Liverpool reignite title challenge with win at Fulham
DIO-GOAL: Liverpool's Diogo Jota celebrates with team-mates after scoring their side's third goal. Photo credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.
LIVERPOOL recovered their poise and reignited their Premier League title ambitions with a clinical victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Following their midweek European exit and a surprise home defeat by Crystal Palace, Jurgen Klopp will be reassured that his remaining month at Anfield will not now fade away in a blur of meaningless fixtures.
Goals by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota sent Liverpool back up to second place, level on points with Arsenal.
Klopp’s team selection, leaving Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez on the bench, was justified by the industrious nature of the performance their understudies served up.
Apart from a fourth-minute Luis Diaz header which glanced just wide of the far post, the early part of the game lacked much of the intensity that often characterises matches at Craven Cottage.
That was in part because of Fulham’s withdrawn formation, unwilling to expose their central defenders to Liverpool’s ability to find their midfield runners.
As a consequence, Liverpool searched for diagonal passes to release Luis Diaz on the right wing. A sound tactic, but one which kept the contest at arm’s length.
It was noticeable how much Harvey Elliott, Fulham’s youngest-ever first-team player when he made his debut as a 15-year-old in September 2018, was booed mercilessly by the Fulham faithful for his decision to leave Craven Cottage for Anfield the following summer.
When Joao Palhinha was decreed to have bundled over Cody Gakpo in the 27th minute, it did at least give Elliott the opportunity to serve up a sweet response to the jeers.
Instead, he did little more than dribble his left-foot effort into the bottom of the Fulham wall and heap even greater derision upon himself.
When Liverpool were awarded a second free-kick four minutes later, to the left of centre this time, Alexander-Arnold demonstrated the apparent ease with which a dead ball can be lifted over a wall at pace.
Fulham keeper Bernd Leno might have known what was coming, but he was still left flailing at thin air as the ball flew past him.
Fulham, firmly entrenched in the Premier League hinterland and comfortably shielded from both the relegation battle and the squabble for European places, had offered little going forward at that point.
With their containment policy rendered defunct by Liverpool’s goal, scoring suddenly became a necessity rather than a luxury.
Two chances in three minutes fell to Rodrigo Muniz, the first swivelling onto Antonee Robinson’s cross but ballooning his shot high into the stand.
The second arrived at his feet eight yards out after Alex Iwobi had brought the ball forward. On this occasion Muniz found Alisson advancing towards him and could not force his shot under the Liverpool keeper’s body.
As if realising they could cause their opponents problems, Fulham became more insistent as half-time approached. They drew level 30 seconds after Andreas Pereira had curled a free-kick inches over the Liverpool bar.
When the ball was eventually crossed back in, Muniz first missed the ball with his head, then found Jarell Quansah blocking his second attempt. The ball ricocheted back into the path of Timothy Castagne who struck his shot low and true into the bottom corner.
The second period began with another horrible moment for Elliott, screwing his mishit shot wide.
With so many of his first-choice attacking players on the bench, it was a question of how long Jurgen Klopp could afford to wait to introduce them.
The question was answered by Elliott after 53 minutes. The midfielder cut out a cross-field Iwobi pass and slipped the ball to Ryan Gravenberch whose whipped shot had the pace to beat Leno.
Unlike in the first half, Fulham’s response was muted, partly because of a lack of ambition, but more because of Liverpool’s technical superiority in controlling possession of the ball.
They didn’t appear to need a third goal, but scored one anyway when Gakpo pressed forward before slipping the ball to Diogo Jota to cut his shot beyond the reach of Leno.
The final 20 minutes passed without incident, a welcome relief to Klopp given his side’s harrowing week.
Leno 6; Castagne 7, Tosin 7, Bassey 6, Robinson 6; Iwobi 6 (Traore 85, 6), Lukic 5, Palhinha 6 (Cairney 71, 6), De Cordova-Reid 5 (Wilson 71, 6); Pereira 7; Muniz 5.
Rodak, Tete, Reed, Ream, Traore, Broja, Jimenez.
Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 8 (Gomez 80, 6), Quansah 6, van Dijk 6, Robertson 7; Endo 6, Gravenberch 7 (Mac Allister 74, 6); Diaz 7 (Salah 75, 6), Elliott 7, Gakpo 8 (Szoboszlai 87, 6); Jota 7 (Nunez 75, 6).
Kelleher, Konate, Jones.
Craig Pawson.
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