Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Mohamed Salah winner
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford: Mohamed Salah’s early goal helped the Reds move a point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have two games in hand
An early goal by Mohamed Salah was enough to give Liverpool a 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford on Saturday that keeps the pressure on fierce rivals Manchester United in the hunt for Champions League football next season.
Their sixth league win in a row left the Merseysiders in fifth spot on 62 points, one behind fourth-placed United, but the Red Devils have two games in hand over Liverpool. Brentford are ninth on 50 points.
Before the game got underway, the Liverpool fans loudly booed, whistled and chanted their team’s name as the national anthem was played to mark the coronation of King Charles in London earlier on Saturday.
Brentford strung five across the back in an effort to thwart Liverpool’s array of attacking riches, but they still went behind in the 13th minute as Virgil van Dijk headed Fabinho’s cross back for Salah to bundle home his 100th goal at Anfield.
Bryan Mbeumo out-sprinted and out-muscled Van Dijk to fire home in the 40th minute for Brentford, but the flag went up for a marginal offside that was confirmed by VAR and the goal was disallowed.
Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo both wasted good chances to increase Liverpool’s lead, but with Brentford only managing a single shot on target, Salah’s goal proved enough for the home side to claim the victory.
Relive the day’s action after Liverpool defeated Brentford and Man City returned to the top against Leeds:
Man City 2-0 Leeds
35 mins: Haaland again gets in behind again but his left foot takes it away from him as he looks to strike and he rather awkwardly ends up on the ground having missed the ball with his right foot.
Man City 2-0 Leeds
31 mins: Robles was brought in to bring stability in place of the struggling Meslier but the Spaniard makes an absolute mess of it as he looks to claim a cross. He collides with his centre-back as he looks to catch it and the ball spills out to Alvarez.
Thankfully for Leeds, Robles recovers and smothers the Argentine’s effort from the edge of the box.
Man City 2-0 Leeds
29 mins: Leeds have got to ensure this doesn’t get ugly but they have a chance almost straight after City’s second from a corner. McKennie meets it well but it’s headed into the ground with Ederson doing well to palm the effort away.
Down the other end, Foden sees an effort saved before Alvarez’s strike is cleared off the line - the offside flag goes up shortly afterwards, though, as Foden was offside.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Leeds (Gundogan, 27)
Haaland’s miss was a let-off but Leeds do find themselves 2-0 down and it’s Gundogan again!
It’s almost a carbon copy of City’s opener as Mahrez drifts in from the right. He lays it off to the City captain who strokes it home once more from the edge of the box. Not the start Big Sam had in mind, you suspect.
Man City 1-0 Leeds
25 mins: WHAT A MISS! Well, he is human after all. De Bruyne’s run is picked out superbly and the returning Belgian lays it back into the path of Haaland. The striker takes it in his stride and catches it sweetly but it flies just past the left post and that’s a huge let-off for Leeds.
You’d have bet your house on him finishing that...
Man City 1-0 Leeds
21 mins: City continue to press forward in search of a second. Foden’s dinked cross goes all the way through to Mahrez on the other side of the box. The Algerian tries to flick it back towards Haaland but he miscues it and it goes over the bar and out for a goal kick.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Leeds (Gundogan, 19)
They were denied a couple of minutes ago but City have their opener now! Mahrez does excellent work, picking up the ball on the right before cutting infield and beating his man. He lays the ball off to the onrushing Gundogan who picks his spot superbly and bends an effort into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.
Man City 0-0 Leeds
17 mins: SAVE!! A far better chance for City but a huge save from Robles in the Leeds goal. Lewis threads a ball through to Haaland who makes another of his trademark runs off the shoulder of the centre-backs. He takes it in his stride but the Spanish shot-stopper does an excellent job to make a vital save and deny the Norwegian striker.
Man City 0-0 Leeds
16 mins: Leeds are maintaining their compact shape and City look to work the ball wide to create openings. De Bruyne finds space on the right but his cross is fizzed in with too much pace and Alvarez can’t keep his effort down.
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