In the 22nd round of the Premier League, Liverpool hosted promoted Mabrentford, and with goals from Fabinho, Chamberlain and Takushi Minamino, the Reds finally won 3-0, surpassing Chelsea to climb to second place in the Premier League table after one game less. During the match, Brazilian center Firmino's selfless assist for takumi Mino for his birthday made countless Reds fans moved.
Salah and Mane are still struggling to return in the Africa Cup of Nations, with Jota, Firmino and rotating starting Chamberlain forming Liverpool's forward trident. In the first leg of the two teams, the Reds were forced to draw 3-3 by the opponents on the road, and after the start of the game, Brentford was not willing to show weakness, they used active scrambling and hard defense to make it difficult for the Reds to get a comfortable shooting opportunity. It wasn't until the 44th minute of the first half that Fabinho received a corner assist header from Alexander-Arnold to break the deadlock and End the first half with a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Liverpool's attack did not decrease, and in the 69th minute, left-back Robertson crossed the penalty area diagonally, and Chamberlain wrapped up the header in place to expand the score. In the 73rd minute, Japanese striker Takumi Minano, who was celebrating his 27th birthday, came into the squad to replace Oxlade-Chamberlain, and just three minutes later, Liverpool finally snatched the ball by Firmino through an active frontcourt, and in the case of being able to shoot himself, he passed the ball to the feet of Takushi Minamino next to him, who pushed the goal. After scoring, Firmino carried Takumi Minano on his back to celebrate the birthday man's goal and birthday. It is worth mentioning that this is also the first time that the two strikers have joined forces to score in the Premier League.
At the moment when Firmino picked up Takushi Mino, there seemed to be angels flying over Anfield. So far this season, the Brazilian striker has only played 12 Premier League games, including only 5 starts, and even if it is a game, there are only 4 goals and 3 assists. With Jota's momentum, Firmino is no longer the forward attacking core of the Red Arrow Trident that combines shooting, passing and organization, and he is more of a surprise on the bench. And rumors about his departure are also increasing. Also when the contract expires in the summer of 2023, everyone is talking about Salah's renewal of the contract, but there is almost no mention of Firmino.
In fact, since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2015, Firmino has been the most secure of the team, and the one who is the most determined to execute the coach's tactical intentions. After Coutinho's departure, he took on most of the offensive organizational tasks, but also maintained a decent goal scoring rate. Even if the main position is not guaranteed now, Firmino still maintains the heart of a child, does not complain, does not make a fuss, as long as there is a chance to play, he will spare no effort. This selfless assist is actually Firmino's normal operation. It is a blessing for Liverpool to have such a player, and how can you not love this high-quality player!