Premier League: Leeds win at West Ham in thriller & Liverpool beat Brentford - reaction

Today's winners.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Andrew Humphrey: Got to get it 100% right this time. Questions about Potter last year have been answered, he’s ready to push on. Rooney more of a gamble but what a payoff if he works out.

There is not much positivity on the horizon. Everton have to stay in the division, which I think they will. They are lucky there are sides below them who are worse.

A lot of the players have not stood up, some performances have been woeful. You have personal pride whether you like the manager or not.

Speaking to Match of the Day, West Ham boss David Moyes said: "Leeds have two games [extra] to play and we had one so I can't see why Leeds didn't play in midweek, but we were made to play ours. The players have done so well but today we didn't perform.

"Playing Leeds twice is really difficult but also then you squeeze in a Premier League game too, which wasn't needed. The Premier League aren’t getting it right at the moment.

"The other managers will tell you how hard it is to play against the effort and energy of Leeds. We then get a game put in and I find it hard to accept but the game has taken place and we didn’t play well enough to win the game and we have to accept that. We got caught on the ball a couple of times.

"Maybe we didn’t deserve the draw but we had opportunities ourselves. The players have put in some great work but we have had some injuries and Covid as well."

On Jarrod Bowen's late miss: "I have had a look at it and I can't see why he couldn't go with his head. This was a simple one and I don't know many players that score with their chest but he has been playing very well and he scored another one today, so there is no criticism of him."

On potential transfers this month: "The club and the board are happy for me to bring people in but it's up to me to find the right players. You want to bring good players where your own players think you are adding to the squad. You don't want to bring players that aren't going to make a lot of difference. I'm trying to be a bit picky."

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Brighton's Graham Potter to Everton?

You never know someone’s motivations. I would be very surprised to see Potter leave Brighton. Maybe down the line he would have bigger fish to fry given how well he is doing.

Everton have to be careful on not just focusing on who comes in. You are talking about the structure, the philosophy and having something in place that does not get broken every time a manager goes.

There was no way Rafa Benitez was surviving this situation and everyone could see it. If I was Lucas Digne’s agent, I would have said ‘hold fire, he’ll be gone in a couple of weeks.

I worked for him. Rafa was hard work. He is not a man-manager. He is cold – that does not excite me to go into a building. To come back from China and go to your former rivals... It just did not work for me.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank to BBC Sport: "The first 60 minutes were great. The way we defended and pressed, kept our discipline... Liverpool created nothing in open play, and that is a big statement. But we can’t concede from the corner. If you want to get a big result at a place like this you can’t do this.

"The players showed great mentality. Until the second goal we were very much in the game, we have to take the moments we create if we want to take something from the game.

"The third goal was totally avoidable and we have to do better. At this moment we are disappointed, but we will evaluate and move on to face Manchester United on Wednesday."

Speaking to Match of the Day, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa said: "I think it was a beautiful game and very representative of the Premier League. It was a very tight triumph but it was deserved.

"The differences were small but I think we did enough to deserve it and it’s a victory for the players. The way they fought, they deserved to win the game. It was moving from my point of view."

On Jack Harrison's performance: "I'm very happy for him. He puts in a lot of effort. Today the performance of Raphinha, Harrison and Dan James was good. They complimented each other very well and we had an offensive capacity we didn’t have in the last game.

"It was good Rodrigo could play 30 minutes today because it has been a while since he played and he needs that match fitness back."

Brentford manager Thomas Frank to BBC Sport: "We were unbeliveable in the first half against one of the best teams in the world. We kept them quiet. If we had gone to half time 0-0 it would have been a different story, but if we want to get points here we can’t concede from set pieces.

"We had the chance with Bryan Mbuemo and then they came down the other end - fantastic cross, fantastic finish - and that killed the game.

"Until the second goal, it showed if we keep our discipline, keep pressing, defend well in the low block, we can match some of the best.

"This is a big occasion, playing in one of the most iconic places in the world, but you have to enjoy it for 30 seconds before the game is on and then you only really enjoy it if you win."

Results have been poor, performance levels were below poor. It was a strange appointment. Everton fans did not want Rafael Benitez. It was only a matter of time.

I don’t know what the plan was. They got rid of the head of medical, Director of Football Marcel Brands left and it looked like Rafa was in control of everything.

It was never going to end well and there is a lot to sort out at Everton.

Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson: "Every team who has managed to get points of Brentford has had to be patient. They are a quality, well-organised team.

"We had a good few chances in the first half and we knew we could hurt them potentially on set pieces. That goal settled the crowd and I thought in the second half we were pretty dominant.

