Liverpool certainly appeared to be surprised by Brentford’s intensity in the Premier League game of the weekend, and one in which Mo Salah scored to bring up 100 goals in the English top-flight.
Thomas Frank’s west Londoners gave as good as they got and fully deserved the eventual 3-3 draw.
On another day they might’ve gone on to win the game, equally, if the Reds had been on it from the first whistle to the last, they’d have returned to Merseyside with the three points.
Despite Salah’s achievement, BBC Sport‘s Garth Crooks wasn’t overly impressed.
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As a former striker himself, Crooks knows all about the movement and eye for goal that’s required, as well as putting in a shift for your team.
That appeared sorely lacking in Salah’s case.
“I’m almost irritated by my own selection. By Salah’s standards, this was a poor performance from the Egyptian superstar,” Crooks said.
“He probably scored the easiest chance of the match. However it’s very difficult to ignore a player who has scored 100 Premier League goals faster than any other Liverpool player in their history.
“It’s a magnificent achievement even if the performance against Brentford wasn’t one of his best.”
It may be a valid criticism that Crooks makes, but he still had no option than to put Salah into his team of the week, whether that irritated him or not.