Mohamed Salah scores on the return in Liverpool's rout of Brentford | first division

Jürgen Klopp's last dance is performed by tired members. Liverpool's injury list continues to grow and if the reason given for Klopp's departure is that he is running out of energy, it is possible that he is also running out of players. The victory at Brentford kept Liverpool at the top of the table. first division but only after the injuries of important players such as Curtis Jones, Darwin Núñez, author of an incisive initial goal, and Diogo Jota, provider of that goal. “As long as we have 11 players, we will do it,” Klopp said after Liverpool witnessed what he described as a “very good game in difficult circumstances.”

Klopp's team is on edge as Manchester City have Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne looking fresh as spring lambs. At least Mohamed Salah, an emergency first-half substitute, was fit again, providing the assist for Alexis Mac Allister and then scoring Liverpool's third, a hugely timely return from him. Upon his arrival, he initially looked rusty, including a miss early in the second half where he tangled his feet. But normal service quickly resumed, killing an opponent who his manager declared was “annoying” to face.

Even before those injuries, Thomas Frank might have felt blood from what looked like a Liverpool Carabao Cup selection, a week before this season's final. Salah was deemed fit enough for the bench after missing eight games. Liverpool started shakily and the first opportunities came in abundance. Brentford, first for Vitaly Janelt and then for Sergio Reguilón. Neal Maupay, living up to his shot-shy reputation, preferred to pass rather than shoot. He did much better when he set up Ivan Toney, but his strike partner missed badly and the attempt limped away. Toney's free kick from a promising position was then struck almost as softly. Even tamer was Toney shooting directly at Caoimhín Kelleher when Maupay sent him off in one-on-one. Another first half opportunity gone wrong, not particularly positive marketing for a prized asset.

Without Ethan Pinnock for the first time in 53 games, “our best defender”, according to his coach, Frank's resources were also limited: “We haven't played a single game with our first XI.” Last week's victory against the Wolves He had calmed relegation fears, but when Conor Bradley, back from compassionate leave and continuing to look like a gem of a find, burst into a Luis Diaz film, he realized that, whatever the personnel, Liverpool possess a real danger. “I'm delighted with him,” Klopp said of Bradley's return. “Pretty special.”

On a smaller scale, Frank's team is undergoing a similar and necessary shift that Liverpool previously made under Klopp, from heavy metal to progressive. This season has seen his novelty value fade and this loss included multiple regrets. Until Núñez scored, Brentford seemed much more of a scorer. “We were brilliant for the first 35 minutes,” Frank said. “On another day we would have shown the quality of coldness.”

The match revolved around a route one goal that late 80s Wimbledon would have longed for. Virgil van Dijk launched a second ball from his own area after a free kick from Mark Flekken. Jota's header found Núñez in space. The lobed finish was unusually cold. Liverpool fans have seen the Uruguayan waste much easier opportunities. “It's the first goal we've conceded from an offensive set piece in two years,” lamented Frank.

Liverpool's joy was dampened by the fact that Jota had to leave almost immediately with a knee injury so painful that the striker could not stand. Núñez's withdrawal at half-time increased the workload of the medical department, after a first half in which the statistics showed that Brentford had only recorded one foul.

“That Curtis can't continue playing tells you something,” Klopp said. “He would normally keep going at all costs. Diogo probably looks the worst…Darwin felt something.”

What was worrying for Frank was that his team's organization collapsed after the break. Mac Allister's goal followed some statuesque defending and Salah should have been second best behind Nathan Collins when Cody Gakpo latched on to Kelleher's kick for another Crazy Gang-style strike. After a couple of questionable decisions by Michael Oliver, the referee had fueled the fire of the home fans, Toney scored, taking advantage of the rebound of Reguilón's shot with a precision previously absent.

But there was no moving response. Saman Ghoddos' error allowed Díaz to set up Gakpo, completing a comfortable score that did not reflect Liverpool's human cost.