Iraola praises Liverpool’s ‘very valuable’ victory over nine-man Brentford

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola described his side’s narrow Premier League victory over Brentford as “very valuable” after they recovered from a half-time deficit to win 2-1 on Saturday.

The Reds fell behind shortly before the interval at Brentford Community Stadium, but responded after the break with goals from Victor Munoz and in-form striker Alexander Isak.

Brentford finished the match with nine players, while Liverpool moved above the Bees into sixth place. The result also represented a positive response to Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City in their previous league fixture.

Speaking after the match, Iraola said: “Yes, definitely we got a good battle today.”

He highlighted the difficulty of winning at Brentford and praised his team’s ability to remain patient during the match.

“I think they are a very important three points for us because I think it’s very expensive to win here,” Iraola said.

“I think Brentford are a very good team, especially at home, and to finish with three points here is very valuable.”

Liverpool had to overturn the disadvantage after conceding before half-time, but Iraola felt they controlled much of the contest before taking the lead.

“I think we played really well the minutes up until we scored the 2-1 against 10 players,” he said.

“I think that we were being patient and we were finding good positions and we were in control of the game really well.”

The manager admitted Liverpool’s second goal brought a change in mindset, as his players became more conscious of protecting their advantage.

“Probably more disappointed after we scored because you scored the 2-1 and then you feel like you have something to lose,” he added.

Liverpool’s win lifted them above sixth-placed Brentford and ensured they responded immediately to their heavy defeat by Manchester City.