Brentford were beaten 3-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, as Mohamed Salah’s brace was added to by a second-half strike from Diogo Jota.

Despite carving out plenty of chances of their own, the Bees were unable to keep out Salah’s close-range finish and then a back-post header either side of half-time.

Jota then scoring a curling effort of his own from just outside the penalty area, as the home side picked up all three points and consigned Brentford to a first defeat in four Premier League matches.

Salah’s strike separates the sides at the interval

Thomas Frank made two changes for the trip to Merseyside, switching from the 4-3-3 used in the 3-2 victory over West Ham United last weekend to a 3-5-2.

Ben Mee and Mads Roerslev came into the starting XI, replacing Frank Onyeka and Neal Maupay.

Brentford had one of the first real chances of the game, when Mee overlapped down the left and crossed into the box. The ball was originally missed by Yoane Wissa and then by Christian Nørgaard, before Ethan Pinnock’s half-volley went wide after Nathan Collins failed to divert it in.

The Bees pushed on again inside the first 20 minutes, this time down the right, when Kristoffer Ajer received a ball from Bryan Mbeumo on the counter-attack, after the defender had burst into the penalty area. He managed to squirm the ball across the box but Trent Alexander-Arnold intercepted.

However, a moment of hesitation and lack of communication from Alexander-Arnold saw Mbeumo nick it off him inside the area, but the forward’s first-time effort went over the bar.

Liverpool then began to get a grip on the game, and they had the ball in the back of the net twice - only for the assistant referee to deny the Reds on both occasions.

First, Tsimikas won the ball, despite appearing to foul Jensen in the process, and Liverpool launched a counter. Dominik Szoboszlai’s original shot was deflected to Salah, who poked it on to Darwin Núñez inside the area.

The centre-forward had plenty of time to calmy slot the ball past Flekken, but his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag. VAR checked it and decided the official had made the correct decision.

Then, Alexander-Arnold’s corner was headed towards goal by Virgil van Dijk, which forced a superb save from Flekken. He parried the ball off the line and into the air, as Matip followed it up, before Núñez’s spectactular overhead kick hit the back of the net.

The assistant, again, flagged him offside, preventing the Uruguayan from getting on the scoresheet for the second time.

Brentford’s best chance of the half came when Jensen played a typical pinpoint ball over the top into Mbeumo, who found himself one-on-one with Alisson, with Alexander-Arnold harrying him from behind after frantically chasing back.

Mbeumo tried to delicately lift it over the keeper, but it was kept out and cleared by the recovering defender.

Liverpool made it 1-0 soon after. A slick move by the Reds was started by Dominik Szoboszlai, who played a great ball into Núñez’s feet, before the striker laid on a lovely pass to Salah. The winger charged into the box and curled an effort beyond Flekken and into the bottom corner.

Liverpool had two chances to double their lead in first-half stoppage-time. Alexander-Arnold played a sumptuous pass over the top of the defence, which evaded Mee and found Salah. The Egyptian took a first-time shot but it went flying over the bar.

Moments later, Salah released Núñez who, with his blistering pace, seemed destined to be in on goal. But Collins, chasing back, produced a superb all-or-nothing-tackle to rob the forward and stop the attack.

Endo fortunate to avoid red card as Liverpool add two more goals in the second half

The west Londoners started brightly after the interval and won a set-piece from a promising position. Just outside the area, Jensen and Mbeumo stood over it, and the former’s effort had to be tipped over by Alisson.

There was a concerning moment for Jensen’s midfield partner, Nørgaard, nine minutes into the second half, when a dangerous tackle from Wataru Endo left visible marks on the Dane’s knee. VAR checked to see if they should send the Liverpool man off but, perhaps surprisingly, they said no.

And the 11 men of Liverpool made it 2-0 just after the hour mark. Tsimikas crossed from the left and his delivery found Salah, who nodded in his second goal of the contest.

But the Bees kept pushing and all of Nørgaard, Wissa and Mbeumo would have attempts inside the area, but were all either saved or defended by the Reds backline.

Despite some good work from Frank’s men, it was 3-0 as the clocked ticked into the 74th minute. Diogo Jota, who already had a half-volley blocked, had another bite at the cherry when he won the ball back 35 yards from goal. He dribbled towards the edge of the area and sent a curling effort, similar to Salah’s opener, inside the right post.

Brentford had three chances, all from corners, as the game approached its conclusion.

Nørgaard’s flick-on was kept off the line by van Dijk, with Neal Maupay lurking; Ethan Pinnock had a header clawed off the line; and Maupay received another flicked header but, this time, mistimed his shot.

Liverpool: Alisson, Tsimikas, van Dijk, Matip, Alexander-Arnold (Quansah 90), Endo, Szoboszlai (McConnell 90+4), Gakpo (Elliott 83), Núñez, Jota (Diaz 83), Salah

Subs not used: Chambers, Scanlon, Doak, Kelleher, Nyoni

Brentford: Flekken, Roerslev (Ghoddos 73), Mee, Pinnock, Collins, Ajer, Jensen (Yarmoliuk 73) Janelt (Onyeka 46), Nørgaard, Mbeumo, Wissa (Maupay 73)

Subs not used: Zanka, Strakosha, Peart-Harris, Baptiste, Olakigbe

Frank: I loved our ambition and mentality despite defeat

Thomas Frank was pleased with large parts of Brentford's performance on Sunday.

But the Bees boss highlighted their execution of the ‘big moments’ as an area they were lacking on Merseyside. 

“Today, in many ways, was a good performance,” he said.

“I was pleased with so many things. I loved the approach and the mentality of the team - we went to Anfield with an ambition and a belief that we could get something. 

“We were brave, we were aggressive, we pressed high, we created chances - we have never created that many chances here at Anfield.

"We had never given that few away too, of course they had chances, but we still kept them at bay okay here. So, in that way, it was a good performance.  

“What lacked was the big moments; we didn't take the big moments today, in our chances and especially in their second and third goal.” 

Ajer: We can take a lot of encouraging things with us

Defender Kristoffer Ajer was keen to remain upbeat despite the Bees’ defeat on Merseyside.

The west Londoners outperformed their hosts on expected goals (1.66 to Liverpool’s 1.57) and had 16 attempts on the Reds’ goal.

“Of course, it was always going to be difficult,” he said.

“Liverpool played a very good game, but I also think we created a lot of good chances, which is a positive thing.

“We know that we can create chances against any team, and we played some very good spells. We can take a lot of encouraging things with us.”