Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Mohamed Salah double helps Reds go top

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has softened his opinion over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s versatility as a potential midfielder but still believes he best serves the team from his natural right-sided role.

Just over two years ago, after the 25-year-old was deployed in a central position against Andorra by England boss Gareth Southgate, Klopp said there was no need to change the defender into a midfielder.

Those lines have been blurred since Alexander-Arnold started performing the hybrid role of stepping into central areas when Liverpool are in possession and Klopp took it one step further in last month’s Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth when he brought him on to replace holding midfielder Wataru Endo for the final half-hour.

Klopp was asked whether Alexander-Arnold was a potential option, considering how thin the midfield resources are with Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic long-term absentees, Curtis Jones out till after the international break and Ryan Gravenberch doubtful with a knee problem.

“(A) possibility, depends on the situation and the opponent, on a lot of things,” said the German.

“We know he can play there but if we just put him there we lose one of the best right-backs in the world so we should not forget that completely. Of course he is an option for that position.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was outraged when VAR controversially ruled out Jarell Quansah’s late equaliser in the Reds’ dramatic 3-2 defeat to Toulouse, but Joe Cole insisted the “ref got it right” after disallowing the goal because of an earlier Alexis Mac Allister handball.

Quansah was denied his first Liverpool goal after bundling in a 98th minute equaliser when Mac Allister was ruled to have used his arm to control the ball as the Reds pressed for a late draw in the Europa League clash.

However, Liverpool and Klopp were livid as Mac Allister’s handball came several phases before Quansah thought he had levelled. The Argentine midfielder’s touch came roughly 10 seconds before the 20-year-old scrambled in the equaliser.

Despite Brentford’s recent success in the Premier League, Anfield is still a tricky place to go and win.

Jurgen Klopp has a tendancy to inspire his team when they’re going through a rough patch - which they are - so expect the Reds to come out firing in front of their home support.

Liverpool should secure a victory but it’ll be a close one.

Liverpool 2-1 Brentford

Alexis Mac Allister is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against Luton, forcing Jurgen Klopp into a midfield change. Wataru Endo is likely to come in, though Klopp admitted on Friday that he would consider Trent Alexander-Arnold as a midfield option. Virgil van Dijk should be available after illness but Andy Robertson and Thiago Alcantara are among Liverpool’s longer-term absentees.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank took off goalkeeper Mark Flekken last week with an apparent injury, but the Dutchman seems to have recovered sufficiently from a dead leg to start. Aaron Hickey, though, will miss the rest of the year to add to a growing injury list for Frank.

Predicted line-ups

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Jota.

Brentford XI: Flekken; Roerslev, Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Janelt; Jensen, Norgaard, Onyeka; Mbeumo, Wissa.

Liverpool vs Brentford is due to kick off at 2pm GMT on Sunday 12 November at Anfield.

Viewers in the United Kingdom will not be able to watch the match live, with Sky Sports showing West Ham vs Nottingham Forest instead.

Free-to-air, extended highlights will be available to watch on Match of the Day 2, which airs at 10.40pm on Sunday evening on BBC One and is available via the iPlayer.

The fixture has been moved from a Saturday 3pm kick-off due to the Reds’ involvement in the Europa League on Thursday.

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Sunday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield.

The Reds come into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw with Luton, in which they were the second best side, and a Europa League defeat to Toulouse meaning they desperately require a win to turn around their form. Jurgen Klopp is without the services of Alexis Mac Allister in the middle of the pitch and will need to come up with a tactical plan to nullify the high flying Brentford.

The Bees have won their last three Premier League games and are up to ninth in the table. Thomas Frank’s men are full of confidence and will be focused on earning a fourth straight win this afternoon.

We’ll have all the updates, team news and match action throughout the day so stick around as we build up to kick off at 2pm.