defence

Who noticed this coming? The 27,000 at Craven Cottage definitely didn’t, such was the state of utter stupefaction within the stands on a spring afternoon to recollect in south-west London. had been each dazzling and dogged and, indisputably, deserved winners. For champions-in-waiting , although, it was merely a day to overlook. One to jot down off. By extension for his or her defence, the opening interval noticed an utter implosion from all corners.

However right here’s the factor: it mustn’t matter. Liverpool’s terrific league season thus far has given them an enormous margin for error. Their 11-point buffer to Arsenal in second with seven matches to go continues to be a near-insurmountable benefit and it’s extraordinarily possible that they may nonetheless win their second league title in 35 years by the tip of the month. However their satisfaction took a hell of a kicking right here on the shores of the Thames.

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Their 26-game unbeaten run within the Premier League? Gone. Slot’s undefeated away league document since taking cost? Worn out. In the end maybe, in a defence nonetheless with out the injured and seemingly Actual Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold, it maybe sport Slot a lesson, a reminder, of the place reinforcements are wanted in the summertime window. For , it might be an error-strewn show – versus a group he was – which forces the Reds to behave within the switch market.

Andy Robertson was at fault for Fulham’s second purpose on a day to overlook for Liverpool’s defence (Getty Photos)

However to overanalyse Liverpool’s leggy show would do an impressed Fulham a disservice. Marco Silva has bought the Cottagers chasing European soccer, along with his gamers flourishing in an easy-on-the-eye fluid system of play, beneath the lights of their scintillating new Riverside stand. Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and a flash of sheer brilliance from Rodrigo Muniz received this sport in a barely plausible 15-minute first-half spell, rendering Alexis Mac Allister’s beautiful opener a distant reminiscence.

The entire back-line for the guests – Jones, Konate, Van Dijk and Robertson – endured particular person clangers. Arms had been outstretched. Heads had been bowed. The hero of the day, nevertheless? Fulham centre-back Calvin Bassey was excellent, along with his barnstorming ahead runs and talent to smell out any risk in behind. Notably, he received each one-on-one battle up in opposition to the toothless . A person-of-the-match show, from a cult hero in these components.

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As sudden because the goal-laden first-half was, current historical past advised us in any other case. These two break up 11 targets throughout each matches final season and there have been 4 targets in December, in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Anfield. By half-time, they’d matched that tally. The one shock was that it was Fulham with three of them.

Liverpool’s man of composure within the center Mac Allister, maybe surprisingly within the beginning XI after that horror deal with from James Tarkowski within the midweek derby, opened the scoring early on: a rasping right-footed strike past Bernd Leno, and all of it regarded sunshine and roses for the travelling Liverpool followers. “We’re going to win the league,” they abruptly sang. They wouldn’t be singing it once more.

Sessegnon, Fulham’s home-grown winger, equalised 9 minutes later, capitalising on Curtis Jones’ skewed clearance by beating the laboured Van Dijk to the punch and connecting exquisitely on the run along with his left foot. It was previous Caoimhin Kelleher immediately.

Fulham claimed a memorable 3-2 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool at Craven Cottage (Getty Photos)

Ryan Sessegnon scored Fulham’s equaliser (Getty Photos)

Ten minutes later, Fulham would take the lead by way of Robertson’s second of calamity. The Scottish left-back misfired a horrid crossfield go on the again, gifting the ball to Iwobi, after which compounded the error as he tried to return throughout and block the shot. A deflection, a purpose and the league leaders regarded in a state of utter bemusement.

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And nothing epitomised Liverpool’s limp first-half greater than their captain Virgil Van Dijk, arms outstretched in bewilderment at each flip, and explicitly so when Muniz’s second of genius gave the hosts a two-goal half-time lead. The Fulham striker exquisitely took the ball from out of the sky with a first-touch flip, bamboozling and outmuscling the Dutch defender, earlier than squeezing the ball beneath Kelleher. Van Dijk remonstrated with referee Chris Kavanagh to no avail. In a flash, Liverpool had been two down.

For a group who had misplaced one Premier League sport all season, this was Liverpool’s worst half of league soccer beneath Arne Slot.

Rodrigo Muniz scored an excellent third purpose for Fulham (Getty Photos)

The Dutchman didn’t grasp about after the interval, bringing on Harvey Elliott and Luis Diaz minutes into the second-half, and the Colombian particularly supplied contemporary vigour on the left-hand aspect. He arrange Salah, purpose at his mercy, just for the out-of-form Premier League high scorer to balloon his end over the bar. The Egyptian is now goalless in 4 video games, his worst run in two years.

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Diaz would halve the deficit himself with 20 minutes to go – a poked end into the nook after a cool set-up by fellow substitute Conor Bradley – and Elliott rattled the crossbar in opposition to his former group late within the day. Even the barely-used attacker Federico Chiesa had a stoppage-time strike on purpose, well-saved by Leno.

But a sterile Liverpool show didn’t have the match-saving finale. It was Fulham’s day, as they near inside two factors of seventh place and a Europa Convention League spot. But for the Premier League leaders, the one solace is that this blip received’t value them within the run-in. However it is going to damage them.

Virgil van Dijk consoles Alexis Mac Allister on the finish of the sport (Getty Photos)