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Liverpool had to dig deep to secure a point against lowly Fulham in the Premier League earlier today. With 2000 fans backing them at Craven Cottage, Fulham started brightly and created several openings that were thwarted by Alisson.
The hosts finally took the lead through a stunning Bobby Decordova-Reid strike in the first half, and were dominant heading into half time.
Liverpool were perhaps lucky to head into half time only a goal behind, and were the better side in the second half. They were rewarded for their persistence with a penalty that Mohamed Salah squeezed in past Alphonse Areola to level the score.
Despite some late Liverpool pressure, Fulham held on to secure a gritty point. Here are the main talking points from the game:
#5 Fulham’s incredible first half
Fulham were all over Liverpool in the first half, and didn’t allow their players any time on the ball. The tactics were similar to what Aston Villa adopted against the Reds, as they overwhelmed Jürgen Klopp’s side with pressing and raw pace on the transitions.
Liverpool’s midfield does have tenacity and quality, but they just couldn’t deal with the pressing. Even Roberto Firmino, who is usually an accomplished player on the ball, couldn’t muster anything while dropping deep.
Mario Lemina and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa didn’t put a foot wrong, and pretty much neutralised the threat of Firmino, who essentially stitches the Liverpool attack.
#4 Liverpool control the second half
It was perhaps a game of two halves, as Liverpool looked a bit more like themselves in the second half. The Reds upped their work-rate, which was evidently missing in the first half, and pinned the Fulham team into their own half.
To their credit, Fulham did well in the low-block as Alphonse Areola didn’t have too many saves to make. The Frenchman’s best save of the game came when he denied Jordan Henderson, who had the goal at his mercy but somehow couldn’t slot the ball past the excellent French goalkeeper.
The custodian did well to deny Curtis Jones late on in the game, but he was well protected by his defence overall as they denied Liverpool any space to work with inside the box. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s substitution in the second half made things easier for the Fulham defence, as they had less of a threat to deal with from the right
Klopp will not be too displeased with the second half display, but will definitely feel this was a missed opportunity with Chelsea and Tottenham dropping points.
#3 The VAR decision might have cost Fulham
Fulham will feel they should have had a penalty in the first half against Liverpool when Fabinho looked to have taken down Ivan Cavaleiro in the penalty box. It was a tough decision that looked like a penalty from certain camera angles, but referee Andre Mariner decided to stick to his original decision of not awarding a penalty.
To the naked eye, the challenge looked like a clean one, as it seemed Fabinho’s tackle was so perfect, that the ball flew off his foot. But, from the replays, he took down Cavaleiro’s standing foot, off which the ball eventually deflected.
Was it a clear and obvious error? Perhaps. When Mariner decided to take a second look, the writing was one the wall for Liverpool. But he chose to stick to his decision. It’s perhaps one of those decisions that will always divide opinion.
Liverpool’s goal came courtesy of a penalty in the second half, and there was not too much doubt about this call. The Reds were handed a free-kick near the edge of the Fulham penalty area, and Gini Wijnaldum’s shot clearly came off Aboubakar Kamara’s arm, and it was in an unnatural position by the letter of the law.
#2 Curtis Jones stands out in the Liverpool midfield
The 19-year old provided the spark from midfield, and looked like the player who could create something on what was a dull evening for the away side. Liverpool went with the midfield three of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, and Jones, with the latter playing the more attacking role.
The second half saw Henderson move to the centre-back role as Joel Matip was taken off, and Wijnaldum sat deep. With Liverpool behind, Jones was given the instruction to maraud forward during every possible scenario, and he nearly scored one of the goals of the season with a solo run.
After overcoming some early pressing by Fulham in the second half, Jones looked solid, and silky smooth on the ball. His one touch passing was excellent, and he finished the game with a pass accuracy of 95%. He looked like a player who wanted to take on defenders, and only Sadio Mane (four) completed more dribbles than him (three).
It’s still pretty early, and Klopp will want to see more from Jones in terms of goal-return. The way he has progressed so far, that’s not too far away.
#5 Another injury for Liverpool
Joel Matip was taken off at half-time, and early reports indicate it was precautionary as they have a mid-week top of the table clash against Tottenham. However, it just shows how big a crisis Liverpool are in at the moment.
After Matip went off, Liverpool had to use Henderson in a makeshift centre-half role, alongside Fabinho. Using one midfielder in that position is worrying, but two? Resources have been stretched at Liverpool this season, but despite that, they will head into the clash against Spurs as joint league leaders.
Klopp’s side will perhaps need to dip into the transfer market in January as they can’t risk playing Premier League and Cup games once again on a regular basis.
