Liverpool back in the groove with win over Fulham
LONG GOODBYE: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their side's second goal. Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire.
Liverpool's fans are revolting. But at least things have started to improve on the pitch - thanks to a 17-year-old winger who gave the Kop something to really get excited about.
On an evening when Anfield's multitudes made their feelings clear about a hike in ticket prices in each of the next three seasons, Rio Ngumoha produced a timely reminder that quality doesn't always have to come at a price.
Ngumoha, who cost less than £3million in development fees two years ago, when he decided his future was with Liverpool rather than Chelsea, scored a sensational opening goal to quieten rumblings of discontent that were being aimed in equal measure at the Fenway Sports Group and Arne Slot's underperforming players.
He also played a big role in the move that ended with Mohamed Salah doubling Liverpool's lead in their very next attack. Suddenly, it feels like there is a break in the clouds that have gathered over L4 this season.
At the end of a week in which it was confirmed the top-five places in the Premier League will be rewarded by qualification into the Champions League, the Reds have opened up a four-point gap on sixth-placed Chelsea, who face Manchester City on Sunday afternoon with the sweet smell of the title back in Pep Guardiola's nostrils.
Still, it will take much more than this for Slot's team to stay in Europe's elite club competition this season. Liverpool face Paris St Germain on Tuesday night having been taught a lesson in the French capital in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
The reigning European champions should really be home and hosed. If Slot can somehow mastermind a performance good enough to overturn a two-goal deficit it would add more weight to his belief that he will still be at Anfield beyond the summer.
The Dutchman seemed to have another famous European night in mind with his team selection. Both Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak started on the bench, despite this being a game the champions had to win after three successive defeats in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Home fans reacted to the rise in ticket prices by refusing to wave their usual banners. A call for all food and drink to be bought and consumed outside the ground was also widely heeded.
And while there was a rousing rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before kick-off, it seemed a member of of the Spirit of Shankly fans' union must have pressed a mute button as part of the protests as the first half meandered.
It needed Ngumoha to blow away the apathy. This was only his second start in the Premier League, but he had Fulham's Belgian international right-back Timothy Castagne in a world of trouble.
After Salah had forced Cottagers' keeper Bernd Leno into a flying early save, home fans felt that Oscar Bobb's tangle with Ngumoha was worthy of a penalty. Referee Anthony Taylor didn't agree.
Fulham have won just twice at Anfield in 115 years. Marco Silva's team, themselves still in with a chance of qualifying for Europe, were just starting to offer some threat of their own when Ngumoha scored in the 36th minute.
The teenager took Florian Wirtz's pass wide on the left before leaving the back-peddling Castagne guessing by swaying one way and then the other. When the gap the winger was waiting for suddenly appeared, he curled a crisp shot past Leno's left hand and the far post.
When Ngumoha got the chance to tease Castagne again four minutes later, this time he sent in a cross that was nursed into Salah's path by Cody Gakpo, and the Egyptian found the far corner with a sweet sweep of his left foot.
Fulham made two changes at the break and substitute Emile Smith Rowe should have really tested Liverpool's nerves in the last 12 minutes only to side-foot a volley wide from six yards.
(4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili 6; Frimpong 7 (Gomez 69, 5), Konate 6, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 7; Szoboszlai 7, Jones 6 (Gravenberch 46, 6); Salah 7 (Nyoni 90), Wirtz 7 (Mac Allister 68, 5), Ngumoha 8 (Isak 69, 5); Gakpo 6.
(4-2-3-1) Leno 7; Castagne 5, Andersen 6, Bassey 6, Robinson 5 (Sessegnon 69, 5); Berge 6, Iwobe 6; Wilson 6 (Chukwueze 80), King 5 (Smith-Rowe 46, 6), Bobb 5 (Lukic 46, 6) Muniz 5 (Jimenez 80).
: Anthony Taylor.
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