NEW MANAGER, new style – but it was the same old Mo Salah that had Arne Slot celebrating.
Jurgen Klopp so often had to rely on Anfield’s Egyptian king brilliance during most of his nine years as manager.
Luis Diaz opened the scoring for Liverpool
Before Mohamed Salah doubled the hosts’ lead
The superstar notched his second goal of the new Prem season
His Dutch successor will surely now realise how important he will become to him too after the brilliant finish that saw off a highly dangerous Brentford side.
Liverpool were ahead, but far from certain of ending Slot’s first competitive game at Anfield with three points when Salah produced his 213th strike and 301st goal contribution of his seven years at the club.
Luis Diaz had come up with a breath-taking early opener and could have more but Thomas Frank’s side were not lying down.
They were ultimately floored by Salah much to the relief of Slot who at the start could have been forgiven for thinking to himself that the welcome he got from the Liverpool fans was a tad underwhelming.
After all he had already achieved something that Klopp, Brendan Rodgers, Roy Hodgson or Rafa Benitez didn’t manage by winning his top flight debut as he had done eight days earlier in the 2-0 defeat of Ipswich at Portman Road.
The Kop, therefore, was reserving judgement although by that 13th minute they were off their seats thanks to the electric attack ended by Diaz and won that, really, was straight out of the Klopp era.
Brentford won a corner seconds before, Ibrahima Konate rising to head away.
Salah bravely won the ball on the edge of the box, forcing it out to Diogo Jota who simply jetted away.
That run by was all of 50 yards before Diaz moved ahead and left of him and the pass from the Portuguese attacker was perfection.
As was Diaz’s 25th goal on his 100th appearance for Liverpool, a blazing left footer that barrelled into Mark Flekken’s top right corner.
Anfield had come alive and Slot’s players moved the ball around fluidly, almost contemptuously on the back of that stunner.
The lead could so easily have double six minutes later, too.
The Bees were flying around in circles right around then thanks to their opponents’ superb passing movements and Diogo this time delivered for Andy Robertson.
The left back struck his low shot with real precision but Flekken reacted brilliantly to parry at his near post.
Anfield was rocking…but then the noise died away and that rhythm was lost as Frank’s men re-calibrated and started posing threats of their own.
Helped by the intelligence and industry of talented Keane Lewis – Potter and the hard running of Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa there was no a different tune being played.
What’s more Brentford should have drawn level in the 32nd minute.
Mbueno swung over a free kick from the left, Christian Norgaard ghosted through the static Liverpool rear guard but from ten yards out and with goalkeeper Alisson stranded the Bees captain sent his header wide.
Lewis-Potter then had a pop, Alison grabbing the effort low and the natives were very definitely getting restless.
Robertson lifted the mood immediately after the break with another effort, Flekken sheeting away his header but there was still elements of hesitancy amongst his team mates at the back – the very area Slot wanted to more composed and decisive.
They were caught out again by another header – this time from centre half Nathan Collins – but Allison reacted brilliantly to push away from under his bar.
This was certainly not what the new Liverpool boss will have envisaged, even allowing for the fact that his new methods are still a work in progress for his players.
Then, as suddenly as the attacking action had died down after those enthralling opening minutes, there was another explosive burst.
Alexis Mac Allister flicked a post with a header after meeting an in-swinging corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn’t best pleased with his 72nd minute substitution
Arne Slot thanked fans after his Anfield debut
Diaz was convinced he had claimed his second of the game with a superb low strike after some fine Salah footwork by Flekken somehow got down to it.
Still, Brentford, who were once more without Ivan Toney and didn’t seem to miss him at all while the striker awaited a move away, worried them all the time.
However, as he has so often done, Salah came through when it counted most, finishing a signature left-footer beyond the goalie after scurrying into the box.
The Kop eventually started chanting his name, which was music to Slot’s ears, but Salah—as he so frequently does—was the one who truly sent them home triumphant.
While Virgil van Dijk spoke about Liverpool’s new era after his 100th Premier League Anfield appearance – he’s only lost twice.
Those defeats came first in a 2-1 loss to Leeds in 2022 and last season’s 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, which effectively ended their title challenge on Manchester City and Arsenal.
