Liverpool’s hopes of pulling clear at the top of the Premier League table took a major blow as they fell to a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Reds came into the game knowing victory would put them 14 points ahead of rivals Arsenal, but a string of costly defensive errors saw Arne Slot’s side leave empty-handed.
Liverpool made the perfect start when Alexis Mac Allister fired them into an early lead with a stunning long-range strike that left Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno with no chance. However, their advantage was short-lived as Ryan Sessegnon capitalised on a defensive mix-up to level the game just nine minutes later.
Fulham grew in confidence and took full advantage of Liverpool’s vulnerability at the back. Alex Iwobi put the home side ahead after intercepting a poor pass from Andy Robertson and calmly finishing after a fortunate deflection. Moments later, Rodrigo Muniz extended Fulham’s lead, overpowering Virgil van Dijk and slotting the ball through Caoimhin Kelleher’s legs.
Liverpool tried to mount a late comeback and managed to reduce the deficit through Luis Diaz in the 72nd minute. The Colombian showed great composure to finish from close range after a clever assist from Conor Bradley, who impressed on his return from injury.
Despite applying late pressure, Liverpool couldn’t find an equaliser, with star forward Mohamed Salah struggling to make an impact on the game. Remarkably, this was only the second time all season Salah failed to register a shot on target in the Premier League – the first also coming against Fulham.
The result leaves Liverpool frustrated and questioning their defensive frailties, as Fulham earned a deserved victory with a clinical and hard-working performance in front of their home fans.
