Salah puts Liverpool second in the table

Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool beat Brentford 3-0 in round 12 of the Premier League on the evening of November 12, to equalize points with Man City and Arsenal.

After being held to a 1-1 draw by newcomers Luton in the previous round, Jurgen Klopp's team are determined to get back to winning ways at home. Salah probably misses the atmosphere at Anfield the most, as the Egyptian striker has failed to score in Liverpool's last three away games.

Salah shined with two goals, helping Liverpool overcome Arsenal. Photo: PA

The home side pressed and found the back of the net in the 22nd minute, but the goal was disallowed because Darwin Nunez was offside when he received the ball from Dominik Szoboszlai. Bad luck followed the Uruguayan striker as he was denied a second goal five minutes later. This time, Nunez leaned in to hook the ball from a messy corner, but he was offside.

Many Liverpool fans will probably blame Nunez for his lack of luck, but he is clearly the most compatible partner for Salah in attack. In the 39th minute, the Uruguayan striker received a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and then created a wall for Salah to open the scoring. Salah could have scored another goal in first-half stoppage time, if his close-range tap-in had been more accurate.

Liverpool struggled more in the second half. As they pushed forward in search of more goals, Alisson Becker's goal was repeatedly threatened by Brentford's counter-attacks. Speedy players like Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have punished Premier League clubs before, but this was a game where Liverpool's defence was solid, with precise cover for each other.

Salah headed the ball to make it 2-0 for Liverpool. Photo: PA

Not only did Liverpool defend well, the match also saw the contribution of Liverpool defenders to the attack. In the 62nd minute, Kostas Tsimikas's cross caused Brentford's defense to slow down, creating an opportunity for Salah to head the ball at the far post, doubling Liverpool's lead.

More than 10 minutes later, Tsimikas contributed a second assist. But this was almost a one-man show for Diogo Jota as the Portuguese striker dribbled past Frank Onyeka and curled the ball into the top corner from outside the box.

Jota celebrates with his teammates after scoring the third goal. Photo: EPA — Jota celebrates with his teammates after scoring the third goal. Photo: *EPA*

Brentford threatened Alisson's goal several times in the remaining time, but the Brazilian proved himself a valuable stopper with a superb reflex save to deny Ethan Pinnock's header. There were still a few lapses in Liverpool's defence, but they ultimately held their own.

Liverpool's three-goal win puts them ahead of Arsenal in second place. They are level on points with their rivals but have a +1 advantage on goal difference. Manchester City are also on 27 points and have the best goal difference, but Pep Guardiola's side can improve their tally in their late game against Chelsea.

Quang Huy

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