Salah’s magic Mo-ment

STAR BACK WITH A BANG BUT INJURY WOES MOUNT

MO SALAH helped ruthless Liverpool make sure they finish the weekend in top spot – but it came at a cost.

Making his first appearance for the Reds since New Year’s Day, Salah came off the bench to set up a goal for Alexis Mac Allister. That essentially killed the game with Brentford already trailing to a Darwin Nunez opener. But Salah made sure by adding a third of his own – and while Ivan Toney did pull one back, Cody Gakpo then grabbed a fourth for Liverpool.

Yet while Salah’s return from the hamstring injury he suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations was a welcome sight, injuries to Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were not.

Liverpool went into the game with seven players on their injured list and the last thing Jurgen Klopp (left) wanted was to add to it.

But there they are the top of the table still, and you write them off at your peril. Brentford actually started brightly, picking many a hole in a half-asleep Liverpool defence.

But it was the visitors who went closest when Mark Flekken denied first Conor Bradley and then Mac Allister in short order.

At the other end, Toney’s shot from a Neal Maupay reverse pass was only just deflected wide.

Toney was in again shortly afterwards from a great chipped pass from Maupay but scuffed his shot, before Jota had one tipped over.

But the game only came to life moments after Jones went off

injured, cold on when a counter. Brenford got caught

Keeper Flekken had just taken free-kick deep in his own half but when Liverpool cleared, they were off to the races. One long ball, a nice header from Jota and Nunez was through, making Flekken look foolish with an exquisite lob.

Then it was tim off, this time a Norgaard landed o

It was a surpris replace Nunez at half-time and an even bigger one to see Salah blow a one-on-one, stabing wide.

But Mac Alliter doubled Liverpool’s lead, prodding in a

Salah pass after bamboozling Kristoffer Ajer with a lovely first touch. And when Salah raced on to a header by Gakpo, it was suddenly a long way back for the Bees.

The Egyptian still had a lot to do but turned Nathan Collins inside out before tucking his shot away into the bottom corner.

Brentford were not finished, pulling one back when Toney slammed home after Reds keeper Caoimhin Kelleher parried a Sergio Reguilon shot.

But when Collins dropped a clanger and allowed Luis Diaz to play Gakpo in for a fourth it was well and truly game over.