Hard, low and straight down the middle. There was nothing fancy about James Milner’s match-winning penalty, nothing fancy about the three points it secured for Liverpool, either. This was a bread and B*tter performance, the type it is said is the mark of champions.
Except it didn’t feel quite that way at times. This wasn’t so much Liverpool bravely gutsing it out, as Liverpool sluggishly letting Fulham back in.
If it wasn’t for the fact Fulham have found ways to self-sabotage all season, Liverpool would have dropped points here. So, yes, it leaves them two clear at the top of the Premier League, Manchester City having a game in hand, but that was about the only sight that would engender warm feelings of confidence in the travelling contingent.
MATCH FACTS, MATCH ZONE AND LIVE PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
FULHAM: (4-2-3-1) Rico 5; Fosu-Mensah 6 (Christie 74), Chambers 6.5, Ream 6.5, Bryan 6.5; Zambo 7, Seri 6.5 (Sessegnon 65, 6); Cairney 6.5 (Kebano 82), Ayite 6, Babel 6.5; Mitrovic 6.
SUBS NOT USED: Fabrico (GK); Odoi, McDonald, Vietto
GOALS: Babel (74)
BOOKINGS: Zambo (66), Bryan (90+4)
COACH: Scott Parker 6
LIVERPOOL: (4-3-3) Alisson 5.5; Alexander-Arnold 7.5, Matip 6.5, van Dijk 6.5, Robertson 7; Wijnaldum 6.5, Fabinho 7, Lallana 6.5 (Milner 73); Salah 6.5 (Sturridge 90), Firmino 6.5 (Origi 72), Mane 8.
SUBS NOT USED: Mignolet (GK); Lovren, Moreno, Shaqiri
GOALS: Mane (26), Milner (PEN 81)
BOOKINGS: Fabinho (39)
COACH: Jurgen Klopp 7
REFEREE: Craig Pawson
MAN OF THE MATCH: Sadio Mane
VENUE: Craven Cottage
ATTENDANCE: 25,043
‘Liverpool, top of the league,’ they sang. Yet the team they are holding off appear relentless, while Liverpool have been scrapping since the New Year.
Coming off the back of a difficult away fixture against Bayern Munich in midweek, Jurgen Klopp might have taken this result before the game. Whether he would have taken this performance, though, is another matter.
The huffing and puffing against a team surely destined for the Championship next season – Fulham are now 13 points off 17th-placed Burnley with a massively inferior goal difference and only seven games remaining – plus the chaos that led to Fulham’s equalising goal would be of concern to a manager fighting off any team, let alone one in the form of Manchester City.
The win displayed resilience but also Fulham’s fragility. Scott Parker is proving as unable to divert that downward path as Claudio Ranieri was.
On Sunday it was the rashness of otherwise excellent goalkeeper Sergio Rico that undid them. He had been impressive keeping Liverpool at bay for much of the game with good saves from Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson, but when Salah’s shot in the 81st minute bobbled around his area, his instinctive reaction was to wrap an arm around Sadio Mane to thwart his challenge for the loose ball.
Mane’s fall was not, in any way, natural; but he was fouled and it was enough to draw the attention of referee Craig Pawson. He pointed to the spot, Milner – on as a substitute for Adam Lallana after 72 minutes – did the honours.
It had been an eventful afternoon for Milner, who with almost his first touch, had contributed to the carnage that allowed Fulham’s goal.
There were at least three mistakes of significance in the build-up. Milner’s midfield miscue which put his defence under pressure, goalkeeper Alisson’s failure to respond to Van Dijk’s call to come and collect, then Van Dijk’s underpowered backpass header, which placed Alisson in a 50-50 with Ryan Babel.
The Fulham forward may look like a crazy Liverpool fan from the neck up, but he came very close to inflicting terrible damage on his former club.
He block tackled Alisson, won the ball, got a lucky bounce that held it up, and rolled it into the empty net. It was no more than Fulham deserved either, because Liverpool had very much allowed them to come out swinging after half-time.
Their best chance came on 68 minutes when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa struck a shot from 20 yards that Alisson did well to save but on any number of occasions Fulham’s breaks stretched Liverpool’s back line.
Van Dijk had Aleksandar Mitrovic well in hand, as expected, but that does not mean Fulham were without threat. No matter the opposition a single goal lead is fraught with danger and it wasn’t entirely startling to see the scores level after 74 minutes.
Mane hit the bar with a header from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner a minute before Babel scored but, for the most part, Fulham contained Liverpool against many expectations.
Joe Bryan in particular, was in excellent form facing Salah. Yet, as has so often been the case this season, the first breach of Fulham’s defence was a serious one, which left them chasing the game. The scorer? It’s that Mane again.
And what a lovely goal it was, too. Liverpool played it out from the back, Joel Matip to Andrew Robertson, who fed the ball into Mane on the left.
He is in the form of his Liverpool career, arguably his life, right now, and brimming with confidence he went dashing down the flank, slipping the ball to Roberto Firmino.
The Brazilian reached the by-line and cut it back for Mane, who had continued his run into the box. His first-time finish was the mark of a man who has now scored 11 goals in as many games in all competitions. Rico had no chance and all of Fulham’s good early work was undone.
Once Liverpool were in control they tried to take quick advantage forcing two chances almost immediately. Salah finally got free and unleashed a shot which Rico stopped but could not hold, claiming the ball at the hurried second attempt with Van Dijk lurking.
Soon after, Robertson burst through on the left and forced another fine save from Fulham’s goalkeeper. Liverpool were in charge, but without gaining sufficient distance, and the locals were quite happy with what they were seeing, even before the second half.
Babel certainly had his moments and outstripped Alexander-Arnold on the left flank – a rare aberration, the Liverpool man’s forward play and crossing was outstanding – cutting inside before finding captain Tom Cairney in a good shooting position. His finish was weak, however, and easily collected by Allison.
Fabinho was booked for a foul on Cairney just before half-time, further indication that Liverpool were not having it all their own way. Foul conditions – swirling winds, downpours and occasional hail showers – hardly helped.
At the end, victory secured, Klopp did his usual fist pumping celebration in front of the travelling fans but his comments, and those of his players, were less than triumphalist.
Liverpool’s next three matches are Tottenham and Chelsea at home, Southampton away. All winnable games but potentially troublesome opponents, too, and they will have to be better than this.
One glance at the league table shows the kind of opponents Fulham are. They find ways to lose. From here, Liverpool must find their own ways to win.
source:
www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6819327/Fulham-1-2-Liverpool-James-Milner-comes-Jurgen-Klopps-rescue-scoring-late-penalty.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
