Player ratings as Reds finally win at Bees

FROM GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM – Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-1 win at Brentford in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were able to lay down a marker before title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City play later on Saturday, earning their first win at the Bees since their promotion at the third attempt, though their injury crisis continued down in west London.

Brentford’s calamitous defending helped their visitors to three points and Thomas Frank’s men were unable to build on last week’s impressive victory away at Wolves.

How the game unfolded

Brentford started brightly and forged the first half-chance of the game following a quick throw-in, with Christian Norgaard eventually releasing Vitaly Janelt, but he was caught in two minds whether to cross or shoot from just inside the Liverpool box and his trickling effort rolled behind.

Liverpool’s first opening came when Conor Bradley marauded inside from the right flank and poked a shot towards the near post with his weaker left foot, but Mark Flekken quickly scampered across to get a glove on the strike, while the Dutchman stood tall to deny Diogo Jota from the rebound.

The hosts went close to going in front when Sergio Reguilon’s early cross was taken in stride by Neal Maupay and laid into the path of Ivan Toney, whose bouncing shot whistled past the far post.

A thumping half-volley from Diogo Jota needed to be tipped over by Flekken as a back-and-forth first half continued.

Just after the half-hour mark, Liverpool broke the deadlock. A long-free kick from Flekken was hoofed clear by Virgil van Dijk, and Diogo Jota beat Reguilon – the last man back – to the header on the halfway line to release Darwin Nunez, who ran through to goal and dinked the Brentford goalkeeper.

Liverpool should have doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time on another counter from a Brentford set piece, with Luis Diaz sprinting the length of the pitch before cutting back for Mohamed Salah – on in place of the injured Jota – but the ball ricocheted off the Egyptian’s shins and the hosts cleared their lines.

After the break, Salah missed another opening. Van Dijk’s huge header forward found Liverpool’s number 11 running in behind a sleeping Brentford backline, only for Salah to poke his shot wide at Flekken’s near post.

Soon after, Liverpool did have their second. Salah’s ball inside from the right was picked up by Alexis Mac Allister, who sidestepped away from Kristoffer Ajer and…