Liverpool 4 Fulham 3
This seemed like it should be a routine win on paper as Jurgen Klopp’s side welcomed Fulham to Anfield, a team who had not won on the road since the opening weekend of the season. Alisson was missing for The Reds due to injury, so Kelleher stepped into the breach for the hosts.
Liverpool had the ball in the back of the net when Leno spilled a Szoboszlai shot and Diaz followed up but the keeper blocked his path. The ball spilled out and Mohamed Salah slotted into the empty net but Diaz was flagged for offside.
The hosts continued to press and as Szoboszlai skipped past a defender he hacked him to the ground. Alexander-Arnold stepped up and struck the free kick, hitting the underside of the crossbar, deflecting off the back of the sprawling Leno and into the goal.
Matip then played a loose pass, intercepted by Robinson. He played a one-two and got down the left flank, drilling a low cross into the box. Ex-Liverpool youngster Wilson touched the ball in at the front post to equalise, much against the run of play.
Credit: @LFC
The replay shows that stand-in keeper Kelleher should have done better as the ball went through his legs. Klopp will be concerned about his side letting their opponents back into a game that they had failed to register a single shot in.
That was soon to be forgotten as Alexis Mac Allister was to score his first Liverpool goal and it was well worth the wait. The Argentinian drilled one into the ‘top bins’ from some twenty-five yards out to send the Anfield crowd into raptures.
In added time in the first half, The Cottagers forced a corner. As the ball was flicked on, Tete got a touch to it and once again the Liverpool keeper failed to deal with the effort. Kelleher doesn’t get much game time in the first team and it was certainly showing.
Fulham went on to score a third goal before the interval but Ream was adjudged to be in an offside position before scoring. The replays showed it was the correct decision, he started his run a little too early and had strayed into an offside position.
Marco Silva’s side were growing in confidence and after the break they streamed forward once again. As Liverpool struggled to clear their lines, Szoboszlai won the ball back and fed it to Salah. The Egyptian only had one thing on his mind as he sprinted towards the Fulham goal.
Salah laid it off to Nunez to his right, who as ever, put his foot through the ball. His effort came thundering back off the underside of the bar, so close. Sometimes you wonder why no one at Liverpool is teaching the Uruguayan how to add a defter finish to his game.
Credit: @LFC
Szoboszlai was pulling all the strings for the hosts and he played a searching pass from the touchline, near halfway, finding Salah perfectly. The Egyptian King headed it into the path of Nunez who fluffed his lines and scuffed his effort wide of the goal.
As Klopp’s side kept knocking on the door, a move broke down and Fulham broke with Cairney. Eventually the ball was worked to Willian out wide who gave it back to the midfielder who stood a cross up to the back post. De Cordova-Reid met it with a towering header at the back post to score.
With only ten minutes left in the game, the visitors had punished Liverpool’s defensive frailties in this game and seemed to be heading towards a memorable win. Opposing fans up and down the country were no doubt fist-pumping the air as they saw the update.
The Reds piled on the pressure looking for an equaliser. As an Alexander-Arnold corner found the head of Diaz, Leno made a great save but the ball rebounded to Salah with an open goal to aim for. Incredibly, the Liverpool goal-machine blazed his effort over the bar.
It seemed as though it was just not going to be their day. In a game that they should have been comfortably leading, it looked as though Jurgen Klopp’s side were about to taste defeat at home for the first time this campaign.
Just as Fulham thought they were approaching the finishing line, Nunez flicked the ball down to Salah who laid the ball back to Endo, and his side-footed shot went into the top corner with Anfield erupting. With only three minutes of normal time remaining The Reds had finally got their goal.
Liverpool were not done there and as Gakpo came striding forward, he got into the box and smashed a shot at goal, only to see Leno save. Nunez lifted it back into the danger area and Fulham could only half-clear the ball.
Alexander-Arnold controlled it on his thigh before rifling his effort into the bottom corner. The roof nearly came off the stadium as every Liverpool player sprinted to the corner flag to celebrate with the goalscorer. What drama!
It was a huge three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side in a game they were losing with only minutes left in the game. Marco Silva will feel empty inside with the manner of the defeat but he knows the German’s side play until the last kick of the game.
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