Exclusive! Brentford's Ben Mee on Liverpool defeat, Mbeumo's costly missed chance and Arsenal clash

Exclusive by Alessandro Schiavone at Anfield

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Ben Mee claimed that Brentford could and should have done better at both ends in their dismal 3-0 defeat at Liverpool.

The defender is far from happy with the way the Bees defended and admits they also should have made some glorious chances count in the final third against an elite side like Jürgen Klopp's Reds.

Speaking exclusively to Capital Football after the game, the ex-Burnley star, 34, said: "Liverpool are a good side, very good at home.

"This is always a difficult place to come. But we created a few chances, especially in the first half. And if we take them it's a different game.

"That's the difference I guess, you need to take your chances at these places. We gave it a really good go at a difficult place.

"Then of course, we can always avoid goals, when you concede three in a game it is never great.

"One of our players (Yoane Wissa) has gone on to the attack, in transition and they won the ball back and slipped it on through to Salah who is not gonna miss from there with the quality he has."

Yet through on goal and with only keeper Alisson to beat, the Egyptian's opposite number Bryan Mbeumo had failed to do the same minutes earlier.

There's no guarantee the game would have gone Brentford's way had the Cameroon international slotted the ball home.

But if that one goes in, Brentford are in control and as a result could have backed off and defended for their lives trying to nick a second on the break.

But Mee said: "Bryan is fantastic, he worked hard and worked his socks off.

"There were a couple of chances we could have done a bit more with in the final third. [That chance] was a big moment for us.

"But we are going in at half-time fairly pleased wanting to take the game to them in the second half. And we always felt like we were in the game, obviously until the third one went in. It was an okay performance from us, we gave it a good go and were competitive most of the game."

Over the years, Brentford pulled off a number of shock results against clubs involved in the title race or challenging for the top-six.

After the international break Thomas Frank's men host high-flying Arsenal, the side they recorded their first-ever Premier League win against back in August 2021.

And Mee continued: "We have a big game against Arsenal, we look forward to it. We got a number of lads away, the internationals, so there won't be many of us around.

"We'll train hard until the boys will come back to fire in and ready to go for Arsenal."

Brentford did the double over Man City last campaign and already saw off Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea already this term.

So can they do it again against the Gunners?

"We give top teams, the top-six in general a tough time. Last season we beat a lot of them, we beat City twice last year. We're confident against big teams, the way we play, the way we go about it. We are always competitive and always want to win. The Arsenal game is massive."