Liverpool 2-0 Brentford: Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah give Arne Slot win in first Premier League home game

Report and free match highlights as goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah secure a 2-0 win for Liverpool over Brentford in Arne Slot's first Premier League home game

Nick Wright

Comment and Analysis @nicholaspwright

Monday 26 August 2024 07:07, UK

Liverpool made it two wins from two under Arne Slot as goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah sealed a 2-0 victory over Brentford in his first Premier League home game in charge.

The Liverpool supporters inside Anfield gave their new head coach a warm welcome and his team responded with an opening goal after only 13 minutes as Diaz finished emphatically from Diogo Jota's pass following a scintillating counter-attack.

The breakaway goal was reminiscent of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp but Slot is trying to implement his own playing style and, as in the opening-weekend win over Ipswich at Portman Road, it was not until after half-time that his side hit their stride.

Alisson was called into action to make a smart save from a Nathan Collins header but Brentford lacked a cutting edge without the absent Ivan Toney and Liverpool deservedly doubled their lead as Salah's impressive start to the season continued.

The Egyptian's second goal in as many games was superbly taken as he clipped a cool finish into the corner after narrowly beating Brentford's offside trap from Diaz's pass.

Liverpool could easily have been out of sight by then, with Mark Flekken having saved from Diaz and Andrew Robertson, among others. Trent Alexander-Arnold struck the bar directly from a corner, while substitute Cody Gakpo also hit the woodwork.

But the victory never looked in genuine doubt and ensures Slot can prepare for next weekend's trip to Manchester United, live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday, on the back of two wins.

Carra: Good start just what Slot needed

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher: "Arne Slot will be pleased. There is no doubt there would have been lots of questions asked had Liverpool not got off to a good start.

"Those questions of Jurgen Klopp and these group of players - who have won everything, league titles, European cups, domestic cup competitions.

"You want to put that narrative to bed as quickly as you possibly can, [and show] that these players are bedding in and listening and learning from this new manager and buying into his methods going forward.

"So it does help, having this good start that Arne Slot has had. But the first really big game of his tenure comes next week.

"You think of what that game did to Liverpool's title chances, there should be a lot of motivation from his players to put that right."

Was Trent angered by substitution?

Slot: We still have a lot to prove

Liverpool boss Arne Slot to Sky Sports:

"If I'm honest, I think most players are quite used to what we want. But then it has a lot to do with us doing not so many things different to what Jurgen did in the past.

"So there are only slight changes maybe but most of it is the same. So if we lose the ball, how aggressive we are, how hard we run back because they don't want to concede.

"But some details are a bit different but it also has to do with the opponent you face. Ipswich and Brentford made it quite difficult for us but I'm not expecting them in the top six this season. So we have a lot to prove against the teams that can finish in the top six.

"Our defensive performance today was really good. The only two small chances, one of them was big, were out of a set-piece. We controlled the counter attacks, we controlled them in their build-up. Apart from that, we created many good chances in the second half.

"I think Liverpool fans saw these performances under Jurgen many, many, many times. But what I mean with control is when we concede the counter-attack, we see everyone sprinting back trying everything which they can not to concede. That's what happened really well today, apart from one or two set-pieces.

"In the end, you could see Brentford didn't have the legs to defend against us, that's because of what we did in the first half."

Analysis: More control, less chaos from Liverpool

Sky Sports' Nick Wright:

"That's a Klopp goal," said Jamie Carragher on co-commentary after Luis Diaz buried Liverpool's breakaway opener following a blistering counter-attack.

Those devastating moments of directness are deeply ingrained in these Liverpool players but there was evidence of their changing approach under new head coach Arne Slot.

The emphasis is on control. Liverpool dominated Brentford. For the most part, though, their approach play was patient. Sometimes, the passing and moving was mesmerising. But it was not gung-ho. Carragher later called it a "Man City-like" performance.

"There wasn't any jeopardy in the game," he said. It might take some getting used to for the club's supporters but it is no bad thing - not when they are winning as comfortably as this.

Their passing numbers told a tale. In addition to having 63 per cent possession in the game, Liverpool completed 92 per cent of their passes - their highest success rate in a Premier League game since Opta started taking records in 2003/04.

Alexis Mac Allister admitted the players will need time to adapt. "Sometimes we should be patient but instead we are quite direct," he told Sky Sports. But the new era is here, and the signs of Slot's approach taking hold are already clear to see.

Frank: A game of two halves

Brentford boss Thomas Frank to Sky Sports:

"A game of two halves. I thought we were very good first half. I thought it was very even in the first half.

"They scored a goal where it's our mistake, we miss a 50-50 tackle where you need to take the ball or a man, and then we need to defend the two-on-two situation better.

"That's of course disappointing and we had a great chance with the Christian Norgaard free header. I think our pressing, our overall display was good. So, for me, maybe our best first half at Anfield.

"Second half, Liverpool went up a notch. Nathan Collins had a very good chance but we didn't create enough today and in the end Liverpool won fair and square."

Asked whether he expects Ivan Toney to stay at Brentford beyond the transfer deadline: "That I don't know. Let's see what happens."