Liverpool players’ ratings vs Brentford: Salah’s farewell ends in style as Reds secure champions league spot

Salah pushed hard to add to his 257-goal tally for Liverpool, but his best chance—a well-placed free-kick from the edge of the box—hit the post. Undeterred, the winger orchestrated the opener, curling in a perfect cross from outside the box that Curtis Jones met to score just before the hour mark.

Brentford pulled level through a close-range header by Kevin Schade, but the draw was enough for Liverpool to secure fifth place and a spot in next season’s Champions League.

goalkeeper and defense

• Alisson Becker (6/10): Made a crucial save against Schade before half-time, though he couldn’t prevent Brentford’s equalizer.
• Curtis Jones (7/10): Deployed out of position at right-back, he delivered when it mattered most. His early involvement in Liverpool’s best attacking moves led to a perfectly timed run to convert Salah’s cross. His misjudged clearance on the cross that led to Schade’s goal highlighted both his strengths and the defensive frailties Liverpool must address.
• Ibrahima Konaté (5/10): Commanding in the air and composed in possession, but his clumsy foul earned him an avoidable yellow card as his contract nears its end.
• Virgil van Dijk (6/10): Dominant as ever, the Dutchman will be frustrated once again by Liverpool’s inability to keep a clean sheet.
• Andy Robertson (6/10): Preferred to Kerkez for his final Liverpool appearance, the Scot was solid but unspectacular. He was outmuscled by Schade for the equalizer, though he wasn’t alone in being caught off guard by the deflected cross. Like Salah, he received a well-deserved standing ovation as he left the pitch.

midfield

• Ryan Gravenberch (7/10): One of Liverpool’s most energetic players, he drove forward impressively early on and nearly scored with a well-struck long-range effort.
• Alexis Mac Allister (5/10): Put in a tireless shift but struggled to make an impact. His frustration boiled over with a reckless tackle on Igor Thiago, earning him a late yellow card.
• Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10): As mobile as ever, he found Gakpo with a sublime cross that deserved to be converted, before setting up Wirtz. While not outstanding, he remains Liverpool’s strongest contender for Player of the Season.

attack

• Mohamed Salah (8/10): Played as though he wanted to end his Liverpool career with one last goal. His stunning first-half free-kick rattled the post when Kelleher was beaten. His assist for Jones’ goal saw him surpass Steven Gerrard as Liverpool’s all-time Premier League assist leader.
• Cody Gakpo (6/10): Created multiple chances for his teammates and was instrumental in the move that saw Salah set up Jones. He’ll regret his headed chance being cleared off the line by a Brentford defender.
• Rio Ngumoha (7/10): The youngster showed courage and nearly opened the scoring with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target.

substitutes and manager

• Florian Wirtz (6/10): Returning to form, the German came on with just under 20 minutes left. Initially struggling, he was denied an injury-time winner by a brilliant save from Kelleher.
• Jeremie Frimpong (5/10): Replaced Salah on the right wing at the 74th minute but failed to influence the game.
• Trey Nyoni (not rated): Came on for Gravenberch in the final 10 minutes.
• Milos Kerkez (N/A): Replaced Robertson in the 83rd minute.
• Joe Gomez (N/A): Replaced Konaté in stoppage time.
• Arne Slot (5/10): Resisted the urge to bench Salah after his recent outburst and was rewarded with an assist. Ngumoha also impressed on his final appearance as a starter, but Slot faces a major task this summer to fix Liverpool’s leaky defense.