Liverpool beat Brentford to maintain winning start

Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scored as Arne Slot's first competitive home game in charge of Liverpool ended with a 2-0 win over Brentford.

Slot was given a warm welcome at Anfield and serenaded in the closing stages as his side made it two from two in the Premier League against Brentford, who left out Ivan Toney for the second week in a row.

With Liverpool owner John W Henry watching on, Diaz put the Reds ahead after 13 minutes from a dizzying breakaway, before Brentford captain Christian Norgaard missed a gilt-edged chance later in the half.

Salah then bagged his fifth goal in his last four games against the Bees in the 70th minute as the 32-year-old continued his fine start to the season, having also scored in last week’s win at Ipswich.

Without Toney, whose absence only intensifies links of a move to Saudi Arabia in the coming days, Brentford lacked a cutting edge up top although they had their moments and only Salah’s goal stopped them in their tracks.

There were no Jurgen Klopp fist pumps to the Kop at full-time from Slot, who waved and clapped towards that end after walking on to the pitch at full-time following a job well done.

Before the match, Slot emerged from the tunnel smiling before taking a brief seat in the dugout. Thereafter he prowled his technical area as Brentford attempted to spoil the welcome party.

Content to keep men behind the ball, the first time the visitors committed players forward was when they came unstuck as a lightning counter ended with Liverpool going ahead in the 13th minute.

Mathias Jensen’s corner was cleared at the near post by Ibrahima Konate before Diogo Jota raced away and freed the overlapping Diaz, who bore down on goal and thumped a left-footed shot high into the net.

Salah almost