Fulham End Liverpool 26 match Unbeaten Run
Liverpool’s 26-match unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end as Fulham beat them at Craven Cottage.
Arne Slot’s side had gone ahead through Alexis Mac Allister’s superb 25-yard strike but three Fulham goals in 13 minutes turned the game on its head before half-time.
Ryan Sessegnon equalised with a smart first-time finish after Andreas Pereira’s cross fell kindly for him in the box.
Alex Iwobi put Marco Silva’s side ahead nine minutes later as he collected Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson’s poor cross-field ball on the edge of the box and, after his initial shot was blocked, his second flew in via a deflection off the Scotland captain.
The third came when a Fulham corner was only cleared to the edge of the box, Iwobi made of a mess of his attempt to put it back into the middle but Rodrigo Muniz kept it alive.
A brilliant touch around the corner put him through on goal and the Brazilian striker finished calmly under Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Luis Diaz pulled one back for the visitors in the 72nd minute, stabbing into the bottom corner from fellow substitute Conor Bradley’s pass, but Liverpool were unable to force an equaliser.
It was another substitute, Harvey Elliott, who came closest to drawing the league leaders level but his curling effort bounced back off the bar.
Elliott and Federico Chiesa had half chances in stoppage time but neither unduly troubled Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal.
Liverpool stay 11 points clear at the top with seven games remaining and need a maximum of 11 more points to secure a record-equalling 20th league title.
Meanwhile, victory boosts Fulham’s chances of European qualification as they move up to eighth, five points behind Chelsea in fourth.
In the grand scheme of things, this result is highly unlikely to affect Liverpool’s final league position.
Four wins from their last seven games will be enough to make the Reds champions but this was a reminder that – cliched as it may be – no victory comes easily in the Premier League.
There were second-best in the first half in west London with Mac Allister’s fine goal coming slightly against the run of play after a strong start by Fulham.
Liverpool’s sloppiness was exemplified by Ibrahima Konate getting caught on the ball inside his own penalty inside the first 10 minutes.
That mistake did not lead to a goal but the away side will feel they could have done better for all three Fulham goals.
Curtis Jones failed to clear Pereira’s cross for the first, Robertson gifted the hosts the ball for the second and Virgil van Dijk lost out in a duel with Muniz for the third.
It was a different Liverpool side after the break with more urgency and intent in possession and carrying far more of a threat even with Fulham sitting deep.
Had Diogo Jota been able to beat Leno when put through by Mohamed Salah early in the second half, it might have been a different story but, ultimately Liverpool left themselves too much to do.
Of course, there is no need to panic, as they remain of the cusp of a second league title in five years.
But this was a reminder that, even at this stage, such things are not just handed out – you have to go out and win them.