Liverpool head coach Arne Slot got his first home Premier League win at Anfield as goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah secured a 2-0 victory over Brentford.
After winning by the same scoreline away to Ipswich Town last week, Slot saw his team dominate much of Sunday’s encounter to keep up their perfect start to the 2024/25 Premier League season.
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Slot waited just 13 minutes for his first home match to spark into life – Diogo Jota leading a rapid counter-attack from a Brentford corner before laying it off to Diaz, who lashed in beyond Mark Flekken to mark his 100th Reds appearance in style.
It was also Virgil van Dijk's 100th Premier League appearance for Liverpool at Anfield. He has won 82 and lost just two of those (D16).
Here's how VVD ranks amongst other Premier League icons pic.twitter.com/9cbD7YXWPn
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 25, 2024
While Brentford – again without star striker Ivan Toney who is attracting interest in the transfer window – went close through Kristoffer Ajer Liverpool’s dominance told when Diaz turned provider for the Reds’ second, which was expertly guided home by Salah with 20 minutes remaining.
Liverpool, who visit Manchester United next week, are one of four sides to have won both of their opening matches, while Brentford sit 13th on three points.
How the match unfolded
Diaz’s thumping finish got the ball rolling early for Liverpool, with Flekken denying Andrew Robertson a quickfire second.
Brentford’s goalkeeper thwarted Robertson again just after the break, making an unorthodox stop with his face to keep out the defender’s close-range attempt, though the hosts had Alisson to thank when he parried away Ajer’s header off the line at the other end.
Liverpool responded in force – Nathan Collins did brilliantly to deny Jota a certain goal, before Dominik Szoboszlai struck a post directly from a corner and Ibrahima Konate headed at Flekken, who then got to a low Diaz effort.
But Flekken could do little to prevent Salah tucking home following some quick thinking from Diaz, while only the crossbar prevented substitute Cody Gakpo adding a third in the closing stages.
Slot gets into his stride
Slot has big shoes to fill, but two wins from as many matches is the way he would have wished to get started.
The Dutchman is the first Liverpool manager since Graeme Souness in April 1991 to win his first two league fixtures in charge, and in the moments his team really clicked through the gears in front of a record crowd for a league match at Anfield, they looked superb.
There were a few slack moments defensively that could worry Slot, including when Robertson bundled over Bryan Mbeumo in the box, only for the offside flag to spare the full-back’s blushes, but some of Liverpool’s attacking play was delightful.
Indeed, the move of the match involved Salah cutting in from the right and combining wonderfully with Jota and Alexis Mac Allister, with the Egyptian just unable to apply the finish.
Starting off at Anfield with a win 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Cof3S5XCOT
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 25, 2024
That being said, for all of the intricate play, it was some classic, Jurgen Klopp-style goals that got the job done.
The opener was the perfect example of the "heavy metal football" that brought Liverpool such success under their former manager, while their second came about because of some relentless pressing, great vision from Diaz, and a touch of class from talisman Salah.
For Slot, it will be a case of blending the two styles. If he gets that right, then there is no reason why Liverpool cannot challenge for silverware in his first season.
Toney situation needs a resolution
Brentford are certainly open to selling Toney, and it appears his future may soon be resolved, with reports suggesting Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli are close to reaching an agreement with the Bees.
The 28-year-old’s absence was not felt when Brentford beat Crystal Palace last time out, but against the very top teams the Premier League has to offer, the lack of a striker of Toney’s calibre was more apparent.
With less than a week left in the window, Thomas Frank will surely want the situation to come to a head one way or the other so Brentford can, if needed, reinvest the funds in a quality replacement before Friday’s transfer deadline, especially with Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Man Utd to come in their next three Premier League away matches.
Mbeumo was a livewire up front, but there was no clinical edge to Brentford’s play – the kind of edge that Toney has previously brought to the table in abundance.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
3 | +7 | 9 |
| 2 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
3 | +7 | 9 |
| 3 |
Brighton
BHA
|
3 | +4 | 7 |
| 4 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
3 | +4 | 7 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
3 | +2 | 7 |
| 6 |
Brentford
BRE
|
3 | +1 | 6 |
| 7 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
3 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
3 | +1 | 5 |
| 9 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
3 | +1 | 5 |
| 10 |
Spurs
TOT
|
3 | +3 | 4 |
| 11 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
3 | +2 | 4 |
| 12 |
Fulham
FUL
|
3 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 |
West Ham
WHU
|
3 | -1 | 3 |
Club reports
Liverpool report | Brentford report
What the managers said:
Arne Slot: “Every manager that comes in here feels the warmth of this club, feels the appreciation of the fans, and the most important thing we have to do as managers is to make sure the team plays in a style that the fans like to see.”
Thomas Frank: “A game of two halves, I thought we was very good in the first half, thought the first half was a very even game. We pressed well, defended well and were good on the ball trying to create some things, but I think the goal they [Liverpool] scored, we had to do better.”
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Key facts
Slot became only the third manager to win both of his first two top-flight matches in charge of Liverpool while seeing his side also keep a clean sheet in each, after Matt McQueen in 1923 and Graeme Souness in 1991.
Luis Díaz has scored Liverpool's first Premier League goal at Anfield in each of the last three seasons. Indeed, 76 per cent of Díaz's Premier League goals have come at Anfield (13/17) – the highest proportion of any player with 15+ goals for Liverpool in the competition.
Brentford have lost all four of their Premier League matches at Anfield by an aggregate score of 9-0. Only Birmingham City (7 at Old Trafford) have played at a particular venue more in the competition without scoring.
Liverpool have won three consecutive Premier League matches without conceding for the first time since May 2023.