Voltar
Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM GMT+1
Matt Smith is a football writer covering the Premier League and exclusive news for GIVEMESPORT. Matt joined the company in March 2023 and is an avid Everton supporter who regularly attends games in his spare time
He has previously worked for CaughtOffside where he covered world football including transfers, match reports, previews, and more. Matt also works for Squakwa, FotMob, WhoScored, and regularly appears on Sky Sports to speak about Everton.
He also creates tactical analysis social media content and regularly appears on podcasts. After spending a few years coaching, playing, and analysing football, Matt moved over to the writing side of the game a few years ago.
Matt also works in commentary and match reporting, providing detailed analysis on some of the biggest games in England and Europe, with his reports regularly published on the Premier League website.
He has amassed over 28,000 followers on X by giving his insight on football, predominantly focusing on the tactical side of the game.
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Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola now knows one player he simply can't rely on following the win over Brentford.
Although the Reds secured all three points against the Bees, that still doesn't mean they are back on track, with Brentford having ten men for the whole second half.
Liverpool were 1-0 down at the break, and the red card undoubtedly changed the trajectory of the game.
The Reds did well to get back into it and create plenty of chances in the second half, but it still could have been a lot more comfortable.
The game against Brentford isn't a true reflection of where Liverpool are currently, as there's every chance they could have still lost had the Bees not had a man sent off.
Iraola will be pleased with how his attack looked a lot more functional, but there will still be concerns throughout the side.
One player Iraola knows he simply cannot rely on is right-back Jeremie Frimpong.
Speaking after the game, Iraola confirmed that Liverpool could be without Frimpong for some time, which is a huge concern when looking at his injury history.
If Frimpong were picking up impact injuries, there would be less concern, but he's already missed a huge number of games for Liverpool due to muscle problems.
Frimpong is regularly picking up hamstring injuries, and he was substituted after just six minutes against Brentford.
Iraola brought him on at half-time in order to go a little more attacking following Brentford's red card, but just minutes later he was forced into making another change.
Even when Frimpong is fit, he has struggled to make an impact during his time at Liverpool in terms of his performance levels.
Thankfully, Liverpool brought in Ronald Araujo during the summer transfer window, but Frimpong is now a player Iraola knows he simply can't rely on.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Liverpool were considering cashing in on Frimpong in the near future.
As mentioned, Liverpool simply can't rely on the Dutch international from a fitness perspective, while he's also flattered to deceive when it comes to performance levels.
Araujo is likely to be the starting right-back for Liverpool going forward, while they also have Conor Bradley coming back from injury later in the season.
When Bradley returns, it wouldn't be a surprise if Frimpong was demoted to third choice at right-back, which could mean they look to cash in on him.
The 25-year-old struggles defensively and isn't offering enough going forward, and Iraola simply can't rely on him to remain fit.
If Frimpong was producing strong performance levels when available, they might stick with him, but there's little reason for them to show faith in him now.
Who got more assists?
Round 1 of 9