A keeper Liverpool know all too well

There is something quietly uncomfortable about heading to west London this Saturday knowing that the man standing between the posts for Brentford is the same one who spent years waiting patiently behind Alisson at Anfield. Caoimhin Kelleher has, by all accounts, made himself very much at home at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Brentford supporters are well aware of what that means for Liverpool's chances of finding the net.

Jake Murtagh, Reach's director of sport and a lifelong Brentford fan, put it plainly when asked about the Irishman's impact this season. "Caoimhin Kelleher has been rock-solid between the sticks and has established himself as one of the most reliable keepers in the Premier League," he said. That is not the kind of assessment you want to read when your side is already searching for only its third league win of the campaign.

What Liverpool are walking into

Brentford arrive at this fixture in genuinely fine shape. They are one of just three unbeaten sides left in the Premier League, sitting in fourth place and a point ahead of Liverpool after six matches. More unsettling still is the fact that Keith Andrews' side have gone longer without a home defeat than any other club in the top flight, with their last loss at the Gtech coming against Brighton and Hove Albion back in February. That is a run built on something more than good fortune.

Murtagh highlighted several reasons why Brentford have been difficult to beat. Midfield signing Mamadou Sangare has been described as a "Rolls Royce" addition, Jannik Schuster has surpassed all expectations having arrived as a squad player, and Kevin Schade has chipped in with goals at a time when Igor Thiago has struggled to replicate his impact from last season. It is a squad with genuine depth and no shortage of confidence heading into the weekend.

Where the danger is coming from

For Liverpool specifically, Murtagh believes the pace of Kevin Schade could be a real problem down the flank, provided he passes a fitness test in time for the match. He also flagged that Virgil van Dijk will have his hands full dealing with the physical presence of Igor Thiago. Neither concern should be dismissed lightly, and it is worth noting that Brentford have generally made the Gtech a difficult place for Liverpool to visit.

There is also broader context worth keeping in mind. Liverpool head into this fixture on the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, a result that snapped a run of three consecutive clean sheets in the league. A trip to a side with the Premier League's best home form, marshalled by a goalkeeper who knows Liverpool's attacking patterns intimately, is about as testing a fixture as you could draw up for a team looking to rediscover its rhythm.

Getting back on track

Murtagh was generous enough to acknowledge that Liverpool, despite their modest points tally, remain a serious outfit. "They are a team in transition and still boast quality throughout their squad and on the bench," he said, adding that he expects them to be in and amongst the Champions League places come May. That is a fair reading, though Liverpool will know that confidence-boosting assessments count for nothing if they cannot find a way past a goalkeeper their own supporters spent years trying to replace.

Saturday is a chance to prove that the City defeat was a blip rather than a pattern. Whether Kelleher makes that task even harder than it already looks remains to be seen.