Liverpool will face Brentford today in their sixth game of the Premier League season.
The Bees have had a good start to their maiden campaign in the division and currently sit in ninth place in the table.
So, while the Reds would be expected to pick up an easy three points against a newly-promoted side, it may not be that simple.
Like Liverpool, Brentford have made excellent use of analytics to pick up some very promising players.
Here are three that we think Liverpool should keep a close eye on today. We think that they each have very bright futures ahead of them.
Bryan Mbeumo
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First up, we have a player that we believe to be Brentford’s best prospect.
All you need to do to believe us is look at Bryan Mbeumo’s numbers. 10 goals and three assists as a 19-year-old for Troyes in Ligue 2 earned him a move to England in 2019.
His first season brought 15 goals and seven assists in the Championship as Brentford lost in the play-offs.
They went a step further last season, with the Frenchman bagging eight goals and assisting 10 more.
He opened his Premier League account in the 2-0 win over Wolves last weekend.
Having only recently turned 22, Mbeumo has a very high ceiling.
Young, good underlying numbers, left-footed and capable of playing up top or off the right… we could easily see him developing into a Diogo Jota-type signing in the next few years.
Frank Onyeka
Next, we have a player that Brentford haven’t seen a whole pile of themselves just yet. Onyeka has only started two Premier League games since signing from Midtjylland for £9m in the summer.
So, it remains to be seen whether he will be in the XI from the off today. He could have to settle for a spot on the bench.
Yet he impressed against Oldham in the League Cup in midweek and was taken off with 20 minutes to go. Could this mean that he earned himself a start against Liverpool?
Having played for two of football’s most stats-driven clubs, it seems obvious that Onyeka is not far from making the next step.
Stylistically, we can see an element of Gini Wijnaldum in him. Could he be Liverpool’s long-term replacement for the Dutchman?
It is only a matter of time before he settles at Thomas Franks’ side and becomes a key man for them. We would love to get a closer look at him today.
Marcus Forss
You probably expected to see Ivan Toney here. He is undoubtedly Brentford’s best player right now.
Yet at 25-years-old, we cannot see Liverpool paying the huge sum that it would take to sign him any time soon. If he had started the season like a house on fire, then maybe, but two goals in five games aren’t quite insane numbers.
Instead, we will look at Marcus Forss. We actually tipped him as one to watch for Finland back at the Euros.
You are probably wondering why we have picked a player with a grand total of four Premier League minutes under his belt.
Well, we couldn’t help but be impressed by his four goals against Oldham in midweek. He got his chance and he took it, surely earning a substitute appearance today.
Seven goals in 37 Championship games last season doesn’t sound special. But only nine of these were starts, and he was 21-years-old.
He is the type of player that could explode at any stage, so will be hoping to keep his momentum going if he gets some minutes for Brentford against Liverpool.