Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Brentford, but the night was still shaped by two farewells. Mohamed Salah supplied the assist for Curtis Jones' opener on his last appearance, while Andrew Robertson got the strongest praise in the player ratings after an emotional final outing. The result confirmed fifth place, even if the football itself again left Liverpool looking a bit short of the standard they wanted.

Why Salah and Robertson dominated the ratings

The main story from the ratings was simple enough: this was about Salah and Robertson, not a polished team display.

Jones tapped in the opener after half-time, finishing a move created by Salah. It was the decisive attacking moment from a player clearly trying to leave a mark in his final game. His league-level season rating sits at 6.93 across 27 Premier League appearances, so the standout farewell showing landed above his domestic baseline. Jones, for his part, ended up with a 7.9 match rating, which fits with how central he was to Liverpool's only goal.

Ian Doyle wrote in the Liverpool Echo: "Mohamed Salah 10

Determined to put on a show on his last appearance and plenty of energy, forcing one save from Kelleher and hitting the post with a free-kick before one final assist for Jones. A special goodbye from one of Liverpool's greatest ever players. Subbed."

That reads like a farewell rating as much as a match rating, but that is fair enough. Liverpool did not have many players who genuinely lifted the occasion, and Salah plainly did.

Robertson's send-off was even more emotional in tone. His Premier League season rating was 6.74 across 24 appearances, so the full-mark treatment in the written ratings was clearly tied to the occasion and the energy of the performance rather than cold season-long consistency.

Doyle's verdict was even more direct: "Andy Robertson 10

Enjoyed his final game with a trademark all-action performance in both directions and one shot blocked first half. Lost Schade the equaliser but who cares - what a servant for Liverpool he has been. Subbed."

That last line matters. Robertson did lose Kevin Schade for the goal, so the farewell was not flawless in a strict football sense. But if the purpose of ratings is to reflect what actually defined the game, the emotional weight of his night was part of the story.

The draw also summed up Liverpool's bigger problem

The farewell angle should not hide the more familiar issue. Liverpool went 1-0 up and still failed to win.

Jones scored after half-time and Brentford were level six minutes later when Schade equalised. Amanda Langell's line in Sports Illustrated was sharp and accurate: "The Reds had full control until a momentary lapse—for the umpteenth time this season—cost them dearly."

That is hard to argue with given the sequence of the game. Liverpool had the chance to give two major players a clean finish and instead turned it into another reminder of why the season fell short of bigger targets.

There is also a small but important bit of context around the table. One source frames fifth place as enough for the final Champions League berth, while the contested note in the brief points out that some match coverage can blur whether that was only confirmed by full-time or effectively already secure. The safe conclusion is the verified one: Liverpool finished fifth after the 1-1 draw.

What the final day actually said about this team

This was not a stirring team performance rescued by cruel luck. It was a decent spell, one good goal, then another concession that felt familiar.

Alisson and others were not the centre of the ratings conversation because the night belonged to the departing stars. That is understandable, but it also says something about the wider squad display. Outside Salah, Robertson and goalscorer Jones, this was a fairly ordinary finish.

Arne Slot inherits a side that still had enough to finish fifth, but not enough to close the season strongly. For this match, though, the individual verdicts were the point. Salah left with one final assist, Robertson left with the warmest rating on the page, and Liverpool left Anfield with a draw against Brentford and fifth place confirmed.

FAQ

Why were Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson rated so highly against Brentford?

[Mohamed Salah](player:mohamed-salah) provided the assist for [Curtis Jones](player:curtis-jones) after half-time and was described by Ian Doyle as determined to put on a show in his final appearance. [Andrew Robertson](player:andrew-robertson) was praised for a trademark all-action display in both directions in his final game, even though he lost [Kevin Schade](player:kevin-schade) for the equaliser.

Did Liverpool qualify for the Champions League despite drawing with Brentford?

The brief frames it two ways. One source says [Liverpool](club:liverpool) finished fifth and claimed the final Champions League qualification berth. A contested note also flags that the match reporting can imply qualification was already secure before full-time. What is verified here is the 1-1 draw with [Brentford](club:brentford) and a fifth-place finish.

Who scored in Liverpool's draw with Brentford on the final day?

[Curtis Jones](player:curtis-jones) tapped in the opener after half-time for [Liverpool](club:liverpool), with [Mohamed Salah](player:mohamed-salah) supplying the assist on his last appearance. [Kevin Schade](player:kevin-schade) equalised for [Brentford](club:brentford) six minutes later.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →