Liverpool kept their slim hopes of reeling in Manchester City at the tip of the Premier League alive by seeing off Brentford 3-0 at Anfield to cross up to 2nd in the desk on Sunday.
Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Takumi Minamino scored the dreams because the Reds coped without the absence of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at the Africa Cup of Countries.
Victory lifts Jurgen Klopp’s men to within 11 points of the runaway leaders, however they really admire a game in hand on City.
Liverpool failed to eradicate succor of an additional man for over an hour as Thursday’s League semi-final, first leg against Arsenal ended 0-0, sparking fears of how they would possibly be able to cope for the remainder of the month without two of their predominant sources of dreams.
However a Brentford facet which admire no longer won a league game far from dwelling since early October never threatened to region off an upset.
Klopp made appropriate kind two adjustments from the Arsenal stalemate as Curtis Jones and Oxlade-Chamberlain admire been recalled to add extra creativity and dynamism to the midfield.
He develop into once rewarded with a shining initiate as Diogo Jota headed over, Trent Alexander-Arnold flashed a shot appropriate kind off target and Alvaro Fernandez made an very honest appropriate attach to vow Virgil van Dijk.
On the different hand, the team admire been rising restless except Brentford allowed Alexander-Arnold’s corner to leap throughout the region and Fabinho headed in at the inspire post.
The Bees went toe-to-toe with Liverpool in a pulsating 3-3 design when the perimeters closing met in September.
However the web site visitors handiest created one big probability to salvage inspire in the sport when Bryan Mbuemo turned Joel Matip and shot inches large.
Jota hit the post after which must still admire scored when firing too finish to Fernandez in a one-on-one.
There develop into once minute doubt over the discontinue consequence, though, once Oxlade-Chamberlain’s diving header turned Andy Robertson’s superb nasty into the backside corner.
Brentford admire been architects of their very own downfall for the third operate as Fernandez’s pass out from the inspire develop into once seized upon by Roberto Firmino and he teed up Minamino to slot dwelling from finish vary.
The dwelling fans would possibly maybe well maybe relax for the final 15 minutes and pointedly took the probability to chant the name of dilapidated supervisor Rafael Benitez, who develop into once sacked by opponents Everton on Sunday.
The Toffees are at risk of falling loyal into a relegation warfare after one select in 13 league games.
Brentford, in difference, still salvage pleasure from a 10-point cushion over the backside three of their first season in the tip-flight for 74 years however dwell in 14th.
