Liverpool hold onto Champions League place with draw to close out Premier League season

Liverpool hold onto Champions League place with draw to close out Premier League season

Liverpool were able to maintain their grip on fifth place in the Premier League with a 1-1 draw against Brentford at Anfield on the final day of the campaign.

Even though the result got the Reds what they were hoping for with a place in next season's Champions League, they will feel aggrieved not to go one better and take the win in a match they dominated.

There were plenty of chances at both ends as the defences struggled to contain the attacking threats on display.

Liverpool ended the match with 24 shots at goal, four of which were classed as big chances, and 2.90 expected goals but were thwarted time and again by the fantastic Caoimhin Kelleher in goal for Brentford.

Brentford only forced one save out of Alisson, despite racking up 11 shots, two of which were counted as big chances.

They also hit the bar and enjoyed 60% of the possession throughout the match.

The Reds were completely dominant in the first half but were frustrated not to find a breakthrough and they will be disappointed not to have done more with their set pieces after earning no fewer than 14 corners throughout the match.

After a goalless first half, the Reds broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with Mohamed Salah signing off his last game for Liverpool with an assist for Curtis Jones.

However, the lead lasted only six minutes before Kevin Schade was able to restore parity with a lovely finish.

Brentford enjoy a good spell of pressure after equalising and threatened to even take the lead before Liverpool got control of the game again and pushed for a winner that wouldn't come in the final 10 minutes.

Salah was named Man of the Match in a memorable final match for Liverpool. And Robertson also played his last match for the club but had a day to forget on the left side of defence before he was subbed off with seven minutes left to play.

 

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