Jordan Henderson is confident it is only a 'matter of time' before Liverpool bounce back after he helped inspire Brentford to a stunning 3-2 triumph over his former side . The England midfielder was exceptional for the Bees as they handed Arne Slot's struggling outfit a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat. The Reds found themselves trailing early when Dango Ouattara fired home at the back post from a long throw-in, before Kevin Schade made it two just before the break. Milos Kerkez managed to claw one back in added time, only for Igor Julio to restore Brentford's two-goal cushion through a second half penalty. Though Mohamed Salah reduced the arrears once more in the closing stages, Liverpool's dismal run persisted as the defending Premier League champions slumped to sixth place . Slot's squad haven't hit their stride this campaign despite a mammoth £450m summer spending splurge that saw them shatter the British transfer record on two occasions, and have now suffered defeat in five of their previous six outings across all competitions. Yet despite their current struggles, Henderson maintains his old club remain a top-level side and tipped the Reds to reverse their fortunes. "Liverpool are a world-class team with world-class players," he told TNT Sports . "You look all over the pitch, there's not much to go at, they're all quality players. I don't really see a weakness in the team. "Yes, I know there's been results of late that haven't been great for them but, for me, they're still top players and a top, top team and it's just a matter of time before they get in a rhythm and get going. "I think there's been a lot of reasons why they haven't hit the heights from last year but they're still a world-class team and wherever you look on the pitch there's to players, so it's always going to be difficult. But the [Brentford] lads dug deep, stuck together and caused some problems on the counter. "I thought from start to finish we stuck together. We knew it would be difficult at times. The way we defended together, the way we stayed composed on the ball and try to, rather than just kick it forward at times, it's trying to play the long ball in behind to someone running in, like Dams (Mikkel Damsgaard) did for Kev (Schade) on the second goal. "And [Igor] Thiago was a threat all night and he's been like that all season to be fair. We've got a lot of good players on the counter-attack with the front three. "We've got people like Dams, Yarmo (Yehor Yarmolyuk) and the centre-halves who can pick passes as well. Overall, I think it was a really good performance and we deserved the win in the end." Saturday's evening fixture represented Henderson's first encounter with Liverpool since his departure from the club during the summer of 2023. The 35-year-old acknowledged it had been an odd experience to face the Reds, as he emphasised he still wants to see his former club succeed. "I had been at Liverpool for so long," he said. "It's always deep inside me forever now as it was my life for 12 years. "It was a little bit strange but as soon as the whistle went, it was business as usual and I was ready to go and I'd be in the right frame of mind, which I was. "Once the whistle went, I was fully in and felt as good as I ever have. Of course (the reception I got meant a lot). I was there 12 years, dedicated a lot of my life to it. My kids were born there. It holds a special place in my heart. "I still want Liverpool to do well – of course not when we're playing them – but overall. That will never change. "The fans have always been amazing. It was special to see a few of them, I know a few of them left a bit early because of the result. But it was nice to see them again." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Jordan Henderson speaks out on Liverpool struggles after inflicting misery on old club
Jordan Henderson is confident it is only a 'matter of time' before Liverpool bounce back after he helped inspire Brentford to a stunning 3-2 triumph over his former side . The England midfielder was exceptional for the Bees as they handed Arne Slot's struggling outfit a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat. The Reds found themselves trailing early when Dango Ouattara fired home at the back post from a long throw-in, before Kevin Schade made it two just before the break. Milos Kerkez managed to claw one back in added time, only for Igor Julio to restore Brentford's two-goal cushion through a second half penalty. Though Mohamed Salah reduced the arrears once more in the closing stages, Liverpool's dismal run persisted as the defending Premier League champions slumped to sixth place . Slot's squad haven't hit their stride this campaign despite a mammoth £450m summer spending splurge that saw them shatter the British transfer record on two occasions, and have now suffered defeat in five of their previous six outings across all competitions. Yet despite their current struggles, Henderson maintains his old club remain a top-level side and tipped the Reds to reverse their fortunes. "Liverpool are a world-class team with world-class players," he told TNT Sports . "You look all over the pitch, there's not much to go at, they're all quality players. I don't really see a weakness in the team. "Yes, I know there's been results of late that haven't been great for them but, for me, they're still top players and a top, top team and it's just a matter of time before they get in a rhythm and get going. "I think there's been a lot of reasons why they haven't hit the heights from last year but they're still a world-class team and wherever you look on the pitch there's to players, so it's always going to be difficult. But the [Brentford] lads dug deep, stuck together and caused some problems on the counter. "I thought from start to finish we stuck together. We knew it would be difficult at times. The way we defended together, the way we stayed composed on the ball and try to, rather than just kick it forward at times, it's trying to play the long ball in behind to someone running in, like Dams (Mikkel Damsgaard) did for Kev (Schade) on the second goal. "And [Igor] Thiago was a threat all night and he's been like that all season to be fair. We've got a lot of good players on the counter-attack with the front three. "We've got people like Dams, Yarmo (Yehor Yarmolyuk) and the centre-halves who can pick passes as well. Overall, I think it was a really good performance and we deserved the win in the end." Saturday's evening fixture represented Henderson's first encounter with Liverpool since his departure from the club during the summer of 2023. The 35-year-old acknowledged it had been an odd experience to face the Reds, as he emphasised he still wants to see his former club succeed. "I had been at Liverpool for so long," he said. "It's always deep inside me forever now as it was my life for 12 years. "It was a little bit strange but as soon as the whistle went, it was business as usual and I was ready to go and I'd be in the right frame of mind, which I was. "Once the whistle went, I was fully in and felt as good as I ever have. Of course (the reception I got meant a lot). I was there 12 years, dedicated a lot of my life to it. My kids were born there. It holds a special place in my heart. "I still want Liverpool to do well – of course not when we're playing them – but overall. That will never change. "The fans have always been amazing. It was special to see a few of them, I know a few of them left a bit early because of the result. But it was nice to see them again." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
