the match more than anything Liverpool did?
- Alexander Isak's clinical finish again proves his value, but should Liverpool be relying on one striker to turn these games?
- Brentford's discipline — two red cards in one match — is now costing them points in games they largely control.
- Víctor Muñoz's equaliser and rating of 8 make him Liverpool's most influential attacking midfielder right now.
What happens next
Liverpool take the three points and the encouragement of a comeback away from west London as they look to build consistency. Brentford must reflect on the disciplinary decisions that undermined an otherwise competitive performance, with both Yarmoliuk and Janelt now facing suspension after their red cards at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score between Brentford and Liverpool?
Liverpool won 2-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium, coming from behind after Keane Lewis-Potter's 44th-minute header.
Why was Yehor Yarmoliuk sent off against Liverpool?
Referee John Brooks showed him a red card in first-half added time for what he described as a "headbutting action" involving Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet.
Who scored Liverpool's goals against Brentford?
Víctor Muñoz equalised in the 62nd minute and Alexander Isak scored the winner in the 70th minute.
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