Liverpool 2 Brentford 0: Diaz and Salah both on target to give Arne Slot perfect result in first home match
NEW MANAGER, new style – but it was the same old Mo Salah that had Arne Slot celebrating.
Jurgen Klopp so often had to rely on Anfield’s Egyptian king brilliance during most of his nine years as manager.
His Dutch successor will surely now realise how important he will become to him too after the brilliant finish that saw off a highly dangerous Brentford side.
Liverpool were ahead, but far from certain of ending Slot’s first competitive game at Anfield with three points when Salah produced his 213th strike and 301st goal contribution of his seven years at the club.
Luis Diaz had come up with a breath-taking early opener and could have more but Thomas Frank’s side were not lying down.
They were ultimately floored by Salah much to the relief of Slot who at the start could have been forgiven for thinking to himself that the welcome he got from the Liverpool fans was a tad underwhelming.
Having marched out of the tunnel behind his players he might have expected that in the couple of minutes before his first league game at Anfield there might have there would be a few rousing choruses in his name.
After all he had already achieved something that Klopp, Brendan Rodgers, Roy Hodgson or Rafa Benitez didn’t manage by winning his top flight debut as he had done eight days earlier in the 2-0 defeat of Ipswich at Portman Road.
But while there was a banner bearing his picture near the dug – out he took his seat sporting a slightly sheepish smile.
Maybe the atmosphere had been dictated by him, anyway, for since he took over he had repeated that he wanted less chaos and more clam within the team that Klopp left behind.
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The Kop, therefore, was reserving judgement although by that 13th minute they were off their seats thanks to the electric attack ended by Diaz and won that, really, was straight out of the Klopp era..
Brentford won a corner seconds before, Ibrahima Konate rising to head away.
Salah bravely won the ball on the edge of the box, forcing it out to Diogo Jota who simply jetted away.
That run by was all of 50 yards before Diaz moved ahead and left of him and the pass from the Portuguese attacker was perfection.
As was Diaz’s 25th goal in his on his 100th appearance for Liverpool, a blazing left footer that barrelled into Mark Flekken’s top right corner.
Anfield had come alive and Slot’s players moved the ball around fluidly, almost contemptuously on the back of that stunner.
The lead could so easily have double six minutes later, too.
The Bees were flying around in circles right around then thanks to their opponents’ superb passing movements and Diogo this time delivered for Andy Robertson.
The left back struck his low shot with real precision but Flekken reacted brilliantly to parry at his near post.
Anfield was rocking…but then the noise died away and that rhythm was lost as Frank’s men re-calibrated and started posing threats of their own.
Helped by the intelligence and industry of talented Keane Lewis – Potter and the hard running of Bryan Mbueno and Yoanne Wissa there was no a different tune being played.
What’s more Brentford should have drawn level in the 32nd minute.
Mbueno swung over a free kick from the left, Christian Norgaard ghosted through the static Liverpool rear guard but from ten yards out and with goalkeeper Alisson stranded the Bees captain sent his header wide.
Lewis-Potter then had a pop, Alison grabbing the effort low and the natives were very definitely getting restless.
Robertson lifted the mood immediately after the break with another effort, Flekken sheeting away his header but there was still elements of hesitancy amongst his team mates at the back – the very area Slot wanted to more composed and decisive.
They were caught out again by another header – this time from centre half Nathan Collins – but Allison reacted brilliantly to push away from under his bar.
This was certainly not what the new Liverpool boss will have envisaged, even allowing for the fact that his new methods are still a work in progress for his players.
Then, as suddenly as the attacking action had died down after those enthralling opening minutes, there was another explosive burst.
Alexis Mac Allister flicked a post with a header after meeting an in-swinging corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Diaz was convinced he had claimed his second of the game with a superb low strike after some fine Salah footwork by Flekken somehow got down to it.
Yet Brentford, again without Ivan Toney and not appearing to miss him one bit as the striker awaits a move away, continually worried them.
But as he has done so many times, Salah delivered just when he was needed most, completing a trademark left – footer beyond the goalkeeper after dashing inside the box.
And soon after music to Slot’s ears as the Kop, finally, began to chant his name but it was Salah who as he has so often done, really sent them home happy.
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