Brentford welcome Liverpool to Gtech Community Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off BST).
Keith Andrews' side remain unbeaten in all competitions this season following a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, while the Reds suffered their first defeat of the campaign with a 3-0 home loss to Manchester City last time out.
Analysis, team news, match officials and more - here's everything you need to know ahead of the game.
Pre-match analysis
Stephen Gillett, Playmaker Stats: Brentford's defensive approach could test Liverpool's attack
Brentford host Andoni Iraola's Liverpool at Gtech Community Stadium this Saturday, looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2026/27 campaign.
The Bees have the benefit of a week on the grass following their 2-2 draw at Aston Villa last weekend, while the visitors face a quick turnaround after a midweek Champions League fixture against LASK in Austria.
Keith Andrews' side have made a positive start, with an impressive goal difference of +12 across all competitions reflecting their effectiveness at both ends of the pitch.
Andrews has spoken about the breadth of Brentford's attacking options this season, and the Bees had two new names on the scoresheet at Villa Park.
Kristoffer Ajer and Yehor Yarmoliuk both opened their Premier League accounts with sharp strikes, and only Brighton and Hove Albion (10) have had more different goalscorers than Brentford (nine) in the top flight this term.
Saturday's visitors Liverpool, meanwhile, are still to find their rhythm in front of goal under new boss Iraola.
Alexander Isak (three) is the only Liverpool player to have scored more than once in the Premier League this season, with Victor Muñoz, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai the only other Reds players to find the net.
Liverpool rank among the top six Premier League sides for both shots (89) and shots on target (30), but their underlying numbers suggest they are struggling to carve out high-quality opportunities. Indeed, no side has created fewer 'big chances' than Liverpool (nine) in the top flight this season.
The Reds' difficulties in this regard could be compounded on Saturday by Brentford's ability to restrict opponents to low-probability shots.
Last season, only champions Arsenal and Sunderland conceded shots with a lower average xG than the Bees, and that trend has continued, with the average shot conceded by Brentford this term carrying an xG value of just 0.11.
As was the case last season, the Bees encourage opponents to take a high proportion of their shots from outside the penalty area, with former Red Caoimhín Kelleher having made more saves from outside the box (10) than any other Premier League goalkeeper this season.
Tellingly, Brentford have conceded an average of 14.5 shots per game, but fewer than 7 per cent of those attempts have resulted in goals, with only Everton and Leeds boasting lower opposition shot conversion rates.
Although they have yet to click in attack, Liverpool have kept three league clean sheets this season and notably improved their defending from set-pieces.
Last season, the Reds conceded more goals from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins than any other Premier League side, but they have tightened up considerably. Liverpool and Brentford are among just four teams yet to concede from a set-piece this term.
Summer signing Jérémy Jacquet has also made an immediate impression at Anfield, with a string of eye-catching defensive statistics suggesting the 21-year-old centre-back could be a star in the making.
Check out Saturday's matchday programme for a profile of the Frenchman, who earned his first senior international caps over the recent international break.
If last season is anything to go by, fans would be well advised to stay in their seats until the final whistle on Saturday.
Only Liverpool (20) scored more Premier League goals after the 75th minute than Brentford (19) last term, suggesting there could be plenty of late drama at the Gtech.
Scout report
Dan Long, Sky Sports: Liverpool showing signs of change under Iraola
In hindsight, Liverpool’s Premier League title defence was over before the end of November last year.
After a run of six defeats in seven, it was all about playing catch-up, and Arne Slot’s side simply couldn’t do it. And that, arguably, set the tone for the campaign as a whole.
Their total of 60 points was their lowest Premier League points tally since 2015/16 and, for the first time in five seasons, they did not win a single piece of silverware. They were runners-up in the Community Shield, reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League, and were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in round four by Crystal Palace.
Club legends Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson departed in the summer, but before that, on 30 May, head coach Arne Slot was sacked. “The conclusion we have come to is built on a belief that the team’s trajectory is best addressed through a change of direction,” said the club in a statement.
It was not a knee-jerk change of direction, as Andoni Iraola had been linked with the job at Anfield for several years. But when he left Bournemouth upon the expiry of his contract, there was seemingly only one destination for the Spaniard.
"I can only say [to the fans] that I want to become one more of you, I want to earn the right to be one of you, so we can enjoy it all together,” he said, having signed a two-year contract.
According to Sky Sports data, Liverpool were the sixth-biggest spenders in the Premier League as the new era started this summer (£250.1 million) and had the biggest net spend of all 20 clubs (£219.4m).
The majority was spent on three quality additions: Victor Muñoz provided another option in wide areas, Jérémy Jacquet was brought in as the long-term successor to Ibrahima Konaté and Bradley Barcola was the statement signing. Perhaps the latter is not a direct replacement for Salah, but he is a player that could, in time, produce similar levels of goal contributions.
