Alexander Isak returned from injury to score the winner as Liverpool fought back from a goal down to defeat nine-man Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Liverpool climbed out of an early deficit in West London after Keane Lewis-Potter headed the hosts ahead just before halftime. The match shifted dramatically in first-half stoppage time when Brentford midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk received a straight red card for a butt on Jérémy Jacquet during a corner setup. Operating with a man advantage for the entire second half, Andoni Iraola’s side capitalized through Victor Muñoz before Isak struck the decisive blow.
The fixture arrived after Liverpool bounced back from a bruising 3-0 defeat against Manchester City by securing a high-scoring 6-3 victory over LASK in the UEFA Champions League. Isak had missed both of those previous fixtures due to a minor thigh injury, but returned straight into the starting lineup alongside Florian Wirtz and recent signing Bradley Barcola. On the opposing side, Keith Andrews’ team entered the contest sitting fourth in the Premier League table with 10 points after six games, having put together an unbeaten run that included home wins over Chelsea and Tottenham.
Florian Wirtz Breaks Down Brentford
The visitors leveled the score in the 62nd minute when Muñoz cut inside from the right and fired a left-footed strike past goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher. The breakthrough arrived courtesy of Florian Wirtz, whose intelligent passing unlocked the hosts’ low block throughout the second half.
Another Alexander Isak goal against Brentford turns the game around for Liverpool 🔴It's his fifth goal of the season and his fifth against Brentford in five Premier League appearances against the Bees 🐝#BBCFootball #BFC #LFC pic.twitter.com/c3lIa1P5vM
Wirtz created nine chances from open play during the match. Opta facts show he is the first player to achieve that tally in a Premier League game since Sadio Mané did so for Liverpool against Burnley in January 2021, and the first to do so in an away match since Samir Nasri for Manchester City against Spurs in August 2011. The German playmaker also covered 13.4km on the pitch, leading all Liverpool runners.
Definitely we got a good battle today. They are very important three points for us because I think it’s very [difficult] to win here.
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak Settles the Contest and Late Red Cards Seal Brentford’s Fate
Eight minutes after the equalizer, Bradley Barcola nodded down an Alexis Mac Allister cross, allowing Isak to control and finish clinically from close range. Isak has scored in all five of his Premier League appearances against Brentford (5 goals).
Brentford pushed for an equalizer through Igor Thiago, while Barcola rattled the crossbar with a curling effort. In stoppage time, substitute Rio Ngumoha was brought down on the edge of the box by Vitaly Janelt, who received his second yellow card of the match. The dismissal left Keith Andrews’ side finishing with nine men—marking the first time Brentford received two red cards in the same league game since April 2013 against Sheffield United in League One.
A lot of things happened during the game, the first half was quite level. I think we had the clear chances, with Bradley especially. We missed it but after they scored, the second half, we need the comeback.
Andoni Iraola, Liverpool manager
Injury Concerns Overshadow Victory for Traveling Side
Liverpool suffered significant fitness setbacks. Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was forced off in the first half with a recurrence of a hamstring issue, while Jeremie Frimpong sustained a new injury just seven minutes after coming on as a halftime substitute.
Iraola confirmed that Szoboszlai’s return may have come slightly ahead of schedule. With a thin squad navigating a busy fixture list that included a Champions League trip earlier in the week, those injuries leave the club managing mounting physical demands as domestic play continues.