Liverpool kept pace in the Premier League title race with a hard-fought 3-1 win against Fulham, inflicting back-to-back home league defeats upon the Cottagers for the first time this season. After a dismal week that saw them dumped out of the UEFA Europa League and lose ground in the title race, the pressure was on Liverpool to bounce back in the capital. They almost made the perfect start in doing so, but Luis Díaz glanced Trent Alexander-Arnold’s wicked delivery inches wide of the target. In a game distinctly lacking quality, a moment of magic broke the deadlock, and it was the returning Alexander-Arnold who found it. It always looked ominous when he stood over the 25 yard free-kick and he subsequently curled home into the top left corner.
The Reds seemed to hit a groove from there and had a half-chance to double their advantage shortly after through Cody Gakpo, but his effort was wild and flew harmlessly over. In truth there was very little between the sides in the first-half, so it wasn’t a great surprise to see there was nothing to separate the pair at halftime. Timothy Castagne was quickest to pounce upon a loose ball in first-half stoppage time and he lashed into the bottom left corner to leave Jürgen Klopp pondering just what he could do to change the flow of the game.
As it happened, he did nothing, and his decision was vindicated within ten minutes of the restart, when a swift move was finished off by Ryan Gravenberch, who curled home from the edge of the area to fire Klopp’s men back in front. A one-goal lead was never likely to be comfortable for a side struggling so badly at the moment, but you always sensed a third goal wasn’t far away for Liverpool. It duly arrived too when Diogo Jota burst in behind and watched his effort squirm beneath Bernd Leno into the corner.
Knowing three points were crucial if they’re to realistically stay in the title race, few expected Liverpool to be troubled in seeing out the game. A Tom Cairney strike aside, it transpired to be that way too, with the Reds securing three huge points ahead of the Merseyside derby in midweek – a round made even more juicy by the fact all three title challengers take to the field. By contrast, it was a difficult afternoon for Fulham, but with their top-flight status already in the bag their #1 mission is already complete.
PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 34SaturdayLuton – Brentford 1-5 (0-2)/Berry 90+2 – Wissa 24, 45+1, Pinnock 62, Lewis-Potter 64, Schade 86/Sheffield Utd – Burnley 1-4 (0-2)/Hamer 52 – Bruun Larsen 38, Assignon 41, Foster 58, Gudmundsson 71/Wolverhampton – Arsenal 0-1 (0-1)/Trossard 45/SundayEverton – Nott.Forest 2-0 (1-0)/Gueye 29, McNeill 76/Crystal Palace – West Ham 5-2 (4-1)/Olise 7, Eze 16, Emerson 20 og, Mateta 32, 64 – Antonio 40, Mitchell 89 og/Aston Villa – Bournemouth 3-1 (1-1)/Rogers 45+1, Diaby 57, Bailey 78 – Solanke 31 pen/Fulham – Liverpool 1-3 (1-1)/Castagne 45+2 – Alexander-Arnold 32, Gravenberch 53, Jota 72/