Liverpool will be hoping to secure Champions League football for the 2026-27 season as they host fellow European-chasers Brentford.
A win for the Reds guarantees a fifth-placed finish, while they could also climb above Aston Villa into fourth if the Midlands club lose.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Brentford
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Jones, Szoboszlai, Ngumoha; Gakpo.
Mo Salah has been a huge talking point at Liverpool over the last week after making a sly, public dig at Arne Slot. It will be interesting to see whether Slot starts him in his farewell game, as Liverpool fans will undoubtedly want to see him in the XI.
Although it’s going to be tricky for Bournemouth to catch Liverpool, the Merseyside club are still in with a chance of climbing above Villa. Slot’s side need to ensure they secure all three points to guarantee Champions League football, but they’ll have to end a three-game winless run.
Brentford are still in the fight to finish in the European places, so Keith Andrews’ men certainly won’t be rolling over. It’s a tricky clash for Liverpool, with an expectant crowd hoping their side ends the season on a high.
Liverpool team news vs Brentford
Slot confirmed this week that both Alisson and Alexander Isak returned to training on Friday, but it’s unclear whether they’ll be fit enough to start. Isak missed Liverpool’s game against Villa due to a minor problem, while Alisson has been unavailable since March.
Liverpool will still be without a host of players heading into this game. Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, and Hugo Ekitike remain out due to their long-term injury problems.
Jeremie Frimpong, Wataru Endo, and Stefan Bajcetic are also expected to be missing. With uncertainty surrounding Salah after his recent comments, we could see Curtis Jones line up on the right-hand side of attack once again.
Due to a lack of options at right-back, Joe Gomez is likely to start in the defence again, with Liverpool likely to name the same back-four as the Villa clash. Promising youngster Rio Ngumoha could retain his place, while Dominik Szoboszlai should start over Florian Wirtz after picking up two assists last time out.
In reality, Slot could name an unchanged side despite their defeat against Villa. Injuries have limited the Liverpool manager’s options.
Could Liverpool slip up against Brentford?
There are often dead-rubber games at this stage of the season, but this certainly won’t be one of them. Both sides will be searching for three points, but there’s a chance that this game means a little more to Brentford.
Liverpool are likely to still qualify for Champions League football even if they lose, whereas only a victory would give Brentford a chance of landing in the Europa League spots. The Reds come into the game in disappointing form. They’ve failed to win any of their previous three games in the Premier League, a stark contrast to the side chasing them.
Bournemouth, who are clinging on to their Champions League hopes, are unbeaten in their previous 17 games. They won’t miss out without a fight, meaning there is plenty of pressure on Liverpool. Brentford won’t be rolling over either, so there’s certainly a world where Liverpool end up finishing in sixth place this weekend.
In more positive news for Liverpool supporters, Brentford have failed to score in their previous four trips to Anfield. Liverpool have won all four games to nil, but Brentford have gone to another level this season.