Liverpool players appeared to be falling like flies, with Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota both leaving the Gtech Community Stadium pitch in the first half with injuries.
But Jurgen Klopp's side prevailed, producing a delightful attacking performance that maintains pole position in the Premier League after 25 matches, dispatching Brentford 4-1.
The injury-hit Reds are indeed scrapping for fitness right now but it did not matter against Thomas Frank's team, who were brushed aside by some clinical finishing, not exactly helping themselves with some questionable defensive awareness at times.
Darwin Nunez opened the scoring with a delicious chipped finish after latching onto Jota's placed header in the centre, with the returning Mohamed Salah lapping up a goal and assist apiece after the break to remind English football of his world-class ability.
There were some lovely attacking sequences and even nicer goals to take Liverpool one step closer to the Premier League title, but for all the offensive efforts it was the unseen work of Virgil van Dijk in central defence that secured victory, standing firm and stamping his dominance into the defensive third.
Virgil van Dijk's performance vs Brentford
On his 250th appearance for Liverpool, Van Dijk produced a colossal display in the rearguard, captaining his side to a convincing victory over a Brentford side desperate for some respite, pulled ever closer to the dreaded dotted line after a dismal run of form.
In the later stage, Ivan Toney might have bagged his fourth goal in five Premier League matches since returning from long-term suspension, but it was too little too late as Liverpool's incisive attacks overpowered the Bees.
Vital was the command of Van Dijk in defence, allowing the Salah's and Nunez's of Liverpool's team to bypass Mark Flekken's net.
As per Sofascore, the Netherlands star won 100% of his aerial duels and lost possession just seven times on a successful afternoon in the capital, completing 90% of his passes from 80 touches and creating one big chance for his forward-surging peers.
The towering titan also rattled the crossbar with a last-gasp header following Andy Robertson's corner in what would have cherry-topped a commanding effort, but it wasn't to be on this occasion.
Nonetheless, Van Dijk illustrated once again why he stakes a very good claim for the accolade of the Premier League's finest centre-half, with The Athletic's James Pearce heralding him as Liverpool's "most transformative signing" in modern history post-match.
Writing in his post-match player ratings, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle handed the 32-year-old an 8/10 match rating for his display, writing: 'Solid enough and helped Liverpool repel Brentford threat at set-pieces first half and initiated opener. No-nonsense when required after break and dominated in the air, hitting crossbar in injury time.'
It is concerning that Liverpool have been hit with a deluge of injury concerns in the prelude to next weekend's Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, but with Van Dijk producing such iron-clad showings in defence, there is every chance that the Reds will succeed in their silver-laced ambitions this term.