DON’T PANIC
Reds won’t crack after nervy win, vows Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP praised Liverpool’s mental strength after they survived a huge scare to win at Fulham.
Liverpool were made to sweat for a 2-1 victory which moved them back to the top of the Premier League.
James Milner’s 81st-minute penalty won the game after Ryan Babel had scored against his former club to level Sadio Mane’s first-half opener.
Dropping points would have been a huge blow with Manchester City showing such fine form. And Klopp hailed his players for not cracking after Babel’s 74thminute goal.
He said: ‘I didn’t see us panic. I liked how we reacted. We let them back into the game a bit, but it’s the intensity of the competition, nothing to do with nerves.
‘We had a very intense week, going to Munich, coming back... travelling to London, which is not around the corner, so I’m completely fine. Average game, sensational result.’
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-butter 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 points 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.
‘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 is another matter.
The huffing and puffing against a team surely destined for the Championship — Fulham are 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 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.
Yesterday it was the rashness of otherwise excellent goalkeeper Sergio Rico that undid them. He had been impressive 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 referee Craig Pawson’s attention. He pointed to the spot. Milner — on as a substitute for Adam Lallana after 72 minutes — did the honours.
It was an eventful afternoon for Milner, who contributed to the carnage that allowed Fulham’s goal.
There were at least three significant mistakes in the build-up. Milner’s midfield miscue put his defence under pressure, 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, and former Liverpool winger, looked almost apologetic as he came very close to inflicting terrible damage on his old club. He block-tackled Alisson, won the ball, got a lucky bounce and rolled it into the empty net.
It was no more than Fulham deserved. Their best chance came after 68 minutes when AndreFrank 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 it wasn’t entirely startling to see the scores level after 74 minutes.
Then, Liverpool’s Mr Reliable stepped up to take the winning penalty in the 81st minute, and Milner calm finish proved to be the crucial score.
At the end, Klopp did his usual fist-pumping celebration but his comments, and those of his players, were less than triumphalist.
Liverpool’s next three matches are Tottenham at home, Southampton away and Chelsea at home. All winnable but potentially troublesome opponents, too. They will have to be better than this.
A glance at the table shows the kind of opponents Fulham are. They find ways to lose. From here, Liverpool must find ways to win.
Their rivals, Manchester City, are the next visitors to Craven Cottage and Liverpool’s title-starved supporters will be hoping the hosts can make it a nervy 90 minutes for the Citizens. FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rico 5; Fosu-Mensah 6 (Christie 73min, 6), 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: Fabri, Odoi, McDonald, Vietto. Scorer: Babel 74. Booked: Zambo, Bryan. Manager: Scott Parker 6. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 5.5; AlexanderArnold 7.5, Matip 6.5, Van Dijk 6.5, Robertson 7; Wijnaldum 6.5, Fabinho 7, Lallana 6.5 (Milner 72, 7); Salah 6.5 (Sturridge 90), Firmino 6.5 (Origi 72, 6), MANE 8. Subs not used: Mignolet, Lovren, Moreno, Shaqiri. Scorers: Mane 26, Milner 81 (pen). Booked: Fabinho. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7. Referee: Craig Pawson 6.5. Attendance: 25,043.