Less than a month since starting the season with five straight wins, Liverpool’s title defence has come off the rails as the defensive frailties in Arne Slot’s side were brutally exposed by Brentford.
Dango Ouattara hooked in from a long throw after just five minutes to set the tone and Kevin Schade added a second just before half-time at the end of a slick counter-attack that cut the visitors wide open.
Milos Kerkez halved Liverpool’s deficit before Igor Thiago’s penalty restored Brentford’s two-goal cushion.
Mohamed Salah ended his six-game Liverpool goal drought in spectacular fashion late on, but could not dig the Reds out of trouble.
Liverpool slip to sixth and could be seven points adrift of Arsenal by Sunday should the leaders beat Crystal Palace.
It took nearly a year under Ruben Amorim for United to win back-to-back league games but have now won three in a row after ending Brighton’s run of success at Old Trafford.
The Seagulls had won on their previous three visits amid a run of six wins in seven league games against United.
There are signs of the Red Devils’ £200 million trio of attacking additions in the transfer window, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, beginning to click.
Cunha curled in his first goal for the club from outside the box before Casemiro’s deflected effort doubled United’s lead before half-time.
Sesko then teed up Mbeumo to fire in at the near post.
Danny Welbeck’s brilliant free-kick and Charalampos Kostoulas’ header set up a nervy finale.
But Mbeumo smashed home his second goal to seal the points in the 97th minute.
“The performance was important but it would not be Manchester United without suffering a bit,” said Amorim.
United surge ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham into the Champions League places and within three points of leaders Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Sunderland’s dream return to the top flight after an eight-year absence goes on after a 2-1 win at Chelsea lifted the Black Cats up to second.
Chelsea looked like they would be the side to go second in the table when Alejandro Garnacho drilled in his first goal for the club after just four minutes.
Sunderland levelled midway through the first half when Wilson Isidor bundled in from close range after Chelsea failed to clear a long throw-in.
The visitors comfortably held the Club World Cup winners at bay in the second period before landing the sucker punch on the counter-attack in the 93rd minute when Brian Brobbey teed up Chemsdine Talbi to curl perfectly into the bottom corner.
Defeat leaves Chelsea in seventh with their title challenge fading fast.
“We were not good enough and in the Premier League the consequences can be bad,” said Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
“If you want to be there (challenging for the title), you need consistency.”
Newcastle beat Fulham 2-1 thanks to captain Bruno Guimaraes’ 90th minute strike at St. James’ Park.
Saka Lukic had cancelled out Jacob Murphy’s opener for the Magpies.
But Marco Silva’s men fell to a fourth consecutive defeat that leaves them hovering just above the relegation zone.
Guimaraes swept home the rebound after Bernd Leno had saved William Osula’s initial effort to propel Newcastle up to 11th. (AFP)
