Mohamed Salah strikes to secure Liverpool’s victory against Brentford

The stars of the music world descend on Liverpool next weekend for Eurovision but right now, it is Jürgen Klopp and his players who are hitting the right tune.

This is now six Premier League victories in a row for the Reds and while they remain outsiders for Champions League football next season, they are asking all of the right questions of those above them.

An evening which began with Anfield drowning out the controversial decision to play the national anthem with deafening jeering ended on a more positive note for Liverpool and their supporters, with Mohamed Salah’s 30th goal of the season ultimately proving to be the difference to see off a gamely effort from Brentford, whose own hopes of a first-ever foray into continental football took a significant hit here.

From a position of near-impossibility just a few weeks ago, the Reds are now firmly in the top four picture. The gap to Manchester United is just a solitary point and while Erik ten Hag’s side have two games in hand, victories like these continue to assert the pressure on both them and third-placed Newcastle, who are three adrift. That, after being so far behind for so long, is really all they can do, and they did enough here in an entertaining contest to maintain their momentum.

The hosts were on the front foot immediately from the off. With the atmosphere raucous, Liverpool’s players matched the intensity from the stands, immediately laying siege to Brentford’s goal. Ibrahima Konaté could, and perhaps should, have done better from an early Andy Robertson cross, somehow missing a header from six yards out before Salah swiped a tame effort straight at David Raya.

But the early pressure from the hosts would tell after just 13 minutes with a goal Liverpool’s early dominance merited. Fabinho’s superb cross found Virgil van Dijk unmarked at the back post, and he headed across goal for Salah to bundle home at the second attempt. It was a landmark goal in more ways than one; Salah’s 30th of the season in all competitions and one which took his tally for the club to 168, level with Steven Gerrard in fifth place on the Reds’ all-time scorers list.

Brentford struggled to cope with the hosts in the opening half hour, who were playing at breakneck speed on occasions. They had a glorious chance to double their lead when an inch-perfect lofted ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold, again operating in his new role in midfield whenever the hosts were in possession to great effect, found Darwin Núñez unmarked in the box. But Núñez scooped his shot over from six yards.

As half-time approached though, Brentford began to establish a foothold in proceedings. Ivan Toney came close with a free-kick that certainly had Alisson worried before drifting wide before, with five minutes to go until the break, Bryan Mbeumo thought he had levelled matters after being freed by Toney and finishing superbly. The forward, however, was correctly adjudged to be offside but it was a warning for Liverpool about the threat Brentford could provide on the counter.

Mohamed Salah celebrates with Darwin Núñez (left) and Cody Gapko after opening the scoring at Anfield. Photograph: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

The second half began in equally frenetic fashion. Brentford had another good opportunity when Rico Henry managed to work his way into the Liverpool box unmarked but after checking inside onto his weaker foot, his shot drifted hilariously wide for a throw-in.

It was fast becoming end-to-end, and the hosts probably should have doubled their lead when a ball across goal from Diogo Jota hit Cody Gakpo and bounced wide rather than going in, with it seemingly easier for the Dutchman to score instead of miss.

Brentford continued to threaten as the game approached the final quarter, with an Mbeumo free-kick from close range ricocheting around the Liverpool box eventually being scrambled away from danger, and you could sense the tension rising inside Anfield among the home support as the Reds struggled to find the second goal that would potentially settle the game as a contest.

The impressive Alexander-Arnold had a shot saved from Raya before Gakpo flashed wide after the ball fell into his path. That second goal never materialised but in the end, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the most flawless Liverpool performance of late but at this time of the year, that doesn’t matter.