Liverpool Rally at Brentford as Manchester City Extend Perfect Start

Liverpool came from behind to win 2–1 at nine-man Brentford on Saturday, while Manchester City beat Ipswich 3–2 to extend their perfect start to the Premier League season to seven matches.

At Brentford, the home side led through Keane Lewis-Potter’s header in the 44th minute. Momentum shifted in first-half stoppage time when Brentford midfielder Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off for aiming a head-butt at Jeremy Jacquet. Liverpool made the extra man count after the break, with Victor Munoz equalising and Alexander Isak scoring the winner in the 70th minute. Brentford had Vitaly Janelt sent off for a second yellow card late on and suffered their first league defeat of the season.

City make history

Manchester City became only the third team to open a Premier League campaign with seven consecutive wins, matching Chelsea in 2005 and Liverpool in 2019, both of whom went on to win the title. Phil Foden opened the scoring, and Erling Haaland scored twice, taking his league tally to eight goals. Daizen Maeda pulled Ipswich level briefly, and Zian Flemming’s late penalty set up a tense finish, but City held on.

The result also continued a remarkable start for manager Enzo Maresca, who is reported to be the first manager to win his first seven Premier League games in charge of a club, having taken over in the offseason. City also equalled their best-ever winning start to a campaign, set in 1897–98.

City are playing under the cloud of a financial case, having been found guilty of wrongdoing and appealing the verdict, but their form on the pitch has been unaffected. The club has continued to protest its innocence while the appeal proceeds.

What it means

City stay top of the table with 21 points from seven matches and a 100 percent record. Liverpool, who lost two more players to injury during a busy run of fixtures, sit fifth with 12 points. Brentford’s unbeaten start is over despite a spirited performance that was undermined by the two red cards.

The win keeps City ahead of Arsenal, who could close the gap to three points with a victory over Nottingham Forest. Ipswich, promoted this season, dropped to 10th but showed enough to trouble one of the league’s strongest sides, scoring twice and earning a late penalty after a video review.

Brentford’s discipline let them down at the worst possible moments. The first red card came in first-half stoppage time, and the second arrived late as the home side chased the game, leaving them with nine men for the closing stages. Liverpool, who had been sluggish before the interval, were patient after the break and found the space created by the numerical advantage.

For City, the winning run reflects a settled side and a manager who has quickly imposed his ideas. The club’s supporters, meanwhile, continue to follow the team closely as the financial case plays out in the background.

Liverpool’s manager will be concerned by the mounting injury list as the schedule tightens, even as the comeback underlined the squad’s resilience. City travel to Aston Villa next, while Liverpool continue a demanding stretch of matches.

Sources

Reports from the Associated Press, the BBC, Manchester City and the Guardian (October 2026).