Rodrigo Muniz (centre) put Fulham 3-1 up on Liverpool (HENRY NICHOLLS)
Liverpool slumped to simply their second Premier League defeat of the season as Fulham struck 3 times in 14 first-half minutes to spice up their very own European ambitions with a 3-2 win on Sunday.
Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday left Liverpool needing simply 11 factors from their remaining eight video games to safe a record-equalling twentieth English top-flight title.
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Arne Slot’s males have been unbeaten in 26 league video games and appeared set to take one other step in direction of the title when Alexis Mac Allister’s beautiful strike opened the scoring.
However poor defending allowed Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and Rodrigo Muniz to show the sport round for Fulham.
“It isn’t typically we concede three objectives not to mention in a single recreation or quarter-hour,” stated Slot.
“Conceding three objectives like we did shouldn’t be of the requirements of Liverpool.”
Liverpool nonetheless take pleasure in an 11-point lead on the high with seven video games remaining.
Victory lifts Fulham to eighth and inside three factors of the highest 5, which is nearly sure to be sufficient for a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League.
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“Our first half was actually at a excessive degree. To have the ability to have 10 pictures and rating three objectives within the first half,” stated Fulham boss Marco Silva. “We had a superb dynamic, good tempo, excessive vitality.”
Regardless of a stellar first season below Slot, Liverpool have proven indicators of slowing down in current weeks and got here off the rails in west London.
After a Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain and League Cup remaining defeat to Newcastle, Liverpool edged out Everton 1-0 in a feisty Merseyside derby on Wednesday to get again to profitable methods.
However the Reds seem like working out of steam after difficult in 4 competitions for many of the season.
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Mac Allister’s blistering long-range strike into the highest nook after 14 minutes gave Liverpool the dream begin.
– Sloppy defending –
The Reds then wilted within the Craven Cottage sunshine, with a collection of particular person errors resulting in Fulham’s three quickfire objectives.
Curtis Jones, deputising out of place at right-back, failed to regulate Andreas Pereira’s cross and the ball fell kindly for Sessegnon to fireside house his third purpose in 5 video games.
Andy Robertson then had a nightmare for Fulham’s second.
The Scotland captain gave away possession deep in Liverpool territory, then might solely head an tried clearance into the trail of Iwobi, whose shot deflected in off Robertson.
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The usually unflappable Virgil van Dijk was at fault for the third as Muniz outmuscled the Dutchman and produced a superb low end below Caoimhin Kelleher.
Diogo Jota was denied by Bernd Leno early within the second half with an enormous likelihood to scale back Liverpool’s deficit.
It was not till Slot turned to his bench to introduce Luis Diaz, Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott that the guests sparked into life.
Mohamed Salah has not scored in his final 4 league video games and wasted an enormous likelihood to interrupt that drought when he turned Diaz’s inviting cross over.
Bradley teed up Diaz to search out the underside nook and arrange a grandstand end 18 minutes from time.
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Elliott hit the bar in opposition to his former membership as Liverpool pushed in useless for an equaliser late on.
“The second half efficiency was excellent. We had probabilities, however in the long run we lacked time,” added Slot.
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