Fulham win means six home losses in a row for Liverpool
Mario Lemina condemned troubled Liverpool to a remarkable sixth successive home defeat as Fulham registered a shock 1-0 win.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are four points adrift of fourthplaced Chelsea, who can extend that lead to seven if they beat Everton today. It would put Liverpool’s hopes of Champions League football in severe jeopardy.
They could still make it by winning the European Cup, but glory in Europe’s elite club competition is hard to envisage given Liverpool’s steep decline. In a sign of how far they have fallen, third-bottom Fulham thoroughly deserved their first win at Anfield in nine years.
Without an Anfield victory since before Christmas, Liverpool are a pale shadow of the team that romped to their first English title for 30 years last season.
“We never had a momentum in the season,” Klopp said. “You can see it’s still in the boys. They still have it all but, at the moment, can’t show it. It would be a masterpiece to find out how we change that overnight.
“Conceding that goal before half time was a massive blow. We tried to react and the boys showed that. In the end, we don’t score goals and that’s a big problem.”
Liverpool showed a lack of organisation and cohesion at the back from the start, with Josh Maja sneaking behind the two inexperienced central defenders to scoop his volley over the bar.
Ademola Lookman got behind Neco Williams moments later, cutting into the Liverpool area before dragging his shot wide.
Fulham were causing Liverpool’s makeshift defence all manner of problems and Maja was narrowly off-target from Lookman’s pass.
Ivan Cavaleiro raced onto a long ball and beats Phillips, only to shoot over from a good position.
Bereft of confidence and growing more timid by the minute, Liverpool conceded in woeful fashion.
When Andrew Robertson could only head clear to the edge of the area, Mohamed Salah was easily brushed off the ball by Lemina, who drilled a fine finish into the far corner of Alisson Becker’s goal.
Although Sadio Mane came off the bench to loop a header onto the woodwork and Shaqiri went with a curler, Liverpool rarely looked like threatening in response.
For Fulham, the momentum seems to be building in their battle against relegation.
“I think we feel that,” said midfielder Harrison Reed. “We have been building. We have grown massively since the start of the season and I think everyone at home and in the league can see that as well.”