Liverpool ensured it would finish the weekend top of the Premier League table with a comfortable 4-1 win at Brentford on Saturday. What looked to be a potential banana skin beforehand turned out to be one of the Reds’ best away performances of the season so far.
Goals from Darwin Núñez, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo wrapped up another three points, keeping Liverpool ahead of the chasing pack. And with Manchester City dropping points against Chelsea later in the day, the Reds have a bit more breathing space.
It wasn’t all good news for Jürgen Klopp though, with the win coming at a price. Both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were forced off before half-time through injury, while Núñez was substituted at half-time as a precaution.
The injury list is growing alarmingly once again, with Alisson Becker also forced to pull out just hours before the game after picking up an injury during training on Friday. Nevertheless, Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple remains on course — here’s what the UK’s national media made of the win at Brentford.
“Liverpool survived their own engulfing injury crisis to comfortably brush aside Brentford and go five points clear at the top of the Premier League, albeit having played two games more than Manchester City. Mohamed Salah returned from the most lengthy absence of his Liverpool career with a decisive touch of class, assisting the second goal for Alexis Mac Allister and then scoring the third with a typical marriage of strength and skill. Liverpool have now scored 20 goals in their past six Premier League games, and are that rare thing: a team simultaneously firing on all cylinders and falling to bits.
“Already missing Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai, as well as longer-term absentees Thiago Alcântara and Joël Matip, Liverpool lost the influential duo of Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota to worrisome injuries in the first half. Darwin Núñez, scorer of the first goal, also failed to reappear after half-time. If Klopp is going to arrive at the perfect ending, he is going to have to weather a storm.”
“This was one of those brutal demonstrations of the monumental gulf between the Premier League’s haves and have-nots. In many ways, it emphasises how brilliantly Brentford have done to have even made it this far. But, on days like this, the chasm is laid mercilessly bare. Liverpool’s fearsome front five cost close to £250m to assemble. In reality, it’s worth in excess of that figure.
“Brentford simply couldn’t cope. They aren’t the first to succumb to the talents of Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo. They won’t be the last. The frightening quintet all made direct contributions to this emphatic win as Jürgen Klopp’s side maintained their place at the top of the table.”
“There are very few players in the world of football who can silence a crowd without even touching the ball. Players who can send tremors of fear through a stadium not because of what they have just done, but because of what they are evidently just about to do. Players who bring with them a sense of inevitability, even when the ball is 40 yards from goal and not yet in their possession.
“Mohamed Salah is one of those players and, when he strode onto Cody Gakpo’s flicked header after 68 minutes here, it felt like the air had been removed from the Gtech Community Stadium. Salah had not even reached the ball yet but everyone in the ground, including Brentford’s defenders, knew what would happen next.
“A few seconds later, the ball was in the back of Brentford’s net, Liverpool were leading by three and Salah had reminded everyone why he is still the most important figure in Jürgen Klopp’s team. This was his first club appearance since New Year’s Day and he played like a man who was keen to make up for lost time. One goal, one assist, three points and a powerful statement: the main man is back.”
“The bolts may be fraying, panels flying off, ball bearings skittering along in its wake, but Liverpool’s Premier League season continues to barrel along. A 4-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium came soundtracked by pinging tendons and twanging knees as first Curtis Jones then Diogo Jota left the field, both in a state of some distress, to be followed by Darwin Núñez at half-time.
“Three more names to add to that ever-lengthening sick list. And in Núñez, in particular, a player Jürgen Klopp and his team really won’t want to lose right now. Keep the engine running. It should, at the very least, be quite a lot of fun to watch.”
“This could easily have become the afternoon where talk was dominated by those who weren’t there come the final whistle for Liverpool. But as long as one player in particular is fit and available, the Reds will always have a chance of ensuring Jürgen Klopp’s farewell has a silver lining.
“The return of Mohamed Salah, even if it was earlier than anyone would have wanted, was the spark for Liverpool to overcome increasing odds and send a resounding statement to their Premier League title rivals with a comprehensive win at Brentford. Salah, back after eight games missing first through international duty and then injury, created one goal and scored another as the Reds took the game away from Brentford during a stirring second-half performance.”
