Mohamed Salah continued his superb scoring form as Liverpool made it six Premier League wins in a row by defeating Brentford to move one point behind Manchester United in the race for the top four.
The Egypt forward became the first player in Reds history to score in nine consecutive home appearances in all competitions, while his winner was his 100th goal for the Reds at Anfield.
His 13th-minute attempt was not the most eye-catching goal of his career – Salah bundling the ball over the line from close range after Virgil van Dijk’s cushioned header across the six-yard box.
But Salah’s 30th goal of the season set Jurgen Klopp’s side on the way to another crucial win that keeps alive Liverpool’s outside hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Liverpool are on 62 points, one behind fourth-placed Manchester United who have two games in hand – including one at struggling West Ham United on Sunday (19:00 BST).
At a vibrant Anfield, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo thought had equalised only for it to be ruled out for offside after a video assistant referee check, while Cody Gakpo missed a great chance to make it 2-0 after the break from point-blank range.
Before the game, many Liverpool fans booed the national anthem which was played as a tribute to King Charles III on the day of his coronation, despite the club saying they know some fans “have strong views on it”.
