Liverpool 4-1 Brentford (17 Feb, 2024) Game Analysis

Mohamed Salah scored and provided an assist on his return from injury as Liverpool kept their foot on the accelerator in the Premier League title race with a 4-1 win at Brentford on Saturday.

Darwin Nunez scored with an exquisite chip to open the scoring, bursting through on goal before expertly lifting the ball over a helpless Mark Flekken in the Brentford net.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)

Goals after the break from Alexis Mac Allister and Salah effectively ended the match. This is the first time that Jurgen Klopp has won at Brentford.

Ivan Toney pulled one back for Brentford, but Cody Gakpo grabbed Liverpool's fourth to wrap up a comfortable victory for the visitors.

There was a sour note for Klopp, who was already dealing with a long injury list, as Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were both withdrawn in the first half, while Nunez failed to emerge after the halfway point. -time.

The Liverpool manager, who was reportedly impressed by the ease with which his side negotiated a potentially tricky away game, was already without a number of key players injured, including goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander- Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai.

“It's really not good. But we can't change that anymore,” Klopp told reporters when asked about the latest injuries.

“In these situations the level of performance could have dropped, but it was the opposite. We played an exceptional game. By far the best game since I was at Liverpool, here at Brentford.”

He showed frustration on the touchline as Brentford launched into challenges and forced Liverpool back in the early stages, with Toney spurning a few chances. But it was the visitors who opened the scoring thanks to a great strike from Nunez in the 35th minute.

Salah, making his return from an injury suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations, came off the bench to replace Jota and had two chances either side of half-time to add his name to the scoresheet .

He failed to convert a dangerous cross from Luis Díaz which bounced past him, then just after the break he stabbed wide after crossing with only the keeper to beat.

The Egyptian international was, however, responsible for Liverpool's second goal in the 55th minute, when he cut in from the right and fed Mac Allister whose first touch took him past the last man before stabbing him in the net.

Salah was on target 13 minutes later when a long ball forward from substitute goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher was headed in by Gakpo. Salah pounced as the Brentford defense stood still, beating Nathan Collins before finishing with his left foot.

Toney pulled one back in the 75th minute, firing home the rebound after Sergio Reguilón's shot was superbly saved by Kelleher. But that proved only a consolation, and Liverpool ensured there would be no late drama when Gakpo added a fourth in the 86th minute.

The Dutch striker, who replaced Nunez at half-time, was crossed by a pass from Diaz and finished clinically with his left foot.

The victory took Liverpool to 57 points, while Manchester City sit second and third behind Arsenal, who can both close the gap later on Saturday, each on 52 points. Brentford remains 14th with 25 points.

“I thought we were brilliant in the first 35 minutes and created a lot of good moments. We should have shown quality or composure, but then we conceded the first goal,” said the Brentford manager , Thomas Frank, whose team remained 14th with 25 points.

“If you want to beat the best in the Premier League, you have to be perfect. Unfortunately, today we weren't.”