Mohamed Salah scored his first goal for Liverpool since New Year's Day as they beat Brentford and extended a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Alexis Mac Allister scored the second goal at the G-Tech Community Stadium after Darwin Nunez put Liverpool ahead with a fine chip.
Salah got on the scoresheet with a crisp finish after returning from an injury sustained during his stint in Egypt at the African Cup of Nations.
Ivan Toney scored for Brentford, but Kodi Gakpo added sparkle for Liverpool.
Manchester City and Arsenal will be back within two points of Liverpool later on Saturday if they beat Chelsea and Burnley respectively.
The only disappointment for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was the addition of another player to his long-term injury list.
Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota limped off before half-time and Nunez was substituted at the interval.
Nuñez shows calm
It was a classy victory for Liverpool, who may have perceived this to be a difficult task as they seek a 20th league title.
Núñez created a great moment as he smashed his way past Jota's header to score a stunning goal.
The Uruguayan boldly chipped the ball over Mark Frecken as the goalkeeper narrowed the angle.
It's easy to imagine Nunez as an architect of chaos, and one would assume that many of his actions are instinctive rather than calculated.
But here he showed the intelligence and composure that propelled Liverpool forward.
Klopp and his coaching staff have undoubtedly honed a player who was a diamond in the rough at the time. Signed from Benfica for £64m In 2022.
The Anfield showdown between Liverpool and City on March 10th is eerily approaching.
It seems somewhat inevitable that Nunez and City striker Erling Haaland will be central figures in that clash.
More to come.
lineup
brentford
formation 3-5-2
- 1flecken
- twenty twocollins
- 20Agel
- 16Me
- 30low revReplacementlewis potterin 63 minutesminutes
- 8jensenReplacementDamsgardin 74 minutesminutes
- 6noah guardReplacementOnyekain 63 minutesminutesBooked in 72 minutes
- 27Janert
- 12ReguilonI made a reservation in 45 minutes.Replacementgodosin 85 minutesminutes
- 17tony
- 7MaupayReplacementWisain 63 minutesminutes
substitute
- 11Wisa
- 13M. Jorgensen
- 14godos
- 15Onyeka
- twenty oneStrakosha
- twenty threelewis potter
- twenty fourDamsgard
- 26Baptiste
- 33Yarmoliuk
liverpool
formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 84BradleyReplacementgomezin 83 minutesminutes
- FiveKonate
- Fourvan dijk
- 26robertson
- TenMac AllisterReplacementElliotin 83 minutesminutes
- 3EndoBooked in 67 minutes
- 17jonesReplacementgraben birchin 34 minutesminutes
- 20iotaReplacementSalahin 44 minutesminutes
- 9NuñezReplacementGakpoin 45 minutesminutes
- 7Diaz
substitute
- 2gomez
- 11Salah
- 13Adrian
- 18Gakpo
- 19Elliot
- twenty oneTsimikas
- 38graben birch
- 53McConnell
- 78Quansar
- Referee:
- michael oliver
- Attendance:
- 17,193
live text
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Game over, Brentford 1, Liverpool 4.
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End of the second half, Brentford 1, Liverpool 4.
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Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) hits the bar with a header from the center of the box. Andy Robertson assists a cross from a corner kick.
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Corner, Liverpool. Nathan Collins surrenders.
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Offside, Brentford. Ben Mee is caught offside.
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Brentford corner. Kodi Gakpo conceded a goal.
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Attempt blocked. A right-footed shot by Ivan Toney (Brentford) from outside the box was blocked.
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Foul by Kodi Gakpo (Liverpool).
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Saman Ghods (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt failed. Ben Mee (Brentford) took a left-footed shot from the center of the box, but due to a set-piece situation it went wide of the left side of the target.
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Attempt saved. Ivan Toney's (Brentford) shot from close range was saved in the bottom right corner. Mikel Damsgaard assists the cross.
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Foul by Luis Diaz (Liverpool).
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Yoan Ouissa (Brentford) wins a free kick on the right.
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Attempt saved. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) took a left-footed shot from outside the box that was saved into the bottom left corner.
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Luis Dias (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Christopher Ajer (Brentford).
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Attempt failed. From a direct free kick, Ivan Toney (Brentford) took a right-footed shot from outside the box that went high and to the right of the target.
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Foul by Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool).
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Ivan Toney (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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goal! Brentford 1, Liverpool 4. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) shoots with his left foot from the center of the box into the center of the goal. Assisted by Luis Diaz.
player of match
Elliotharvey elliott
brentford
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squad number17player nametony
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squad number1player nameflecken
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squad number7player nameMaupay
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squad number8player namejensen
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squad number12player nameReguilon
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squad number6player namenoah guard
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squad number20player nameAgel
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squad numbertwenty twoplayer namecollins
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squad number16player nameMe
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squad number11player nameWisa
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squad number27player nameJanert
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squad number30player namelow rev
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squad numbertwenty fourplayer nameDamsgard
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squad numbertwenty threeplayer namelewis potter
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squad number15player nameOnyeka
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squad number14player namegodos
