Thomas Frank admitted that Brentford will have to be ‘almost perfect’ to stand a chance against the Premier League’s best in light of Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Liverpool.

Despite a strong start from the Bees, they fell behind in the first half thanks to a delicate finish from Darwin Nunez, before Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah extended the Reds’ lead after the break.

Keeping up his prolific form since his return, Ivan Toney pulled one back with 15 minutes to spare – but it would prove only a consolation as Cody Gakpo added a fourth to secure the points for the league leaders.

Things aren’t getting any easier for Brentford – they travel to Manchester City tomorrow evening with hopes of avenging their 3-1 loss in the reverse fixture from just 15 days prior.

And despite being encouraged by portions of the display against Liverpool, Frank knows his side needs to be flawless if they hope to cause an upset against a Premier League titan.

“I think the boys were brilliant for 35 minutes,” Frank said after Saturday’s contest. “We were the best team on the pitch and did so many things right.

“We pressed aggressively, we were great at winning it and going forward. We were very good in the transitions.

“We caused them problems, but unfortunately against these big teams we have to be almost perfect for 90 minutes and I don’t think we were.

“We played the best team in the Premier League - right now they are top - and we didn’t play a perfect game.”

Untimely injuries to Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones saw Liverpool’s growing fitness woes grab the headlines following this weekend’s outing at the Gtech Community Stadium.

However, Brentford are far from comfortable when it comes to their own injury problems.

Rico Henry, Bryan Mbeumo and Aaron Hickey have all been nursing long-term injuries, putting increased strain on selection.

And after sustaining an ankle injury during Brentford’s 2-0 win over Wolves earlier this month, Ethan Pinnock was also absent for Saturday’s early kick-off.

A figure who has become such a staple the Bees side, Frank will have to make do without the Jamaican international until after the March international break.

“Of course, Ethan is a top defender and has been our best defender for many years, so it’s a loss,” the Brentford manager added.

“But it’s up to others to step up. I believe in the players I put on the pitch.”