Salah seals win over Brentford as Liverpool still in the chase for fourth place
KING SALAH: Salah scored his 30th goal of the season to seal victory over Brentford. Pic:Alex Livesey/Getty Images
ANFIELD paid their disrespects to the new King of England before kick-off but it was their own very special “royal” who helped Jurgen Klopp’s side keep up the pressure on Manchester United in the chase for fourth.
Mo Salah struck the first-half goal that separated the teams and left Liverpool on course to potentially rescue a season that has been so disappointing for so much of it.
The pre-match controversy over the playing of the national anthem before the game ended in predicable fashion.
The recording of God Save the King was drowned out by a combination of boos and chants of “Liverpool” as supporters continued their policy of protesting against the establishment.
But within 13 minutes, they were paying homage to their own king, Salah, as he scored his 30th goal of the season - the fourth time in the last six seasons the “Egyptian king” has reached that impressive landmark.
Fabinho lofted a pass towards Virgil van Dijk at the far post, the Dutchman headed goalwards where Salah, showing a rare moment of fallibility, mis-controlled virtually on the goalline before bundling the ball over the line.
It was the ninth consecutive home game in which Salah has scored - a first for the club - and his 100th goal at Anfield.
And it threatened to continue his team’s recent improvements which had left them chasing a sixth consecutive league victory for the first time this season.
If Darwin Nunez had done better just before the half-hour when he latched onto Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant through ball, the afternoon might have been considerably easier, but the striker rushed his first-time effort wide.
A few moments later, Alexander-Arnold lost the ball in possession to Ivan Toney and only some poor attacking play between the England striker and Bryan Mbeumo allowed Virgil van Dijk to make a clearing tackle.
But the moment breathed belief into the Bees, with Toney sending a 25-yard free-kick flying just wide of the Liverpool goal and Mbeumo putting the ball in the net just before the break only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
The Brentford recovery could, and should, have been stifled on 53 minutes when Diogo Jota’s cross found Cody Gakpo, a yard from goal and unmarked, but the ball simple struck the striker and flew to safety.
The “watchability” did not last long, with referee Anthony Taylor’ handling of the game not helping a game, which turned into a war of attrition as it progressed, with Alisson even earring a yellow card for time wasting.
Alexander-Arnold lifted it, momentarily, from mediocrity on 77 minutes with a crisp shot from outside the area which forced a flying save out of David Raya and Gakpo could have scored a spectacular goal six minutes from time but his shot flashed wide.
: Alisson 6 - Alexander-Arnold 7, Konate 6, van Dijk 6, Robertson 6 (Tsimikas 82)- Fabinho 7, Jones 7 (Milner 82) - Salah 8, Gakpo 5, Jota 7 (Henderson 72, 6) - Nunez 5 (Diaz 65, 6).
: Kelleher, Gomez, Elliott, Carvalho, Matip.
Raya 7 - Hickey 7 (Wissa 88), Zanka 7, Pinnock 6, Mee 6, Henry 6 (Schade 71, 5) - Jensen 6 (Baptiste 82), Onyeka 5 (Dasilva 71, 5), Janelt 5 (Damsgaard 82) - Mbeumo 8, Toney 6.
: Cox, Ghoddos, Ajer, Roerslev.
A Taylor 5
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