Should Slot stick or twist? Liverpool boss faces key selection call ahead of Brentford clash

Liverpool’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League was a much-needed boost as Arne Slot ended a miserable run of four losses in a row, after making a number of tactical and positional changes to his team.

But any suggestion that the Reds have turned the corner was shot down by those who argue that Frankfurt were woeful, allowing the Reds to dictate play, and that the true test of any so-called Liverpool revival will come in the league match at Brentford on Saturday.

Slot faces a key tactical decision. Should he reward the players who ended Liverpool’s losing streak, preserving their confidence and cohesion, or rotate the squad in an anticipation of a far tougher physical challenge?

The Dutchman’s changes to the backline in midweek included a return to the starting line-up at left-back for Andy Robertson – after Milos Kerkez's meltdown against Manchester United – with Conor Bradley replacing injured right-back Jeremy Frimpong early in the match. 

In midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai started in a double pivot along side Curtis Jones while Florian Wirtz made the most of a roaming role.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak were part of an attacking trio rounded off by Cody Gakpo on the left, with Mo Salah dropped after a poor run of form.

Gakpo continues to be Liverpool’s form attacker, while Ekitike’s battle with Isak is a no-contest, with the young Frenchman possessing a cutting edge to his play – and confidence – that seems to have deserted record signing Isak at the moment.    

The fact that the duo failed to gel as a combination makes a swift return to the starting lineup for Salah at the Gtech Community Stadium more likely – though Isak’s continued injury struggles could make that a moot point. 

As for the Liverpool midfield, Szoboszlai and Jones deserve another run as the deeper-lying duo, despite the availability of Alexis Mac Allister. Hungarian Szoboszlai’s composed performance in the absence of Ryan Gravenberch, knitting and driving play forward while also able to snuff out danger, was perfectly complemented by the hustle, drive and industry of Jones. Szoboszlai even got on the scoresheet.

Their discipline also allowed Wirtz the freedom to dictate the attacking tempo and find willing runners the same way he does for the German national team. It was arguably his best performance in a Liverpool shirt, and the midfield experiment is worth persisting with, even if Gravenberch is over his ankle injury.

Brentford are likely to press and harry the Reds all over the park, will pose a threat from set pieces and typically play the kind of direct football with which United so badly exposed the defending Premier League champions. They are also likely resort to a low block when defending, conceding possession and waiting to hit the Reds on the counter. 

With that in mind, Slot is most likely to keep faith in a more conservative midfield trio of Gravenberch (injury permitting) and Mac Allister as the double pivot, alongside Szoboszlai, in the hope that they can win the key battle in the middle of the park and shut down the Bees’ passing lanes.   

However, there is a strong case to made for sticking with the team that got them out of their recent hole, trusting then to get the job done once again. It may be a case of attack being the best form of defence for a Liverpool side struggling to string a few good performances together.