Substitute, Mohamed Salah starred in Liverpool’s 4-1 Premier League win at Brentford with an assist and goal.
Darwin Nunez put Liverpool ahead with a 35th minute chipped shot from Diogo Jota’s knockdown header, before Alexis Mac Allister doubled their lead with a 55th minute strike from Salah’s low cross.
Salah capped his return to league action for the first time since 1 January with a calm finish in the 68th minute, before Gakpo added their fourth goal in the 86th minute.
Ivan Toney denied Liverpool a clean sheet as he netted a 75th minute consolatory rebound shot after Caoimhin Kelleher blocked Sergio Reguilon’s initial shot.
Liverpool now sit five points clear of Manchester City and Arsenal who play later this afternoon, whilst Brentford remained 14th in the table.
Post-match, Mac Allister spoke of his happiness that Liverpool has got their first Premier League away win over Brentford, plus enjoying one of his strongest games for the Reds yet.
“You can see how much it means to us, to win the game and that is what we want. We came to a place that everyone knows it tough and it was good to get the three points and win the game.
“I feel lucky. My idea is to learn football and I just try and do my best and I am feeling very good. That is what I like. When I was in Argentina I used to play the 10. I try to score and assist, that is very important. I am really happy with my goal but the most important thing is the three points.”
Mac Allister went on to praise Salah for his immediate impact off the bench following his return from a hamstring injury.
“He is amazing. I am very happy for him. He has been out and a little bit frustrated about it but he came back and in just a couple of minutes, scored and assist. He is an amazing player and a great leader and an important player for us.”
Aware that this lunchtime kick-off represented a huge opportunity to put pressure on Man City and Arsenal in the title race, Liverpool struggled to make an immediate impact as Brentford enjoyed a lively start although Neal Maupay dragged a fourth minute shot wide.
Facing the prospect of finishing his time at Liverpool without an away win over Thomas Frank’s Bees, Jurgen Klopp soon received hope of improvement as Connor Bradley overlapped with Curtis Jones in the tenth minute, but his shot was saved by Mark Flekken.
Brentford however continued to look the more creative especially up their left as Reguilon teed up Maupay with a 15th minute low cross, from which the Frenchman unleashed Toney who could only scruff his shot wide of the bottom-right corner.
Toney then pounced upon a quick long ball from Maupay five minutes later but Kelleher was alert to make a crucial save.
Liverpool eventually turned up their intensity despite Ryan Gravenberch replacing Curtis Jones in an enforced change in the 34th minute due to injury.
Barely a minute after Gravenberch’s introduction, Van Dijk cleared a goal-kick up the pitch to Jota who instinctly nodded the ball down and across to Nunez, who gathered posession and chipped in over the outcoming Flekken to put the visitors ahead.
Any hopes of that opening goal sparking further goals for the Reds soon hit a stutter when Jota was stretchered off with a knee injury in the 44th minute, which brought about Salah’s first appearance since the win over Newcastle on New Year’s Day.
Salah soon wasted a chance to extend Liverpool’s lead on the stroke of half-time as he scruffed his shot from Luis Diaz’ cutback pass, merely four minutes after he came onto the pitch as Klopp’s Reds protected their lead into half-time.
Klopp however was dealt another concern at half-time as Nunez found himself substituted for Cody Gakpo ahead of the second half, but any fears of a second-half meltdown were settled by a strong start as Diaz fired wide in the 50th minute.
Liverpool soon ensured that they remained top of the table five minutes later as the ball found Salah out right, which the Egypt interntional quickly played across to Mac Allister who wiggled into space to calmly strike his shot into the bottom-left corner.
Kelleher however almost opened the door for a Brentford comeback in the 57th minute as Mathias Jensen caught him off his line, yet the Dane’s 50-yard shot flew wide of the goal.
Salah eventually punished that wasted chance in the 68th minute after Gakpo flicked Kelleher’s long ball forward for him to calmly slot into the right corner, which put Liverpool on course for only their second league win in London this season.
Brentford soon thought that they had won a lifeline back into the match after Andrew Robertson recklessly lunged in on Toney at speed inside the box in the 72nd minute, yet referee – Michael Oliver didn’t deem the foul a penalty incident.
Toney however punished a fumbled save from Kelleher to snatch a consolatory goal for the Bees three minutes later, after the Irish keeper had blocked Reguilon’s shot which was created by substitute, Yoane Wissa’s cutback pass.
Any hopes of avoiding a first home loss to Liverpool in the Premier League were extinguished in the 86th minute for Brentford, after Diaz pounced upon Nathan Collins’ slip and teed up Gakpo to rifle into the bottom-left corner to make absolutely sure of victory.
Liverpool eventually saw the game out through seven minutes of injury time to stay top of the table, whilst Brentford continue to flirt with the relegation zone – despite their six-point cushion over Liverpool’s local rivals – Everton.
What’s Next?
Brentford head to title challengers, Manchester City in a rearranged clash at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday 20 February at 7:30pm GMT.
Liverpool will be in action 24 hours later on Wednesday 21 February at home to Luton at Anfield in another rearranged fixture.
Teams
Brentford: Mark Flekken, Mads Roerslev (Lewis-Potter 63′), Nathan Collins, Kristoffer Ajer, Ben Mee, Sergio Reguilon (Ghoddos 85′), Christian Norgaard (Onyeka 63′), Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen (Damsgaard 74′), Neal Maupay (Wissa 63′), Ivan Toney
Substitutes: Thomas Strakosha, Yoane Wissa, Zanka, Saman Ghoddos, Frank Onyeka, Keane Lewis-Potter, Mikkel Damsgaard, Shandon Baptiste, Yehor Yarmoliuk
Liverpool: Caoimhin Kelleher, Connor Bradley (Gomez 83′), Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister (Elliott 83′), Curtis Jones (Gravenberch 34′), Diogo Jota (Salah 44′), Darwin Nunez (Gakpo 45′), Luis Diaz
Substitutes: Adrian, Joe Gomez, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Harvey Elliott, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Ryan Gravenberch, James McConnell, Jarrel Quansah
Referee – Michael Oliver
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