"It could have been a couple more. Diogo Jota hit the post, Bobby Firmino had a few chances."

On the second goal that he assisted: "Alex told me that he was getting the run at the back post if I hit it early, so he would have got an earful if he wasn’t there for it!"

On the title race: "Man Ciy are a fantastic team – one of the best in Premier League history – we have closed a bit, but we have to concentrate on winning games. The gap is too big to be looking at for the moment. We are up against one of the best and we will give it a go and try and pick up as many points as possible."

West Ham boss David Moyes, speaking to Sky Sports: "Don't expect me to feel good about it, do you? I have to give credit to the players to play Leeds last week and then a game in midweek. An excuse? Maybe but a bit of a fair one.

"People who play against Leeds will know the intensity you need to play. We knew we had them in the league after the FA Cup but then the Premier League stuck the game in midweek.

"We found it difficult to get prepared quickly. We made mistakes, no-one else's fault but there were other reasons for it as well.

"We have not been talking about fourth, we have been talking about chasing the teams in the top four. The players have been having a good go at it, today we were short but there were some mitigating circumstances.

"He [Jarrod Bowen] should have scored with his head but he has been playing really well. It was probably easier to score than miss.

"We had no games rearranged. The only game rearranged was Norwich because they had Covid. I can't understand the Premier League squeezing a game in. Leeds had two games to fit in. Why did they squeeze ours in but not their's?"

More from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to Sky: "It was good. Brentford are uncomfortable to play against. They had incredible amount of long balls. Our job was to be ready for these moments and to calm the situation down. We did really well.

"The big strengths of Brentford are set-pieces. They are tricky to defend and they have a lot of routines. You have to defend them in the right areas. We had really good set-pieces again today. In the second half we struggled a little when they took more risks. We had to adapt to that. They had a big chance and could have scored. We adapted, scored wonderful goals and won the game."

On talk about missing Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane: "It's completely normal. We knew it would happen when the boys went away. It's really helpful the result today to calm these discussions down a little bit. You're right, I understand the thoughts behind it but they are not here so we don't talk about the boys who are not in. We find ways to break the opponents down. We wish the boys in Africa the best of luck. We were celebrating when Mo scored last night and Sadio the other day. We wish all of them to win the tournament which unfortunately is impossible."

On 350th game with Liverpool: "I'm happy. When I arrived in 2015, the picture looked completely different. It has been intense times since then. Each little thing you do is really worth it because of the size, and the emotion of this club. It is like a family. We want to stay like this. You are not always lucky. I am lucky. We are far away from finishing the book so we will keep writing and see where we end up."

Rafa Benitez was always climbing a mountain. It looked like they were backing him, they let him sell Lucas Digne and sign players so to disregard that, well, it is an absolute shambles and there is no real candidate for someone to come in and guarantee success.

They are a massive club but with obvious massive problems.

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, speaking to Sky Sports: "Very frustrating. Not like our usual selves. We started the game poorly. They were right on the front foot. Their goal was a wake up call.

"We have got this far and doing really well. We are still in the top four at the minute. This was a big chance to close the gap on Chelsea in second, but that is football. It is about how you bounce back.

"We always take it one game at a time. We knew today was massive chance, it is a chance missed. Massive. It will be tough but one we are ready for and it is always an unbelievable chance to play at Old Trafford and try and get a result there.

"There were silly mistakes. Just down to mistakes today."

Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer to Sky Sports: "I think it's a game of two halves for us. In the first half we defended really well. They moved the ball well in the second half and we struggled. They keep the ball so well and attack with so many players. It is difficult but we have to do better across the 90 minutes.

"We know that they have the quality and that showed at the end. They don't need many chances to score and if you give them a few opportunities, they will take them."

On big occasions like this in the Premier League: "I love every single minute. It doesn't matter what team you play. You have to show yourselves and the quality we have. I look forward to every single game."

Leeds boss Marcelo Biesla, speaking to Sky Sports: "Typical Premier League game. It was good that it went in our favour but the margin was very close.

"It is a triumph for the players because of the effort they put in. The desire to win was very, very big.

"We had the idea we were lacking this in the last game. The type of game it was offered us spaces to take advantage.

"Very, very high performance [from Raphinha]. That improved James and Harrison. It offered them the chance to unbalance West Ham.

"It gets complicated because players come back and then we lose others. We will see how we can solve it.

"Bamford could be an option [for the next game], but also after a long period of inactivity and slightly less chance Shackleton and Roberts."