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 0-0 Leeds
11 mins: Leeds with their first effort of the game as Bamford meets an outswinging McKennie cross from the right. It’s a tough opportunity and he can’t direct it on target. Still, a solid start from the away side.
Man City 0-0 Leeds
8 mins: Leeds show their first signs of positivity as they look to break up the pitch. Harrison tries to dink the ball into the box towards Bamford but Ederson is quick off his line to sweep up the loose ball.
Man City 0-0 Leeds
7 mins: Wober heads behind Foden’s cross and City have their first corner of the game. Mahrez delivers and it’s met by Akanji but the Swiss centre-back mistimes his jump and it balloons over the bar.
Man City 0-0 Leeds
3 mins: Forshaw is back into this Leeds side in midfield but it’s an early foul after his rash challenge on Lewis. Leeds clear the subsequent free-kick but City continue to press.
Man City 0-0 Leeds
2 mins: The first half-chance falls the way of Haaland after 90 seconds but the Norwegian fires the effort comfortably wide from long range.
KICK-OFF: Man City vs Leeds
1: The national anthem is sung to mark the coronation of King Charles III and now Leeds get us underway!
Man City vs Leeds
The players are out with kick-off closing in. A huge task awaits Leeds and Sam Allardyce with the English manager winless in his four games against Pep Guardiola.
What a time it would be to change that...
Allardyce speaks to Sky Sports
“Everyone at the club has contributed to what we feel might be the best XI to start with today. We’ve then looked at some of the previous games and decided how we are going to play against the mighty Man City because that is who they are at the minute - nine wins on the trot and going for everything like always.
“We’ve got a huge task on our hands based on our recent results but the players responded well and I’m hoping we can see some of that on the field today with some determination, understanding, organisation and team spirit and of course, in the end, a little bit of quality if and when we can in front of goal.”
Man City vs Leeds - key stats
- Man City have won their last three Premier League games against Leeds by an aggregate score of 14-1 – as many times as they’d beaten them in their previous 15 meetings in the competition (D5 L7).
- Leeds set a new Premier League record for goals conceded in a month during April, shipping 23 goals in seven games. It was the most by a top-flight side in one month since Birmingham City in April 1965 (also 23).
- New Leeds boss Sam Allardyce will be the first manager to take charge of nine different clubs in the Premier League. He’s won his first game in charge at five of his previous eight clubs in the competition (D1 L2), though did lose most recently with West Bromwich Albion in December 2020.
- With one goal and three assists, Phil Foden has been involved in four goals in his last two Premier League starts for Manchester City against Leeds.
Man City vs Leeds - electric Erling
Leeds will have a difficult time keeping City quiet today, though. Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last 19 games and knocked off another landmark with their 3-0 win against West Ham as Erling Haaland broke the record for most goals in a single campaign.
The Norwegian striker has now netted 35 times this season, moving ahead of Alan Shearer and Andy Cole and he leads the line again today with Mahrez, Alvarez, De Bruyne and Foden behind him.
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