Liverpool player ratings: four score 8/10 but 'ineffective' 5/10 in comfortable Brentford victory - gallery
Will Rooney
·5-min read
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on November 12, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool snapped a two-game winless streak as they delivered a 3-0 victory over Brentford in the Premier League at Anfield.
A Mo Salah double and a Diogo Jota strike ensured the Reds signed off before the international break with three points in the bag and moved up to second in the table, while they maintained their 100% home record this season.
Liverpool started on the front foot with Cody Gakpo seeing a long-range effort well held by Brentford keeper Mark Flekken. Then in the sixth minute, the Bees provided a scare when the Reds failed to deal with a scramble inside their box but Ethan Pinnock shot wide.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on November 12, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Darwin Nunez started causing Brentford problems and had two goals disallowed for offside. The first was on 22 minutes when he controlled Dominik Szoboszlai's mishit shot and finished before an acrobatic bicycle kick was chalked off five minutes later after Virgil van Dijk saw a header well kept out.
Alisson Becker was largely a passenger in the Liverpool goal before he pulled off a wonderful save in the 32nd minute after Bryan Mbuemo broke on the counter-attack. And Liverpool would finally break the deadlock in the 39th minute through Salah. He was slipped in by Nunez and kept his cool to finish into the far post.
In stoppage-time, Salah perhaps should have doubled his tally but couldn't keep his shot down after latching on to Trent Alexander-Arnold's lofted pass.
Alisson made a routine stop to tip a Mathias Jensen free-kick over the bar six minutes into the second period. On 56 minutes, Wataru Endo, making just a second Premier League start since arriving at Liverpool in the summer, survived a VAR review after a challenge on Christian Norgaard. Brentford were just starting to get on top before Salah gave Liverpool a two-goal cushion. Kostas Tsimikas did superbly to keep the ball in play and dig a cross out from the byline, with Salah heading home at the back post.
Came up with a massive save to deny Mbuemo in a one-vs-one situation in the first half. Tipped over a Jensen free-kick after the break and made a fine stop from Pinnock.
And with 16 minutes remaining, Jurgen Klopp's men sealed all three points when Jota weaved himself some space on the edge of the box and fired into the far corner.
Brentford applied pressure from set-pieces as they aimed to reduce the arrears but Liverpool held firm before the game petered out. And after failing to win their previous two matches, Liverpool will have been delighted to have been triumphant at the final whistle and move into second. Here's how we rated the Liverpool players.
Didn't get on the ball as much as he'd have perhaps hoped in the first half but played a perfectly-weighted lofted pass for Salah in the closing stages. Influenced things more in the second period before subbed in the closing stages.
Unlucky not to have opened the scoring in the first half and breezed through the game for the most part.
Harshly booked in the first half for what seemed a fine challenge and won the ball back in the build-up to Salah's opener. Made a superb block to thwart a Mbuemo shot in the second half. Solid.
Improved on his performance against Toulouse. Could have used the ball better at times in the first half but came up with two assists after the break when choosing the right options.
Played one superb splitting pass in the first period. Survived a VAR review in the second period for a possible red card then was lucky not to have been booked when fouling Mbuemo on the break. Did give Liverpool more structure anchoring the midfield, though.
Couldn't impact things as much as he'd have liked in the first period. Saw more of the ball in the second ball but still much more ineffective than he has been since arriving in the summer. Subbed in stoppage-time.
Had an early effort held and was in and out of the first half. Similar in the second period before beoing subbed in the 83rd minute.
On the periphery of things for much of the first half before keeping his composure to open the deadlock with a fine finish and perhaps should have doubled his tally when putting an effort over the bar before the break. Again, not at the heart of everything in the second period but was again ruthless to double the advantage.
Gave Brentford issues in the opening 45 minutes with his pace and his first disallowed goal was a razor-thin decision. Turned provider to slip in Salah for the opener. Not as involved after the break.
Involved in a lot in the first half without having any real cutting edge. That changed in the second period when he put the game to bed with a clinical finish from the edge of the area. Subbed in the 83rd minute.
Luis Diaz was back in training with Liverpool this week - pic: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images (Photo: Andrew Powell)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 08: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Harvey Elliott of Liverpool during a training session prior the Toulouse FC and Liverpool FC UEFA Europa League match at Axa Training Centre on November 08, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jarell Quansah of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on October 04, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) James McConnell of Liverpool arriving before the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield on October 21, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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