Liverpool’s Premier League title defence in tatters after defeat at Brentford

We need your help now Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open. You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough. If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it. One-off amount I already contribute Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Mo Salah and Liverpool lost their fourth straight game in the Premier League.Paul Terry/Sportimage/Alamy Stock Photo Premier League Liverpool’s Premier League title defence in tatters after defeat at Brentford Goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago inflicted a fourth straight loss on Arne Slot’s increasingly rattled Reds. 10.23pm, 25 Oct 2025 Share options Sky Sports Premier League / YouTube Brentford 3 Liverpool 2 LIVERPOOL’S PREMIER LEAGUE title defence already appears in tatters after a damaging 3-2 defeat at Brentford. Goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago inflicted a fourth straight loss on Arne Slot’s increasingly rattled Reds. Milos Kerkez pulled one back and Mohamed Salah ended his recent goal drought, but the champions are still in the doldrums with summer signings Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike quiet again on a tough night for the champions. Liverpool are now down in seventh, behind Bournemouth, Manchester United and Sunderland among others, and could find themselves seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal by the end of the weekend. Keith Andrews has Brentford sitting 10th in the Premier League after another big home win.Jay Patel / Sports Press Photo/Alamy Stock Photo Jay Patel / Sports Press Photo/Alamy Stock Photo / Sports Press Photo/Alamy Stock Photo Slot was well aware of Brentford’s threat from long throws, but Liverpool still could not handle them as they fell behind after only five minutes. Michael Kayode’s delivery was nodded on by Kristoffer Ajer at the near post and Ouattara got ahead of Kerkez to hook the ball home. Salah’s first chance arrived courtesy of Cody Gakpo’s through-ball, but his touch was heavy and former Reds team-mate Caoimhin Kelleher was out quickly to smother the ball at his feet. Wirtz should have scored 20 minutes in after Ekitike’s back-heel ricocheted in front of him, but the German screwed his shot wide from 12 yards. Brentford grew more adventurous and Jordan Henderson, playing against the team he captained to the title for the first time since he left in 2023, almost doubled his current side’s lead with a 20-yard drive which flew inches wide. Advertisement Henderson’s midfield partner Mikkel Damsgaard, then went even closer with his curling effort tipped over the crossbar by Giorgi Mamardashvili. The second goal arrived in the 45th minute, just moments after Gakpo had a pretty strong case for a penalty turned down following a challenge from Nathan Collins. Wirtz lost the ball in midfield and Damsgaard played the perfect defence-splitting pass to Schade, who showed Ibrahima Konate a clean pair of heels before finishing past Mamardashvili. However, Liverpool grabbed a lifeline in stoppage time when Conor Bradley’s cross was lashed home by fellow full-back Kerkez. Ireland number one Caoimhin Kelleher scored a big win against his former club.John Walton / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo John Walton / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo / PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo Brentford were unhappy that play had gone on well past the three minutes of added time shown, with boss Keith Andrews angrily kicking a water bottle onto the pitch. But referee Simon Hooper may well have added some more time on for the interminable delays at every Brentford throw. After the break Virgil Van Dijk clipped Ouattara on the edge of the box and referee Tim Robinson – on as a sub for Hooper – gave a free-kick. But a VAR check showed the contact was on the line, a penalty was awarded and Thiago did the rest. Igor Thiago held his nerve from the spot to put Brentford 3-1 up.Action Plus Sports Images / Alamy Stock Photo Action Plus Sports Images / Alamy Stock Photo / Alamy Stock Photo With two minutes remaining Salah grabbed his first goal in seven matches, a sweetly-struck finish after Ajer’s hesitation allowed Dominic Szoboszlai to get in a cross. But the equaliser would not come, and when a late Liverpool attack was cleared by a wall of red and white it was celebrated almost like a goal by the buoyant Bees. Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here. View 21 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Liverpool’s Premier League title defence in tatters after defeat at Brentford”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Liverpool’s Premier League title defence in tatters after defeat at Brentford”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Newly created accounts can only comment using The Journal app. This is to add an extra layer of security to account creation. Download and sign into the app to continue. Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Premier League News in 60 seconds done and dusted Inside the campaign: 'I got 2,000 likes on a post about Catherine. That's when I knew it was big' Jane Matthews 50 mins ago Candidate Candour Quiz: Which presidential candidate said these quotes? Na Fianna crowned Dublin hurling champions again after snatching fairytale from Lucan Thanks but no thanks Why did so many people spoil their votes? We asked people and politicians in Jobstown It's that time of year again - the clocks are going back tonight! Catherine Connolly will be the 10th President of Ireland INVALID VOTES Here’s how many people in your constituency spoiled their vote Catherine Connolly will be the 10th President of Ireland The Morning Lead Ireland's next president: The votes have been cast, but when will we know the offical result? How did your constituency vote? Here are the full results of the presidential election Marek Puska Investigation launched as brother of Jozef Puska attacked in Mountjoy Prison overnight more from us Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The Journal supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online