Mohamed Salah ends Liverpool career with an assist during Brentford draw | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah came agonisingly close to a spectacular farewell goal, but his crucial assist ensured Liverpool secured Champions League football following a 1-1 draw against Brentford.

The Egypt international had previously vowed on social media to do everything in his power to ensure a return to Europe’s elite club competition.

He delivered on that promise, providing a trademark outside-of-the-left-boot cross for Curtis Jones to convert, though Bournemouth’s draw at Nottingham Forest ultimately rendered the qualification academic.

While Kevin Schade’s diving header equaliser somewhat dampened the celebratory mood, there was little doubt about the individual who dominated the afternoon’s narrative.

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Salah, second right, set up Curtis Jones’ opener at Anfield (Peter Byrne/PA)

Salah’s first-half free-kick, which expertly bent around the wall, left former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher rooted to the spot as it rebounded off the upright. This was the closest he came to adding to his impressive tally of 193 Premier League goals.

But the next best thing was laying on the cross for the opener, typically timing his run to perfection to race on to Ryan Gravenberch’s hooked through-ball, to drive low across the six-yard area.

The celebrations never really got off the ground as there was a suspicion of offside and when VAR cleared it, the biggest noise was not for the goal but the substitution of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, with all his ex-team-mates joining in the applause.

That was nothing compared to the reception when head coach Arne Slot, with whom the Egyptian has had his high-profile disagreements, made the surprise decision to substitute him in the 74th minute.

Liverpool’s players lined up to form an impromptu guard of honour and having taken their congratulations he knelt to kiss the Anfield turf one last time, accepting a brief embrace from Slot before taking his seat on the bench.