With tears in his eyes, Mohamed Salah bid a heartfelt farewell to Anfield after setting a new Premier League assists record for Liverpool in their 1-1 draw with Brentford. The 33-year-old Egyptian, who has occupied the right-wing position since joining from Roma in 2017, defied speculation about a possible bench role following recent criticism after the Aston Villa defeat by starting the match as planned.
Even after scoring 257 goals for the Reds, Salah couldn’t add to that tally, his best chance—a well-placed free kick just outside the box—hitting the post. However, he delivered his 93rd assist for Liverpool, curling in a perfect cross from the wing that Curtis Jones converted just before the hour mark.
Brentford equalized through Kevin Schade’s close-range header, but the result meant little to the home side, who secured a crucial point to clinch fifth place and a Champions League spot.
Defensive performance and goalkeeper ratings
- Alisson Becker (6/10): Made a crucial save on Schade before halftime but couldn’t prevent Brentford’s equalizer.
- Curtis Jones (7/10): Played out of position at right-back but shone in attack. He set up Liverpool’s opener with a perfectly timed run to convert Salah’s cross. His involvement in the build-up to Schade’s goal—despite the deflection—highlighted his quality ahead of a potential summer exit.
- Ibrahima Konaté (5/10): Commanding in the air but gave away an avoidable yellow card for a clumsy foul as his contract nears its end.
- Virgil van Dijk (6/10): Dominant as ever, but Liverpool’s defensive frailties persisted yet again.
- Andy Robertson (6/10): Solid but unspectacular in his final appearance. He was outmuscled by Schade for the equalizer, though the deflection played a part. Like Salah, he received a well-deserved standing ovation.
Midfield impact
- Ryan Gravenberch (7/10): One of Liverpool’s most energetic players, nearly scoring from distance early on.
- Alexis Mac Allister (5/10): Worked hard but lacked end product. His frustration boiled over with a reckless tackle in stoppage time, earning a yellow card.
- Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10): Maintained his high mobility, creating chances for Gakpo and Wirtz. Though not outstanding, he remains Liverpool’s top contender for Player of the Season.
Attacking contributions
- Mohamed Salah (8/10): Played as if determined to end his Liverpool career with a goal, his free kick rattling the post when Kelleher was beaten. His cross for Jones’ goal saw him surpass Steven Gerrard as Liverpool’s all-time top assist provider in the Premier League.
- Cody Gakpo (6/10): Created multiple chances and assisted Jones’ opener. He’ll regret his missed header from Szoboszlai’s cross, which was parried away.
- Rio Ngumoha (7/10): The young forward seized every opportunity, nearly opening the scoring with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target.
Substitutes and managerial decision
- Florian Wirtz (6/10): Showed signs of rustiness after coming on but was denied a winner by Kelleher’s last-ditch save.
- Jeremie Frimpong (5/10): Replaced Salah on the right wing but failed to influence the game.
- Trey Nyoni (N/A): Came on for Gravenberch in the final 10 minutes.
- Milos Kerkez (N/A): Replaced Robertson late in the game.
- Joe Gomez (N/A): Came on for Konaté in stoppage time.
- Arne Slot (5/10): Resisted benching Salah after his outburst and was rewarded with an assist. Ngumoha impressed in his first start, but Slot faces a mammoth task this summer to shore up a leaky defense.
