Liverpool suffered their fourth defeat in a row, with Brentford beating the Reds 3–2 on home soil, while Manchester United made it three victories in a row with an incredible 4–2 win over Brighton at Old Trafford.
The first five minutes saw Burkina Faso international Dango Ouattara open the scoring from a long throw by Kayode, which caused problems for the Reds’ backline before Ouattara found the back of the net.
The Bees doubled their lead before the end of the first half, as Mikkel Damsgaard’s brilliant through pass found Kevin Schade, who finished superbly. Liverpool pulled one back when Milos Kerkez scored his first goal for the club from a Conor Bradley cross.
After the interval, the visitors struggled to create clear chances, with their counterattacks repeatedly blocked by the Bees. The home side made it 3–1 after a decisive challenge by Van Dijk on Ouattara led to a penalty, which Brentford striker Igor Thiago converted with composure.
As the clock ticked down, Liverpool created numerous chances, and Mohamed Salah grabbed a late lifeline just before stoppage time, his goal partially redeeming an otherwise poor performance from the Egyptian forward.
The win made it back-to-back victories for manager Keith Andrews. Brentford will travel to face Grimsby Town in the League Cup, while Liverpool are set to play Crystal Palace in the same competition.
Elsewhere, Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United made it three wins in a row, moving into the top four of the Premier League standings.
Matheus Cunha opened the scoring 24 minutes into the game with a precise low strike from distance — his first for the club and at Old Trafford. Casemiro doubled the advantage ten minutes later, his shot taking a deflection off Ayari before nestling into the net to give the hosts a two-goal cushion at half-time.
After the restart, Bryan Mbeumo made it 3–0 just past the hour mark with a clever assist from Sesko. Brighton, who had earlier wasted good chances through Minteh and Welbeck, eventually found their rhythm late on. Welbeck curled home a superb 25-yard free-kick to pull one back, before Kostoulas’ glancing header from a Milner corner made it 3–2 deep into stoppage time, setting up a tense finish.
However, any hopes of a dramatic Brighton comeback were dashed moments later when Cameroonian international Mbeumo struck again, finishing coolly from 18 yards in the 96th minute to seal all three points.
Saturday’s Premier League matchday delivered plenty of late drama, as Chelsea fell 2–1 to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, a result that lifted the newly promoted side to second place in the standings.
Meanwhile, at St James’ Park, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United continued their strong home form with a thrilling 2–1 victory over Fulham.
