Another weekend, another controversial red card. What was expected to be a difficult contest for Andoni Iraola and his Liverpool side against Brentford turned into a different kind of battle following a disputed dismissal.
After Liverpool suffered a controversial sending-off against Manchester City last weekend, the Reds found themselves benefiting from a similar decision this time around. Trailing 1-0, they were handed a major advantage shortly before the interval when Brentford midfielder Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off.
Referee John Brooks initially consulted the pitchside monitor after VAR official Darren England recommended a review. Brooks subsequently decided that Yarmoliuk had made a headbutting motion towards Jeremy Jacquet.
However, the contact appeared minimal, with the Brentford midfielder seemingly pushing his chest towards the defender in an attempt to assert himself rather than deliberately trying to headbutt him.
Nevertheless, Yarmoliuk put the officials in a position where they had to make a decision. Given how these situations are often interpreted, his dismissal was perhaps unsurprising.
Unlike their previous encounter with Manchester City, when Liverpool struggled after being reduced to ten men, Iraola’s challenge was now to ensure his team capitalised on their numerical advantage while demonstrating the growing resilience within the squad.
Liverpool had already shown their ability to fight back this season, recovering from losing positions to defeat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and secure Premier League draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Their comeback against Brentford, following Keane Lewis-Potter’s first-half opener, also meant the Reds had matched the number of comeback victories they managed throughout the entirety of the previous campaign.
Although Liverpool did not finish the match convincingly, their determination ultimately proved decisive. Brentford threatened during the closing ten minutes as Liverpool’s players began to tire, while the visitors wasted several promising counter-attacking opportunities by taking too many touches when a decisive finish was needed.
However, Victor Munoz produced an energetic performance to help Liverpool restore parity before Alexander Isak delivered the decisive moment. Returning to lead the attack after missing the previous two matches through injury, the Swedish striker found the net with a clinical finish that demonstrated why Liverpool invested £125 million in his services.
The home supporters responded by chanting, “2-1 to the referee,” after Brentford captain Vitaly Janelt was also dismissed. The midfielder received a second yellow card for bringing down the dangerous substitute Rio Ngumoha, leaving the hosts with nine men.
Ultimately, however, Liverpool’s victory was not simply about controversial refereeing decisions. It was also a reflection of the confidence, determination and fighting mentality that Iraola is gradually rebuilding within his team.
The performance was far from perfect, but the result was what mattered most. Liverpool found a way to win, showing encouraging signs that their resilience is beginning to return under their manager.
