LONDON – Mohamed Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal for Liverpool but it was not enough to beat Brentford, which twice pegged the Reds back in a breathless 3-3 draw.
Juergen Klopp´s side was unable to reap the maximum profit from slip-ups by Manchester United and Chelsea earlier in the day as it shared the points with Brentford in early-evening entertainment in west London.
Instead Liverpool moved just one point clear at the top, while preserving the top flight´s only remaining unbeaten record.
And Klopp will be relieved at that after Ivan Toney had what would have been a late winner ruled out for offside.
The German coach will also know his side will not face many tougher trips all season, with vibrant Brentford leading through Ethan Pinnock and, following goals from Diogo Jota and Salah, equalizing through Vitaly Janelt.
Then, when Curtis Jones smashed Liverpool ahead again, Bees sub Yoane Wissa came up with another equalizer.
There was a taste of things to come when both teams were denied by goal-line clearances in the opening 10 minutes.
First, Salah missed out on a seventh-minute opener thanks to a spectacular piece of defending from Kristoffer Ajer, who slid in to hook the ball off the line.
Moments later, at the other end, Bryan Mbeumo latched onto Toney´s flick-on and lifted the ball over Alisson, but this time Joel Matip got back to scoop the ball clear from underneath the crossbar.
Brentford was more than holding its own against the 2020 champion and took the lead in the 27th minute.
Spanish winger Sergi Canos – who spent three years at Liverpool as a youngster but played only nine minutes for the first team – got down the Reds´ right and drilled in a low cross that Toney helped on for Pinnock to tap in.
The lead lasted barely three minutes, however, before Jordan Henderson swung in a cross from the right and Jota headed home at the far post.
Seven minutes before the interval, Henderson teed up Jones on the edge of the area and his shot was deflected onto a post by Pinnock.
Jota should have been celebrating his second of the afternoon from the rebound but somehow David Raya got his body in the way of the shot and it flew wide.
After the break Salah grabbed his landmark goal. The Egypt striker was initially flagged offside as he tucked away Fabinho´s ball over the top, but a VAR check showed he was in fact onside.
Back came Brentford, though, and when Pontus Jansson slid in to crash Ajer´s cross onto the bar, Janelt popped up at the far post to force the loose ball home.
Jones blasted Liverpool back in front in the 67th with a low drive that took a deflection in a crowded penalty area as it flew past Raya.
Salah should have had goal No. 101 after he was played in by Sadio Mane but he chipped the ball onto the roof of the net.
Moments later Wissa arrived at the far post and produced a composed finish to equalize yet again, before Toney was denied a late winner by the linesman´s flag.
Elsewhere, Manchester City reasserted its title credentials on a day all of its big rivals dropped points.
City delivered a statement performance in a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge to move second in the league standings, level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, which missed a late penalty in a 1-0 loss at home to Aston Villa.
Pep Guardiola´s side is above its two rivals on goal difference and also cut the gap to Liverpool to one point after the league leader drew 3-3 at Brentford.
“Today the guys were outstanding,” Guardiola said according to AP. “At this stadium and against this opponent, to do what we have done makes me so proud.”
Gabriel Jesus scored the winning goal in the 53rd minute of a surprisingly one-sided match between two title contenders. A shot on the turn deflected off the heel of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho and squirmed into the bottom corner, with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy rooted to the spot
Chelsea had beaten City in their last three meetings – most recently in the Champions League final in May – but was outplayed at Stamford Bridge, not even registering a shot on target.
Chelsea had been anointed by increasing numbers as the title favorite after a strong start to the season. But the way City dominated possession and reduced Chelsea to mostly long balls showed that Guardiola´s team, the defending champion, might still be the team to beat.
City regularly picked off Chelsea on the break and only a goal-line clearance by Thiago Silva, who came on for the injured Reece James in the first half, prevented Jesus adding a second.
“They made us underperform,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “And it was deserved.”
Bruno Fernandes missed an injury-time penalty as teammate Cristiano Ronaldo looked on in United´s first loss of the Premier League season.
Villa defender Kortney Hause was the hero for the visitors after he flicked a header past goalkeeper David De Gea off a corner in the 88th minute for his team´s first victory over United since 2009.
But Hause was then whistled for a handball to set up the dramatic spot kick as United tried to rescue a point at Old Trafford.
Fernandes, who had converted a penalty in all three of his prior Premier League appearances against Villa, adjusted the ball as Ronaldo stood nearby and then blasted it high over the crossbar.
