Salah scores on return as Liverpool routs Brentford 4-1

Salah came on as a substitute just before half-time and struck his 19th goal of the season in the 68th minute.

Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool’s third goal against Brentford. | Photo Credit: AP

Mohamed Salah made a scoring return for Liverpool as the Premier League leader routed Brentford 4-1 on Saturday.

Salah had been out for a month since sustaining a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations. He came on as a substitute just before half-time at the Gtech Community Stadium and struck his 19th goal of the season in the 68th minute.

Liverpool already led 2-0 at that point, after Darwin Nunez opened the scoring in the 35th and Alexis Mac Allister added another from Salah’s assist.

Ivan Toney pulled a goal back for Brentford in the 75th, scoring for the fourth time in five games since returning from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.

But substitute Cody Gakpo sealed a 4-1 win for Liverpool in the 86th, which provisionally extended its lead at the top of the table to five points.

Second-place Manchester City and Arsenal, in third, were due to play later on Saturday. Defending champion City was playing Chelsea and last season’s runner-up Arsenal was at Burnley.