Mohamed Salah nets on return as Liverpool swat aside Bees

Mohamed Salah scored on his Premier League return as Liverpool eased to a 4-1 win at Brentford on a day when Irish pair Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley were included in the away outfit's starting team.

Coming off the bench for his first appearance since injuring a hamstring on duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, Salah netted his side's third goal moments after making a brilliant assist for Alexis Mac Allister to make it 2-0.

Darwin Nunez had opened the scoring with a superbly-taken chip to cap a wonderful counter attack in the first half as Jurgen Klopp’s league leaders ensure they would finish the weekend still on top.

Ivan Toney continued his goal-scoring form since returning from his gambling ban to briefly give Brentford hope at 3-1.

It was a fleeting moment of optimism, quickly extinguished when substitute Cody Gakpo stroked home Liverpool’s fourth in the closing minutes.

Brentford had made Klopp’s team work hard in the first half. Vitaly Janelt dragged a shot wide with his left foot inside four minutes as the hosts made a bright, enterprising start.

Bradley had the first chance for the visitors, edging his way into the box and bringing a good low save from goalkeeper Mark Flekken, who sprang up quickly to deny Diogo Jota on the rebound.

Neal Maupay had scored five in six games and almost turned provider for Toney after 15 minutes, sliding a clever reverse ball through for the England striker whose effort rolled a yard wide of Kelleher’s far post.

Toney and Christian Norgaard both hit speculative shots wide from range, after Jota had seen a similar effort tipped over by the impressive Flekken.

Liverpool’s opener came from a Brentford attack. Flekken’s long free-kick was cleared at the second attempt by Virgil