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Two points failed, one character test passed. It remains to be seen which will prove more significant in the final showdown, but this was exciting Liverpool.
Twice in the position of both a goal and a loser, they conjured up two equalizers in a demonstration of their spirit and Arne Slottis resourcefulness. If the Dutchman was supposed to be about control, this was the sequel chaos 3-3 draw at Newcastle. Slott, normally the word for calmness, was caught up in the emotions of the occasion, at one moment he was admonished, and at the next he had his head in his hands.
Still, if he showed some cool thinking to extend Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 19 games, he did Diogo Jota. Seven minutes after his return, after more than seven weeks of absence, the substitute showed composure at the level. The bare facts are that victory eluded Liverpool for the second consecutive league match Fulham, after holding Arsenalmade another intervention in the race for the title. In a match that turned into a 107-minute epic of 28 shots, seven yellow cards for players – plus one for Slott – and a red, Fulham held their ground.
If it was their misfortune to be relegated to a subplot, it was a tale of two left-backs. Antonee Robinson was an outstanding player on the field, Andy Robertson soon off the field. The Fulham flyer set up goals for both teams. His Liverpool counterpart framed the occasion, compiling an unwanted hat-trick in his short, painful outing. Injured in the first minute, with Issa Diop perhaps lucky to avoid an immediate sending-off for his challenge, he got the final touch for Fulham’s first goal, then himself an early red card.
This meant that Liverpool, when extra time was included, played almost 90 minutes with 10 men. If Slott has excelled as a problem-solver so far in his reign, he has fumbled, unsuccessfully at first and then increasingly influentially, to change a game that was threatening to run away from Liverpool.
Fulham were much better in the first half. Still, while Slott may not seem as inspiring a speaker as his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, he has shown an ability to spur his team on at intervals. When Jota struck, 22 of Liverpool’s last 25 goals had come in the second half.
His capacity to work with Klopp’s players and sometimes rediscover them was given further scrutiny when Robertson left, which, with Kostas Tsimikas injured, left Liverpool without a natural left-back. The slot got creative; unfortunately for him, his team is not before the break.
The second part of the managerial intervention revived his side. His current formation was a 3-4-2 with Ryan Gravenberch dropping to the back three. This gave Fulham plenty of space on the flanks, with Robinson and Harry Wilson threatening to exploit them. His switch in the second half was to a back four with Gravenberch in the middle, but he moved into the middle when Liverpool had possession. Then came more changes: Gravenberch in midfield when Curtis Jones left, a front four all the way with Darwin Nunez and Jota both.
His replacements worked. Nunez, criticized for his lack of goals, scored one instead, finding Jota, who marked his first appearance since October by slotting past the excellent Jorge Cuenca to beat Bernd Leno.
However, the first managerial transition to dividend payment occurred when Marco Silva recalled Andreas Pereira, marginalized since proposing to join Marseille, for Emile Smith Rowe. Fulham has potential, which they showed by scoring 15. consecutive league game, and Liverpool conceded for the first time in 447 minutes at Anfield, and Fulham succeeded where the champions of England, Spain and Germany failed by breaking through the defense. Pereira volleyed home Robinson’s deep cross, although it might have taken a deflection off Robertson’s thigh to beat Alisson.
The Scottish afternoon continued to deteriorate. Robertson’s poor touch came at a price, allowing Wilson to rush at him and behind the Liverpool defence. When Robertson tripped him, it was the second red card of his Liverpool career.
Cody Steele initially he took over some of his duties, moved to the left wing. But Slott’s switch on the stroke of half-time brought his compatriot back to the wing and Gakpo pounced into the box to meet Mohamed Salah‘s curling cross with a diving header. It was the seventh goal in his last 10 games for the Dutchman. Although Salah’s scoring streak ended after seven consecutive league games, he did have an assist.
And Liverpool were lively, powered by the tireless running of Dominik Szoboszlai. Joe Gomez turned back the clock to last season when he moved forward from left back. He was denied a penalty although Kenny Tete blocked it in a manner seemingly more suited to various oval ball sports. Soon after that, Tete limped and injured himself.
Fulham, however, had the guts to claw back the lead, again en route to just their third win in 39 trips to Anfield. Silva was the first manager to introduce a scoring substitute. After another dive deep into Liverpool territory by Robinson, he crossed and Rodrigo Muniz finished low past Gomez. Advantage Fulham but Liverpool were not done.
Their response bodes well for their title chances. But in the middle of a crazy final, they couldn’t get the extra two points.