Brentford 1-2 Liverpool: Wirtz's nine key passes fuel a comeback
AI-written review based on match data · How we make it
Key numbers
- Brentford faced 21 shots, most in eight matches
- 2 shots on target; Brentford's average was 5.4
- Wirtz: nine key passes, most in the match
A one-goal lead undone after the break
Brentford took the lead through Keane Lewis-Potter in the 44th minute, but the half ended badly for them. After a VAR check, Yehor Yarmoliuk was shown a red card deep into first-half stoppage time, so Brentford played the whole second half with ten men. Vitaly Janelt was also sent off in the second minute of stoppage time at the end, adding to Yarmoliuk's red earlier on.
Plenty of shots, little quality
Liverpool had 21 shots, the most Brentford have faced in any of their eight matches this season, but the volume flatters them. Their xG came to 0.07 per shot, level with their lowest this season, and more attempts came from outside the box than inside it. Even so, Liverpool's total xG was still higher than Brentford's, which suggests their numbers owed more to volume than to clear-cut chances.
Brentford's attack went quiet
Brentford barely troubled Alisson Becker. They managed two on target, well below their average across the eight matches this season, and their 329 passes were the fewest of that run. They also committed the fewest fouls of those matches, which suggests they spent the second half holding their positions rather than closing down aggressively.
Muñoz's goal changed the afternoon
Víctor Muñoz's 62nd-minute equaliser, set up by Florian Wirtz, was worth +0.9 FN xPts to Liverpool and cost Brentford −1.0, the largest combined change of the match. Alexander Isak, assisted by Bradley Barcola, then put Liverpool ahead. Both Muñoz and Isak were brought into the starting line-up for this fixture, and the equaliser was only the start of their impact.
FN MOM
Highest FN Score · our own pick by a published formula, not the official Player of the Match
Florian Wirtz 8.4Dominant
Nine key passes and one assist, including the pass for Muñoz's equaliser.
Wirtz's value came almost entirely in attack. Liverpool had trailed since the 44th minute, and his assist for the equaliser in the 62nd minute ended about 18 minutes of chasing. He won only one of nine duels, so his work was done with the ball: 52 of his 64 passes found a team-mate.
Game state
1-01-11-2
Brentford ahead 18 min · level 52 min · Liverpool ahead 20 min
- Brentford: Red card 45+8' → ~45 min a player down
FN xPts — what each moment was worth
How much each moment changed that team's expected points (win 3, draw 1). A goal's value is credited 70% to the scorer and 30% to the assist. The value next to a team code is what the same moment did to the other side's expected points; the decisive moment is the one with the largest combined change for both teams.
44'
Keane Lewis-Potter
Goal · scorer +0.6 · assist Thiago +0.2 · LIV −0.7
+0.8
45+8'
Yehor Yarmoliuk
Red card · LIV +0.4
−0.4
62'
Víctor Muñoz
Goal · scorer +0.6 · assist Florian Wirtz +0.3 · BRE −1.0
+0.9
70'
Alexander Isak
Goal · scorer +0.7 · assist Bradley Barcola +0.3 · BRE −0.7
+1.0
90+2'
Vitaly Janelt
Red card · LIV 0.0
0.0
Brentford
Expected (last two seasons) 1.4Own moments +0.4Opponent moments −1.7Time effect −0.1→ League points won 0
Liverpool
Expected (last two seasons) 1.4Own moments +1.9Opponent moments −0.3Time effect 0.0→ League points won 3
Expected points don't add up to a fixed total (a draw is 1 + 1), so an opponent's moment isn't simply the mirror of your loss. "Time effect" is the change as the clock runs down on a lead or a chase, and isn't credited to any player.
How FN Score and FN xPts work →
Match stats
BrentfordLiverpool
0.9Expected goals (xG)1.54
Compared with usual
Brentford
8 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 1 | 2.5 | |
| Conceded | 2 | 1 | |
| xG | 0.9 | 1.9 | |
| xG against | 1.54 | 1.3 | |
| Shots | 10 | 17.1 | |
| On target | 2 | 5.4 | |
| Shots faced | 21 | 14 | high |
| xG per shot | 0.09 | 0.11 | |
| Possession | 40% | 49.5% | |
| Passes | 329 | 426.3 | low |
| Corners | 3 | 4.6 | |
| Fouls | 7 | 14.9 | low |
Liverpool
9 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 2 | 2 | |
| Conceded | 1 | 1.3 | |
| xG | 1.54 | 1.8 | |
| xG against | 0.9 | 1.3 | |
| Shots | 21 | 15.7 | |
| On target | 5 | 5.4 | |
| Shots faced | 10 | 12.3 | |
| xG per shot | 0.07 | 0.11 | |
| Possession | 60% | 54.9% | |
| Passes | 499 | 470.3 | |
| Corners | 9 | 5.3 | |
| Fouls | 13 | 12.7 | |
Timeline
- 31'
Yellow
Bradley Barcola
- 32'
Sub
Dominik Szoboszlai → Trey Nyoni
- 41'
VAR
Alexis Mac Allister
- 44'
Goal
Keane Lewis-Potter league goal #2 assist Thiago
- 45'
Sub
Ronald Araújo → Jeremie Frimpong
- 45'
Sub
Dango Ouattara → Kevin Schade
- 45'
Sub
Mathias Jensen → Mamadou Sangare
- 45+5'
VAR
Yehor Yarmoliuk
- 45+8'
Red
Yehor Yarmoliuk
- 46'
Yellow
Thiago
- 49'
Yellow
Jérémy Jacquet
- 52'
Sub
Jeremie Frimpong → Rio Ngumoha
- 53'
Yellow
Alexis Mac Allister
- 60'
Yellow
Kevin Schade
- 62'
Goal
Víctor Muñoz league goal #2 assist Florian Wirtz
- 63'
Yellow
Vitaly Janelt
- 70'
Goal
Alexander Isak league goal #5 assist Bradley Barcola
- 71'
Sub
Sepp van den Berg → Aaron Hickey
- 77'
Sub
Jaidon Anthony → Mikkel Damsgaard
- 77'
Sub
Keane Lewis-Potter → El Hadji Malick Diouf
- 79'
Sub
Víctor Muñoz → Joe Gomez
- 79'
Sub
Alexander Isak → Lewis Koumas
- 90+2'
Red
Vitaly Janelt
Category leaders
- Key passesFlorian Wirtz9
- Duels wonJérémy Jacquet11/18
- DribblesVíctor Muñoz5/6
- Defensive actionsJérémy Jacquet9
- ShotsBradley Barcola4 (on target 0)
- Fouls wonMichael Kayode3
#Brentford#Liverpool#Premier League#Florian Wirtz#Alexander Isak#Víctor Muñoz
This review was written by AI from match data (API-Football). FN Score and FN xPts are calculated by Fulltime Note using a published formula.