Mohamed Salah’s first-half goal was enough to give Liverpool a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brentford and get them justa point behind Manchester United in the Premier League standings.The Egypt international scored the winner from point-blank range after being played in by a towering Virgil Van Dijk header. For the third season in a row, Salah has reached 30 goals in all competitions thanks to his first half strike. The Egypt star is the first player in Liverpool history to net in nine successive games at Anfield, with his strike taking him to 100 career goals at the stadium. He also moved level with Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool tally of 186 goals, sitting in joint fifth place in the club’s all-time scoring list.The result gives Jurgen Klopp’s side some hope of sneaking into European spots after hitting reasonably good form in the latter stages of the season. Darwin Nunez missed a sitter when he scuffed wide from close-range after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s lofted pass split the Brentford defence. Brentford threatened to punish Nunez’s profligacy when Ivan Toney whistled a free-kick just wide from 30 yards. Bryan Mbeumo thought he had equalised after accelerating away from Van Dijk to slot past Alisson Becker, but the goal was disallowed for a tight offside call.Liverpool were unbeaten in their last 122 Premier League matches when leading at half-time. Cody Gakpo should have put them closer to maintaining that streak when he somehow missed from close-range after Diogo Jota’s pass presented him with a glorious chance. In a second half with little rhythm due to endless fouls by both teams, Gakpo blasted narrowly wide as Liverpool nervously hung onto their lead.Meanwhile, this defeat for Brentford surely ends any slim hopes of European qualification with the Bees five points adrift of seventh-place Brighton & Hove Albion having played three matches more than the Seagulls.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 35SaturdayWolverhampton – Aston Villa 1-0 (1-0)/Toti 9/Bournemouth – Chelsea 1-3 (1-1)/Vina 21 – Gallagher 9 – Badiashile 82/Tottenham – Crystal Palace 1-0 (1-0)/Kane 45+1/Manchester City – Leeds United 2-1 (2-0)/Gundogan 19, 27 – Rodrigo 85/Liverpool – Brentford 1-0 (1-0)/Salah 13/Sunday18.30: (2.55) Newcastle (3.50) Arsenal (2.95)21.00: (3.60) West Ham (3.60) Man.Utd. (2.19)Monday17.00: (2.70) Fulham (3.35) Leicester (2.68)19.30: (1.40) Brighton (5.20) Everton (10.0)22.00: (2.19) Nott.Forest (3.35) Southampton (3.45)***odds are subject to change***
