Mohamed Salah at double as Liverpool ease past Brentford

Egyptian striker scores his 200th goal in English football in 3-0 Premier League victory at Anfield

Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his and Liverpool's second goal in their 3-0 Premier League win over Brentford at Anfield on November 12, 2023. AP

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah heads home his second goal. PA

Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo reacts after missing a first-half chance. AFP

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah opens the scoring. AP

Darwin Nunez scores for Liverpool only for it to be disallowed for offside. Reuters

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo Nathan Collins of Brentford fight for the ball. AP

Diogo Jota scores Liverpool's third goal. PA

Diogo Jota celebrates with teammates after scoring Liverpool's third goal. AFP

Liverpool's Darwin Nunez scores in acrobatic fashion only to be denied by an offside call for a second time. AP

Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring Liverpool's opener EPA

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his Brentford counterpart Thomas Frank. Reuters

Mohamed Salah scored twice to help Liverpool ease to a 3-0 Premier League win over Brentford at Anfield on Sunday.

The Egyptian opened the scoring six minutes before the break with a low finish into the corner after being teed up by Darwin Nunez, with his second a cool header following a Kostas Tsimikas' cross just after the hour mark.

Diogo Jota drilled home a fine third goal as Liverpool maintained their 100 per cent record at Anfield this season in style.

Salah now has 10 Premier League goals this campaign, one behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and his latest double took him to 200 in English football.

Salah, 31, also became the first Liverpool player to score in the opening six home Premier League games of the season and will be up against Haaland and City immediately after the international break.

“He is always there, is a goal threat, creates chances and is really important for us like everyone knows,” Jota said of his Egyptian teammate after the match. “Congratulations to him on his 200th goal.

“We are different players obviously and we try to do our best to help the team. That is what we want to keep doing.”

Liverpool moved to second in the table, level on points with leaders Man City – who play later on Sunday against Chelsea – and Arsenal who are third.

But Jota played down any title talk, for now. “It's still early doors. We need to keep winning to be able to be in that title fight towards the end. It is a long road,” said the Portuguese attacker.

“You never know. It's still early days and people are fighting for their clubs. That's what we like to see. Hopefully we are there at the end.

“We are still adapting to each other and it's still early in the season but we will find the best ways to play together and hopefully we can keep winning matches.”

Nine of Salah's goals have come from Darwin Nunez assists and the Uruguayan played provider to break the deadlock after being frustrated in front of goal earlier in the first half.

Twice Nunez – who was much improved after last week's erratic performance against Luton Town – had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.

After an early deflected cross was saved at the near post by goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Nunez poked home in the 22nd minute after Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot was deflected into his path only for a correct, if very tight, offside call.

Nunez saw another ruled out when he buried an overhead kick after Flekken had parried Virgil van Dijk’s header when the Uruguayan was clearly coming back from an offside position.

But his clever pass into Salah was met with a calm finish into the far corner to open the scoring on 39 minutes.

Brentford had their chances with Bryan Mbeumo in particular missing a glorious opportunity to open their account when he was clean through on goal only to be denied by a fine Alisson Becker stop.

However, there was no way back for the Bees once Salah was left unmarked to head in Tsimikas' cross to the back post on the hour mark.

Jota then fired in the third 16 minutes from time as Liverpool made it nine wins and 27 goals from nine games at Anfield in all competitions this season.

Next up for Liverpool is Pep Guardiola's reigning champions and a real test of Liverpool's title credentials.

“It's always a big game, especially at the Etihad. Let's see how it goes,” added Jota. “There's a break now then when we come back we'll think about that one.”