📰 Table Of Contents
Pre-Match Social Media Commentary
An hour until kick off at Anfield! ⏳
Here’s how Liverpool and Brentford line up 📋👇
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 6, 2023
“The way you behave in a crisis defines what you will be after the crisis”
Jurgen Klopp says he learnt a lot from the struggles Liverpool faced earlier on in the season 🔴 pic.twitter.com/ILwE7Xt6v3
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 6, 2023
Team news is in for #LIVBRE 📋
Join us on LFCTV now for all the build-up to today’s clash 📺 pic.twitter.com/5DzsnUMdUo
— LFCTV (@LFCTV) May 6, 2023
“All of a sudden it’s a real joy again” 😁
Jurgen Klopp on Liverpool’s good run of form ahead of the game against Brentford 🔴 pic.twitter.com/ZoK5hj1uff
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 6, 2023
“When you’ve got a player with this sort of special talent you have to accommodate” ✨
Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp talk about Trent’s role in the Liverpool side 🔴 pic.twitter.com/aGoNtifgxb
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 6, 2023
15 minutes to kick off! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Bm5xFufx3b
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) May 6, 2023
Rejuvenation was once again on the cards this afternoon at Anfield as Liverpool ran out relatively comfortable winners during a 1-0 win against credible top-half outfit Brentford on a day where club star Mohamed Salah was once again the main focus of the club’s storyboard.
Jürgen Klopp’s side continued their late charge targeting European football next season and can now be pleased with climbing into fifth in the table and on the heels of rivals Manchester United after recovering from a severe dip in performance in phases of the 2022-23 season that had some wondering whether or not the German was capable of leading his troops to the best of his ability moving forward.
Making it six wins on the spin.
UP THE REDS 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Lajf2FFhHs
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 6, 2023
An unexpected tweak to the XI by Klopp saw the German call upon Dutch forward Cody Gakpo to slot into the midfield three, allowing for the continued utilization of Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez as part of a front three along with star man Mohamed Salah, which gave the Reds incredible attacking potential on the day.
That potential rose to the surface in the 13th minute when Fabinho’s ball to the back post during the run of play was found by Virgil van Dijk to head across the face of the goal to Salah for the Egyptian slot home past David Raya from inside one yard. It marked another 30-goal season across all competitions for one of Africa’s best-ever talents, giving him 100 goals at Anfield while extending his current scoring run on Merseyside to nine matches; the only player in club history to do so.
100 GOALS FOR SALAH AT ANFIELD! ✅🔴 pic.twitter.com/vMrrNW7ZzY
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 6, 2023
Salah also moved level with club legend Steven Gerrard on 186 strikes across all competitions for the club and enough time left in the season to pull ahead of the iconic Reds midfielder.
Liverpool was dominant in the opening twenty minutes and looked in the mood to add a second before Thomas Frank’s Bees could truly settle into proceedings on the red side of Stanley Park. Núñez nearly made it two to the good when Trent Alexander-Arnold played a lovely ball over the top of Brentford’s back line for the Uruguayan to get on the end of, but he could only scuff his effort over David Raya’s bar.
Alarm bells sounded off once again just two minutes later when Cameroonian forward Bryan Mbeumo thought he had pulled the London side level at one-a-piece after bursting through on goal past Van Dijk and a back-tracking Alexander-Arnold, but he was judged to be just offside at the origin of the attacking move after Zanka’s ball into space.
The second half was slightly more tepid than the opening forty-five minutes, but Brentford remained very much in with a chance to nick something off Liverpool with their ability to break so quickly when winning possession.
Liverpool had regained the balance of play as the second stanza progressed, however, with Alexander-Arnold nearly capping off a direct flowing move in the wake of an Alisson goal kick that saw them break into the final third. The England man had a real chance to test Raya from 25 yards but the Spaniard did well to turn away the goal-bound strike.
Few chances would present themselves in the aftermath of the right-backs well-struck chance, and in the end, Liverpool would claim all three points on the day to earn their sixth consecutive win in the table across a late run in the league that could see them obtain an unlikely top-four finish should United stumble on their own path.
Is a top-4 finish on for Liverpool?
As things stand, they’re two points behind Manchester United, however Manchester United have two matches in hand.
📺; @USANetwork | #LFC pic.twitter.com/Ktmasl0SoU— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 6, 2023
The loss did little to change Brentford’s overall position one way or another, and while the Bees are likely to miss out on a top-six finish, they can certainly take note of another season of progression under their beloved Danish headmaster who has quickly turned his outfit into one of the toughest around in the top flight of English football.
Key Stats & Performers
Liverpool are the first side to win five consecutive Premier League games by exactly one goal since Birmingham in 2009:
◉ 3-2 vs. Nottingham Forest
◉ 2-1 vs. West Ham
◉ 4-3 vs. Spurs
◉ 1-0 vs. Fulham
◉ 1-0 vs. BrentfordGrinding out results. 👏 pic.twitter.com/H0VcnCBvFn
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 6, 2023
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s game by numbers vs. Brentford:
80% pass accuracy
73 touches
12 final third passes completed
7 long balls completed
6 ball recoveries
4 ground duels won
3/4 dribbles completed
3 clearances
1 key pass
1 big chance createdSuperb performance. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/AwnEZY8ExW
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 6, 2023
No player completed more take-ons between Liverpool and Brentford than Trent Alexander-Arnold (3/4).
Productive. 💪 pic.twitter.com/aYUSif11aI
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 6, 2023
1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ 𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦
Alisson Becker writes his name into the record books at Liverpool 🔴 pic.twitter.com/ta6VI57Bor
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 6, 2023
Fastest to 100 goals at Anfield 🔴
◾️ Roger Hunt – 112 games
◾️ Gordon Hodgson – 125 games
◾️ Robbie Fowler – 127 games
◾️ Ian Rush – 140 games
◾️ Mo Salah – 144 games pic.twitter.com/hicIR0y9uq— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 6, 2023
Mohamed Salah has now scored 100 goals at Anfield for Liverpool. He is the only Player in Liverpool’s History to score in 9 consecutive games at Anfield.
Club Legend. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/QIOY4Y7NRh
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 6, 2023
Mohammed Salah created the joint-most chances (3), completed the most final third passes (16/22) and scored the only goal between Liverpool and Brentford.
Running the show. 👑 pic.twitter.com/0a3OcgO5Mk
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 6, 2023
Virgil van Dijk made 10 clearances vs. Brentford, the most by a Liverpool player in a Premier League game since February 2020 (Joe Gomez vs. Saints). 💪#LIVBRE pic.twitter.com/zVVnqpzMbb
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) May 6, 2023