LONDON -- For the first 45 minutes of this match at Brentford, Liverpool's £400 million ($533m) frontline looked disjointed.
Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola and Víctor Muñoz are four hugely talented individuals, but they each stood alone. Chances were snatched at and opportunities squandered. Brentford were good for their 1-0 lead at the break, though any joy was tempered by having Yehor Yarmoliuk sent off just before half time. But with the numerical advantage, the fab four found more fluidity and intensity. They showed signs of understanding one another and between them, they crafted both goals as Liverpool won 2-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The pivotal moment of the match came eight minutes into first-half injury time. Yarmoliuk's red card looked soft, and mindless in equal measure. Yarmoliuk was tussling with the hugely impressive Jérémy Jacquet in Brentford's box, before moving his shoulder and flicking his head into Jacquet. After intervention from the VAR, Yarmoliuk was dispatched. All of Brentford's first-half effort was undone: at this stage they were the more impressive of the two teams.
But perhaps that stroke of luck was the catalyst Andoni Iroala's side have been waiting for. With a one-man disadvantage, Brentford's pressing dropped off, their structure became less rigid and Liverpool had more space. With that, they hurt Brentford, twice -- first from Muñoz and then second when Barcola and Isak linked up for the winner. In the end the hosts finished with nine men -- with Vitaly Janelt sent off in the 92nd minute for a second yellow card -- as their unbeaten start to the season came to an end.
This was a funny old match. Liverpool's best player was Jacquet, and how you judged this performance from Iraola's side probably depends on how you see Liverpool. Neutrals or critics will look to how they needed the Brentford red card to get going, how Barcola squandered several decent opportunities and how ultimately they came through against nine men. But then those with their cup half full will look at Wirtz's assist and Muñoz's run for their opener, the link-up between Barcola and Isak for the winner and how Liverpool showed mental strength and ultimately patience to get through this tricky test. Brentford improve season on season and are no strangers to knocking over more illustrious visitors. Chelsea have already come here this term and floundered. Liverpool managed to pass the test, just.
After Liverpool's 6-3 win over LASK on Wednesday in the Champions League, this was always going to be a chance to gauge Liverpool's mental strength and ability to build momentum. Barcola scored a hat trick in midweek to show signs of why Liverpool paid £123m ($164m) for him, and with Isak and Dominik Szobozslai back in the team after recovering from injury, this was a chance to see Liverpool as they're meant to be, the attacking vision laid out in west London. But their first-half performance was more of the Liverpool at the start of the season than the one we saw in Austria. Liverpool's efforts were wayward, while Barcola squandered a wonderful opportunity to put the visitors 1-0 up when he scooped an effort wide when clean through on goal. So instead it was Brentford who went into the break 1-0 up as Igor Thiago was inexplicably given space and time to pick out an unmarked Keane Lewis-Potter to head past Alisson.
Liverpool thought they had a chance to strike back when they were awarded a first-half penalty, but it was then correctly overturned by VAR -- Dango Ouattara was deemed to have brought down Alexis Mac Allister but he got the ball first. But then came Yarmoliuk's red card, and things changed.
Liverpool brought on Jeremie Frimpong at half time for Ronald Araújo, but Frimpong lasted just five minutes before being forced off injured, so Muñoz was shifted to right-back and Rio Ngumoha brought on. Ngumoha's introduction helped and caused more chaos in Brentford's defence, but it was Muñoz who found Liverpool's equaliser, darting down the wing, cutting back to free himself of Lewis-Potter and then finishing confidently past ex-Liverpool keeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 62nd minute.
The winner eight minutes later will please Iraola, and those who sign the cheques. Three quarters of the £400m forward line clicked as Wirtz laid the ball off to Mac Allister. He picked out Barcola at the far post who nodded it down to Isak. Isak took one touch to take the ball away from Kristoffer Ajer and fired past Kelleher.
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Liverpool should have had a third later on, but Barcola squandered two decent opportunities when he had Lewis Koumas on his shoulder on one instance, and fluffed his lines a few moments later.
Brentford will rightly feel aggrieved at the first-half red card and how they frequently found themselves on the wrong end of the referee's whistle. The Yarmoliuk red card killed their momentum, and from there, it was always going to be tough to keep Liverpool out. More space was inevitable, and Liverpool opportunistically took their chances.
Overall, Iraola will take this. Injuries to Szoboszlai and Frimpong will be a concern as was some of their wastefulness in front of goal. They remain a work in progress. But Isak's winner shows what's possible. It was perfectly crafted. That's the blueprint heading forward.
