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Beesotted contributors The Gowler and Paul Kowalczyk (@BeesBreakdown) give us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s win against Liverpool

Thomas Frank’s only changes were Janelt in for Dasilva and Wissa in for Toney. Toney didn’t make the matchday squad, but may be back for Saturday’s FA Cup match against West Ham. Brentford stuck with the 3-5-2 that has the Bees in great form at the moment.

Brentford’s 3-5-2 allows Nørgaard to drop in to the backline, while Zanka and Ben Mee are able to push wide. This also allows the wingbacks to get forward and help with the attack. On defence Brentford can drop to a low block, force opponents wide, and wide centerbacks can help the wingbacks prevent crosses into the box.

Liverpool lined up in a 4-3-3 with Darwin Nunez up top, who loves creating xG but not finishing chances. Liverpool made three substitutions right after halftime, but still failed to breakdown Brentford’s compact defence.

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Quick Stats:

Possession: Brentford 28% – 72% Liverpool

xG: Brentford 1.8 – 2.0 Liverpool

xGOT: Brentford 2.48 – 1.61 Liverpool

Big Chances: Brentford 4 – 3 Liverpool

Other Brentford stats:

Total Shots: 10

Interceptions: 13

Tackles won: 7 (41%)

Aerial duels won: 15 (48%)

 

Summary

Thomas Frank’s Brentford’s squad has seemed to found their style and settled into a system that highlights the team’s strengths, while minimizing their weaknesses. The squad excels at counter attacking and playing with a compact defence.

Previously we have seen Thomas Frank experiment with holding possession and building out of the back. Recently, this Brentford squad has been happy to let the opposition hold onto the ball.

Rumors of speedster Kevin Schade joining Brentford this month should get Brentford fans even more excited for the future of the club. Schade fits in perfectly to the style of football Thomas Frank has the Bees playing at the moment.

Again Brentford looked extremely dangerous on set pieces, and showed a variety of tactics to keep Liverpool guessing. Post shot expected goal statistics suggest that Brentford did well finishing their chances, while Liverpool got into dangerous areas and struggled to hit the target.

Nørgaard again proved to be instrumental on both sides of the ball. His defense cut out chances and then instantly created quick counters without hesitation. Ben Mee has routinely shown why he was a brilliant signing and Rico Henry kept Salah in his pocket all night.

Even without Toney other players stepped up. Wissa and Mbeumo stepped up to the challenge and both threatened Liverpool for most of the match. Keane Lewis-Potter showed he could carry out Thomas Frank’s tactics and work as a team when his defensive effort led to the third goal. Brentford showed their depth and were resilient after Liverpool scored.