Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Mohamed Salah winner
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford: Mohamed Salah’s early goal helped the Reds move a point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have two games in hand
An early goal by Mohamed Salah was enough to give Liverpool a 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford on Saturday that keeps the pressure on fierce rivals Manchester United in the hunt for Champions League football next season.
Their sixth league win in a row left the Merseysiders in fifth spot on 62 points, one behind fourth-placed United, but the Red Devils have two games in hand over Liverpool. Brentford are ninth on 50 points.
Before the game got underway, the Liverpool fans loudly booed, whistled and chanted their team’s name as the national anthem was played to mark the coronation of King Charles in London earlier on Saturday.
Brentford strung five across the back in an effort to thwart Liverpool’s array of attacking riches, but they still went behind in the 13th minute as Virgil van Dijk headed Fabinho’s cross back for Salah to bundle home his 100th goal at Anfield.
Bryan Mbeumo out-sprinted and out-muscled Van Dijk to fire home in the 40th minute for Brentford, but the flag went up for a marginal offside that was confirmed by VAR and the goal was disallowed.
Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo both wasted good chances to increase Liverpool’s lead, but with Brentford only managing a single shot on target, Salah’s goal proved enough for the home side to claim the victory.
Relive the day’s action after Liverpool defeated Brentford and Man City returned to the top against Leeds:
FULL-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Brentford
Mohamed Salah’s goal in a 1-0 win over Brentford propelled Liverpool closer to the Premier League top four and deflected attention away from the booing of the national anthem at Anfield on coronation day.
The pre-match playing of ‘God Save the King’ was roundly jeered by the majority of fans, who have not forgiven the establishment for its attitude to the city in the 1980s and, more recently, the handling of the Hillsborough disaster and the fight for justice.
But with the airing of the first bars of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ the atmosphere flipped and Salah kicked off the celebrations with yet another milestone goal in a career of Liverpool landmarks.
Read Carl Markham’s report of Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Brentford:
Mohamed Salah scores landmark goal as Liverpool beat Brentford after boos for anthem
The pre-match playing of ‘God Save the King’ was roundly jeered by the majority of fans at Anfield
Liverpool turn up the heat as Anfield rediscovers its chest-thumping swagger
One-nil victories come in all shapes and sizes.
Midweek, Liverpool looked very much like a side struggling to rekindle their former, high-octane grandeur as they made hard of work of disposing a Fulham team with little to play for.
What will have grated those in attendance on Wednesday night most was the timing of such a flat performance, just four days after producing one of those gripping, last-minute wins that had Jurgen Klopp thumping his chest to the Mersey Beat after the match.
Even though the top four are still very much within reach, these final few games this campaign are the start of a rather long pre-season looking ahead to next term, given what has unfolded in a dramatic fall from grace for the quadruple chasers.
Liverpool therefore needed to rebuild that momentum against Brentford to stoke the fire on the stalled Anfield juggernaut. While the result was the same as against another west London team on Saturday, the manner of the performance, while still showing plenty of hard-to-eradicate flaws, was very different indeed.
It was not quite, to borrow the Eric Cantona analogy, chests stuck out as if they owned the place, but, if only in fleeting moments, Liverpool rediscovered some swagger, on the perfect afternoon to do so, as Anfield itself again made it perfectly clear they are happy to operate against the grain.
By Pete Hall
Liverpool turn up the heat as Anfield rediscovers its chest-thumping swagger
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford: Mohamed Salah’s early goal made it six wins in a row as the Reds moved a point behind Manchester United in the top-four race
Klopp speaks to Sky Sports
“We didn’t consider real chance with what felt like 50 or 60 set pieces and it was because the boys were really focused. We could have controlled the game better in moments but it was really tricky because they break the rhythm, not only with the set pieces they have but as well, the time they take for it.
“I saw a lot of positive things football-wise and with our focus so it was extremely good.”
On Alexander-Arnold’s position: “It suits him extremely well. The chance he set up for Darwin was a very special ball. We have to adapt still to the formation because I think last game we struggled a bit in defence but apart from that it’s outstanding what he’s doing.”
On Salah’s goal record: “I can’t see him stopping because that’s just his nature. So, I think as an offensive player, you need to have this desire to score goals, but a lot of people, forget how many goals he sets up so he’s just always involved in the goals we score.
“Sometimes I don’t think people appreciate players enough when they are still playing. For us it’s clear - he is an all-time great. I know he’s proud of what he achieved today - the numbers are outrageous.”
Mbuemo speaks to Sky Sports
“We had a good performance. We are frustrated of course because we wanted to win but we played a good game as well.
“It’s always hard to come and play in this place so for 25 minutes they came out flying and we concede, but we raised up after this and created a few chances.
“We missed a little bit in the last pass. I maybe could have given goals to my teammates, but it was a very good game. At the end, they tried to win as much time as they could.”
Salah speaks to Sky Sports
“We need to keep winning - that was the main thing for us today and I’m glad that we did. Everybody is happy in the dressing room so that’s great and now we just need to keep going.”
On today’s record-breaking goal: “It means a lot to me. I feel home here, I’m happy and hopefully, we can finish the season in the best possible way.
“I work really hard, and everybody knows that, everybody sees that. I’m just motivated to keep breaking records and scoring goals.”
On Liverpool’s recent run of form: “We’ve improved a lot last couple of weeks, a couple of clean sheets which is really important for us because once you don’t consider goal, you just need to win 1-0 and that’s it. We are more stable at the moment as a team, which we need to carry on.”
FULL-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Brentford - a pair of centuries
A hugely important win for Liverpool is capped off by the passing of some significant landmarks at both ends of the pitch.
Salah’s match-winner marks his 100th goal at Anfield in all competitions with the result also bringing up Alisson’s 100th clean sheet in all competitions for the Reds.
FULL-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Brentford
The full-time whistle goes and Liverpool hold on! Six wins on the trot for Jurgen Klopp’s side with the winning goal coming from the boot of Salah. It was his 100th goal at Anfield that put Liverpool ahead in the 13th minute before Nunez fired over shortly after. Mbuemo’s superb solo effort was ruled out for offside as Brentford fought back into the contest before half-time.
The second half was not Liverpool’s free-flowing best, despite chances from Alexander-Arnold and Gakpo but a win is all that matters at this stage of the season.
They remain fifth and move to within a point of Man United who face West Ham tomorrow. Brentford remain ninth.
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford
90+3 mins: The cross comes in but Liverpool’s defence holds firm. A minute to go at Anfield...
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford
90+2 mins: Raya comes up from the back but it’s Alisson - his opposite number - who comes through the crowd to punch the ball clear. Brentford recycle the ball and win another corner.
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford
90+2 mins: Toney fouls Tsimikas as Brentford launch another free-kick into the box. Four minutes off added time for Brentford to find an equaliser and they have another corner...
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