Who saw this coming? The 27,000 at Craven Cottage certainly didn’t, such was the state of utter stupefaction in the stands on a spring afternoon to remember in south-west London. Fulham were both dazzling and dogged and, indisputably, deserved winners. For Premier League champions-in-waiting Liverpool, though, it was simply a day to forget. One to write off. By extension for their defence, the opening period saw an utter implosion from all corners.
But here’s the thing: it should not matter. Liverpool’s terrific league season so far has given them a huge margin for error. Their 11-point buffer to Arsenal in second with seven matches to go is still a near-insurmountable advantage and it’s extremely feasible that they could still win their second league title in 35 years by the end of the month. But their pride took a hell of a kicking here on the shores of the Thames.
Their 26-game unbeaten run in the Premier League? Gone. Slot’s undefeated away league record since taking charge? Wiped out. Ultimately, in a defence still without the injured and seemingly Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold, it might have given Slot a lesson, a reminder, of where reinforcements are needed in the summer window. For Andy Robertson, it may well be an error-strewn display versus a team he was sent off against in December, which forces the Reds to act in the transfer market.
But to overanalyse Liverpool’s leggy display would do an inspired Fulham a disservice. Marco Silva has got the Cottagers chasing European football, with his players flourishing in an easy-on-the-eye fluid system of play, under the lights of their scintillating new Riverside stand. Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and a flash of sheer brilliance from Rodrigo Muniz won this game in a barely believable 15-minute first-half spell, rendering Alexis Mac Allister’s stunning opener a distant memory.
The whole back-line for the visitors – Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk and Robertson – endured individual clangers. Arms were outstretched. Heads were bowed. The hero of the day, however? Fulham centre-back Calvin Bassey was outstanding, with his barnstorming forward runs and ability to sniff out any threat in behind. Notably, he won every one-on-one battle against a toothless Mohamed Salah. A man-of-the-match display, from a cult hero in these parts.
As unexpected as the goal-laden first half was, recent history told us otherwise. These two split 11 goals across both matches last season, and there were four goals in December, in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Anfield. By half-time, they’d matched that tally. The only shock was that it was Fulham with three of them.
Liverpool’s man of composure in the middle Mac Allister, perhaps surprisingly in the starting XI after that horror tackle ...
