Iraola says Szoboszlai is still recovering as Frimpong misses out for Liverpool

Andoni Iraola said Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Brentford was important, but admitted his side failed to manage the closing stages of the match properly.

Liverpool came from behind to secure victory in the seventh round of the Premier League, with Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak scoring after Lewis-Potter had put Brentford ahead.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Iraola said the match had been shaped by a series of key moments and that Liverpool had needed to respond after conceding shortly before half-time.

“There was a lot happening in the game,” he said. “The first half was fairly even and we had a clear chance, but they scored before the interval, which meant we had to come back in the second half.”

Iraola also explained why Jeremie Frimpong was not included in Liverpool’s starting line-up after the defender experienced a physical problem in the club’s previous Champions League match.

“Frimpong finished the last Champions League game suffering from muscle cramps, so we knew he was not going to start this match,” he said.

The coach also provided an update on Dominik Szoboszlai, who had trained in the days leading up to the fixture but was not yet fully fit.

“Szoboszlai tried to take part and trained over the past few days, but we did not know how many minutes he would be able to play,” Iraola added.

“It is not a new injury. He has not recovered yet.”

Liverpool’s victory moved them to 12 points from seven matches, leaving them fifth in the Premier League table. Brentford remain on 10 points after recording two wins, four draws and one defeat in their opening seven league fixtures of the season.

The result also gave Iraola his first league victory against Brentford after eight meetings.