Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Liverpool FC at Gtech Community Stadium on February 17, 2024 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Liverpool FC at Gtech Community Stadium on February 17, 2024 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Liverpool FC at Gtech Community Stadium on February 17, 2024 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Liverpool player ratings vs Brentford: five score 8/10 and plenty of 7/10s in impressive victory - gallery

Liverpool player ratings and scores from the 4-1 win against Brentford from the Gtec Community Stadium.

Liverpool strutted to a 4-1 victory over Brentford to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and pile the pressure on Manchester City and Arsenal.

Darwin Nunez opened the scoring for the Reds in the first half before they stepped things up after the break, with Alexis Mac Allister, a returning Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo all on target at the Gtec Community Stadium. Yet Jurgen Klopp's side have more injury woes, with Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones both forced off in the opening 45 minutes - with Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai already on the treatment table.

The game started at a decent pace, with Neal Maupay dragging wide for Brentford in the fourth minute. Six minutes later, Liverpool almost opened the scoring when Conor Bradley forced a good save out of Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken before Jota's follow-up was also kept out.

Ivan Toney then threatened twice for Brentford as steered just off target in the 15th minute before Ibrahima Konate made a good block from the Bees striker on 20 minutes.

Liverpool were hit with a blow when Jones was forced off in the 34th minute. Yet a minute later, they broke the deadlock. Virgil van Dijk's clearance was intelligently header on by Jota into the path of Nunez, who nonchalantly chipped the onrushing Flekken to find the top corner to score his second goal in as many games.

However, the Reds suffered another injury as Jota was stretchered off in the 44th minute while Nunez was withdrawn at half-time with Cody Gakpo coming on. That didn't impact them at all, though, with Salah going close on his return from a hamstring issue as he prodded wide in the 51st minute with a chance he should have buried.

Salah, making his first Liverpool appearance since New Year's Day, did turn provider four minutes later when the Reds doubled their advantage. The winger picked out the run of Mac Allister, who displayed quick feet inside the box before he poked an effort beyond Flekken.

And in the 68th minute, the Reds wrapped up all three points when Salah got in on the act to bag his 19th goal of the season. Gakpo flicked on a long ball and the Egyptian outmuscled Brentford defender Ben Mee before producing an angled finish into the far corner.

Brentford did get a goal back in the 70th minute when Liverpool were caught out at the back. Serge Regulion's low drive was kept out excellently by Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher but Ivan Toney was on hand to finish the rebound.

But the away side would restore a three-goal cushion with four minutes remaining when they hit the Bees on the break, with Luis Diaz sliding in Gakpo to neatly finish.

Liverpool are now five points above Man City and Arsenal ahead of their respective games against Chelsea and Burnley. It was an impressive triumph, although Klopp will be somewhat concerned by the mounting fitness problems. Here's how we rated the Liverpool players.