Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah were instrumental in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Brentford at Anfield on Sunday. Díaz opened the scoring early in the match after capitalizing on a swift counter attack, and Salah secured the win with a goal midway through the second half. Despite their efforts, Brentford struggled to convert their chances, with Christian Nørgaard and Nathan Collins coming closest to finding the net.
In their second Premier League match of the season, Brentford made a tactical switch to a 3-5-2 formation, bringing in Keane Lewis-Potter to replace Kevin Schade. Former Liverpool players Fábio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg were among the substitutes for the Bees, while Ivan Toney was once again not included in the squad.
Liverpool took the lead with just one effort on goal. Ibrahima Konaté headed clear a corner, initiating a rapid counter that saw Diogo Jota find Díaz, who slotted the ball past goalkeeper Mark Flekken. The home side pushed for a second goal soon after, with Andy Robertson testing Flekken from close range and Salah missing an opportunity under pressure.
As the half progressed, Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick sailed over the bar, and Brentford nearly equalized with a chance from Nørgaard, who misconnected with a header. Brentford then showed some signs of life, with attempts from Jensen and Collins, but failed to find the back of the net before halftime.
The second half saw more action from both sides, with Jota and Lewis-Potter making promising runs. Collins had a key header saved by Alisson, but soon after, Salah doubled Liverpool’s advantage following a well-coordinated move with Díaz. In the closing stages, Brentford continued to defend valiantly, with Collins blocking a strong effort from substitute Cody Gakpo.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank expressed pride in his team’s performance, particularly during the first half, noting that they were competitive and limited Liverpool’s chances. He acknowledged the difficulty of the second half after the Reds’ second goal but emphasized the positives from their play.
Lewis-Potter echoed this sentiment, highlighting the team’s ability to create problems for Liverpool and the opportunities they had, especially in the first half. He noted the importance of learning from the match and improving on their transitional play.