"Victory in Frankfurt on Wednesday, it turns out, was only temporary respite. Liverpool didn't just slip to a fourth league defeat in a row for the first time since February 2021, but were thoroughly outplayed and outfought by Brentford. The anxious period of stoppage time the home side endured was out of keeping with everything that had gone before. Brentford tend naturally to a direct approach anyway, but Arne Slot's grumbling last week about Manchester United's long balls was an open invitation."
"Some long throw specialists rely on power, the body contorted to become a grunting trebuchet, but just as the fastest bowlers or the golfers who drive the ball furthest tend to be the most graceful, so Kayode seems to generate his distance with rhythm. There is a lithe fluidity to his run up and release, the trajectory oddly flat, more metal wood than seven iron. His deliveries scud on a low parabola, a more accurate version of a cross from the same position."
Liverpool lost 3-2 to Brentford after being thoroughly outplayed and outfought, marking a fourth consecutive league defeat for the first time since February 2021. Brentford exploited Liverpool's vulnerability to balls played in behind their full-backs and to long throws. Kevin Schade's pace repeatedly ran in behind Liverpool's back four. Michael Kayode's long throws combined rhythm and a low, scudding trajectory that behaved like accurate crosses and created clear chances. The opening goal after five minutes stemmed from a Kayode throw following Giorgi Mamardashvili mopping up as Schade chased behind Conor Bradley. Kristoffer Ajer flicked on and Dango Ouattara finished with a volley.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]