Mohamed Salah scored a brace as Liverpool defeated Brentford 3-0 in the 12th round of the Premier League on November 12, leveling points with Man City and Arsenal.
After being held to a 1-1 draw by Luton in the previous round, Jurgen Klopp’s team was determined to regain their winning form at home. Salah, who had not scored in Liverpool’s last three away games, likely cherished the atmosphere at Anfield.
The home team applied pressure and found the back of the net in the 22nd minute. However, the goal was disallowed as Darwin Nunez, receiving the ball from Dominik Szoboszlai, was caught offside. Nunez’s misfortune continued when his second goal was denied five minutes later. This time, Nunez hooked the ball in a chaotic corner, but he was once again ruled offside.
While many Liverpool fans might criticize Nunez’s lack of luck, he remains a well-matched partner for Salah in the attacking line. In the 39th minute, the Uruguayan forward received a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and set up Salah to open the scoring. Salah could have added another goal in injury time of the first half if his close-range shot had been more accurate.
Liverpool faced more challenges in the second half. As they pushed forward for another goal, Alisson Becker’s goal faced several alarms from Brentford’s counter-attacks. Speedy players like Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, who have troubled many Premier League clubs, found it difficult against Liverpool’s solid defense, which executed precise clearances.
In addition to their strong defensive performance, Liverpool’s defenders contributed to the attack. In the 62nd minute, Kostas Tsimikas’s accurate cross disrupted Brentford’s defense, allowing Salah to score with a header from outside the box, doubling Liverpool’s lead.
Over 10 minutes later, Tsimikas provided his second assist. However, Diogo Jota’s goal was a solo effort as the Portuguese forward dribbled past Frank Onyeka and unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner from outside the penalty area.
In the remaining time, Brentford threatened Alisson’s goal multiple times. However, the Brazilian goalkeeper proved his worth with a remarkable reflex save to deny Ethan Pinnock’s header. Despite some shaky moments in Liverpool’s defense, they successfully protected their clean sheet.
The three-goal difference helped Liverpool surpass Arsenal to claim second place. They are level on points but have a slightly better goal difference (+1). Manchester City, also with 27 points and the best goal difference, could improve their position in the late match against Chelsea.