Asked in his first Liverpool interview about playing vertically and attacking with speed, Iraola said: “I think they have to be our core principles.” The summer signings reflect that.
Iraola’s start has been encouraging, although Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City brought an unbeaten start of seven games in all competitions to an abrupt end.
It was also Iraola’s first Premier League defeat since 3 January, ending a lengthy unbeaten run stretching across the end of his Bournemouth tenure and the start of his time at Liverpool.
There is still a long way to go this season, but after the disappointment of how Liverpool fell short last term, there are already signs of the change in direction the board wanted.
In the dugout
Andoni Iraola
A right-back by trade during his playing days, Andoni Iraola came through the ranks at Athletic Bilbao and made his debut during the 2003/04 La Liga season, following two years in the Segunda Division with Bilbao’s B team and a year with Basconia - effectively the club’s C team - before that.
Over the 10 seasons that followed his debut year, Iraola astonishingly missed only 26 league games. During that time, he was part of the squad that finished as runners-up in the Copa del Rey twice, once in the Europa League and once in the Spanish Super Cup.
Between 2008 and 2011, he earned seven senior caps for Spain.
He featured considerably less during 2014/15 - his final season at San Mamés - but captained Athletic in his final game for the club, in a third Copa del Rey final defeat, this time against Barcelona.
Iraola then signed for New York City of the MLS, where he spent 17 months, before retiring in November 2016.
Just over 18 months later, he was handed his first managerial role with AEK Larnaca, but lasted only until January 2019 after winning 12 of his 29 matches in charge of the Cypriot First Division club.
That summer, he joined Mirandés, where, in his only season at the club, he masterminded a run to the semi-final of the Copa del Rey for only the second time in the club’s history.
In August 2020, he took over at Rayo Vallecano, whom he led to promotion from the Segunda Division in his first season in charge.
Los Franjirrojos finished 12th in their first season back in La Liga and 11th the following campaign, leading to an approach from Leeds United, which was rebuffed by the club’s board.
However, he left at the end of the campaign when his contract expired and joined Bournemouth in June 2023.
In three years at Vitality Stadium, Iraola guided the Cherries to 12th, ninth and sixth, setting a new club-record Premier League points total each time.
Having secured Europe for the first time in the club’s history, he left in June to sign a two-year deal at Liverpool.
The game plan
With Andy Jones, The Athletic
Andy Jones, Liverpool writer for The Athletic, explains what the Bees should expect from Andoni Iraola's side this weekend.
"It is high tempo, high energy. They will look to be direct in possession and not necessarily look to play around the back," Jones told brentfordfc.com.
"Iraola wants to be vertical, so he wants to play forward. That is the message in possession and out of possession. High press, suffocate the opposition.
"He has played a 4-2-3-1 so far, which it looks like he is not going to shift from.
"The back four has looked really settled since Ronald Araújo slipped into the right-back role. Jérémy Jacquet, the summer signing, has been magnificent alongside Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez has probably gone under the radar, but deserves praise as well.
"In front of them, there will be the midfield pivot, with the strongest pair at the moment: Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
"The latter is in a similar vein to Gakpo as someone who really struggled last season, but has certainly come back this season with the bit between his teeth and looks ideal for what Iraola wants from that position.
"Like Gakpo, there is a bit of an injury concern with Isak, but if he is fit, he will start as basically the only senior no.9 Liverpool have got available.
"Hugo Ekitike is injured and Lewis Koumas has got a chance and impressed, but he has not got the goalscoring instincts Isak has.
"It will be interesting to see what Iraola does with the other three positions because they are more interchangeable.
"Florian Wirtz has been the main man in that no.10 position, but there are a few question marks about his position in the team and his form as he has not started in the way people would have liked."
Last Premier League starting XI v Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araújo, Jacquet, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Muñoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas
Match officials
Brooks in charge at the Gtech
Referee: John Brooks
Assistants: Neil Davies and Akil Howson
Fourth official: Anthony Backhouse
VAR: Darren England
John Brooks will take charge of Brentford's Premier League meeting with Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.
The Leicestershire official has refereed four Premier League fixtures so far this season, showing 20 yellow cards and one red. His most recent assignment was Coventry City's 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on Monday night.
Brooks took charge of four Brentford games last season, including the Carabao Cup victory over Aston Villa and Premier League meetings with Leeds United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Memorable meeting
Brentford 3 Liverpool 2 (Premier League, Saturday 25 October 2025)
Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago scored as Brentford defeated reigning Premier League champions Liverpool under the lights at Gtech Community Stadium.
Ouattara volleyed in from an early Michael Kayode long throw, with Schade finishing past Giorgi Mamardashvili to double the lead before Milos Kerkez reduced the deficit in first-half stoppage-time.
Thiago kept his composure to restore the two-goal buffer on the hour, with Mohamed Salah’s late strike setting up a tense finish.
Keith Andrews’ side stood firm during 10 minutes of stoppage-time to secure a memorable victory.