Salah at the double as Liverpool keep pace at Premier League summit
LIVERPOOL 3-0 BRENTFORD
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool moved level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City with a 3-0 win over Brentford at Anfield.
The Egyptian struck in either half and Diogo Jota was also on target as Jürgen Klopp’s side ended a difficult week with a morale-boosting victory ahead of the international break.
Salah now has 10 Premier League goals this season - only Erling Haaland has more - and Liverpool’s eighth league win of the campaign sets up their trip to the Etihad Stadium on November 25 nicely, with the sides separated at the top of the table only by goal difference.
Klopp’s side had to work hard for victory.
They arrived into the game on the back of disappointing performances against Luton Town and Toulouse, and were without eight first-teamers due to injury or suspension, with seven of their nine substitutes aged 20 or under as a result.
Brentford, who have started the season well, came to frustrate, but the home side threatened early through Cody Gakpo, whose 18-yard strike was straight at Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal, but Klopp’s side were fortunate to escape soon after, as Ethan Pinnock made a mess of a good chance after a period of pinball in the Liverpool penalty area.
Flekken denied Darwin Núñez at the near post after a nice pass from Salah on 16 minutes, but more Liverpool sloppiness, this time from Trent Alexander-Arnold, gifted Brentford a chance which Bryan Mbeumo failed to take almost immediately.
Núñez, a bundle of energy as ever, twice had the ball in the net in quick succession only to be denied by an offside flag, while Mbeumo was superbly denied by Alisson Becker after latching onto Christian Norgaard’s excellent pass over the top.
That proved a
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