Liverpool moves to second after 3-0 win against Brentford.

Liverpool moves to second

Liverpool moves up to second place on the Premier League table with a 3-0 against Brentford at Anfield on Sunday. Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Takumi Minamino take the Reds to second.

Manchester City’s victory over now third-placed the Blues on Saturday underlined the defending champions’ dominance in the title race but Liverpool has ensured they finish the weekend how it began, 11 points below City with a match in hand and a trip to the Etihad still to come.

Bryan Mbeumo had almost a chance bent in an equalizer for Brentford on 58 minutes but fell away as he hit his shot after turning Joel Matip and, after Diogo Jota had hit the post and been denied by a super save from Alvaro Fernandez, Liverpool finally finished off the competition.

      Fabinho celebrates after scoring his opener against Brentford.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Liverpool boss narrated how tough the match was expressing his joy after the victory. Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came into the Reds squad in place of James Milner and Takumi Minamino, with Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane still at the 2021 AFCON tournament. Brentford made one change, with Rico Henry replacing Sergi Canos at left wing-back.

Fabinho put Brentford under the pressure for most of the first half before his opener which was nothing less than the home side deserved. Fernandez into a brilliant stop from Virgil van Dijk after Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold sent efforts over the bar early on.

However, Brentford’s first league match away at Liverpool since 1946 was destined to end in defeat when Oxlade-Chamberlain met Andy Robertson’s superb cross. Unfortunately, the midfielder was forced off with an injury soon after but a poor pass out from Fernandez allowed Roberto Firmino to pounce and tee up Minamino for a simple third meaning that, regardless of the absences of prolific players  Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool has kept City insight.

Brentford had a shot on target in second-half stoppage time, this was their fourth defeat in five league matches and could have been heavier had Minamino finished a late chance but retain 10 points clear of the relegation zone, at 14th position.

     Fabinho has now scored three goals across his last three appearances. (Photo courtesy: Getty Images.)

In this season’s Premier League, Liverpool is the top scorers League, netting 55 outstanding goals they have ever scored in their first 21 league games from the start of a top-flight campaign. Klopp also described himself as “happy” to have reached the milestone of 350 games in charge of Liverpool, having won the Premier League and the Champions League but insists he still has plenty more to achieve at Anfield.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank was pleased with his side’s performance at Liverpool and said the display gives them encouragement for the second half of their campaign.

Fabinho has now scored three goals across his last three appearances – and that’s as many goals as he had scored in his previous 127 games for Liverpool. But it was not just about his score it- was a fine all-round performance from Fabinho in the centre of the park.

But the point stands that if Liverpool wins their match in hand and then beat win over Manchester City away from home at the start of April, theoretically Pep Guardiola’s side will have to defend a five-point gap through to the final day.

With the injuries, absences and illness and demands of this season, and the fixture congestion compounded by cup competitions to come, that will surely be too tall a task. But Liverpool at least proved they can win despite the absence of the best players the club has.

Liverpool is back in action on Thursday in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Arsenal, from 7 pm; kick-off at 7.45 pm. Brentford host Manchester United in the Premier League on Wednesday at 8 pm.