Liverpool edged Fulham in a bonkers 4-3 Premier League thriller at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp’s hosts twice took the lead within the first half just for Fulham to equalise every time. Fulham went forward for the primary time within the contest with ten minutes remaining solely, for Liverpool to claw their manner again in entrance.
Propelled by 4 beautiful targets, the Reds moved into second place and maintained their excellent house file.
How the sport unfolded
After a gap 20 minutes that was punctuated by a prolonged medical break to deal with a facial damage for Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, Trent Alexander-Arnold opened the scoring with a luxurious free kick.
Even if Leno had not been peering by way of heavy bandaging dropping down from his brow, there was little probability of any goalkeeper getting a glove to Alexander-Arnold’s highly effective roller earlier than it crashed in off the underside of the crossbar. The ball additionally bounced off Leno on its manner into the web, making certain that the keeper was credited with an personal purpose.
Fulham had supplied treasured little earlier than equalising with their first shot of the afternoon. The guests clustered across the void in Alexander-Arnold’s right-back zone, with Antonee Robinson galloping ahead to sq. for the previous Liverpool participant Harry Wilson lurking within the center.
Unfazed by the setback, Liverpool continued to press ahead, penning Fulham into their defensive third. Raul Jimenez miscued a header with Virgil van Dijk respiratory down the again of his neck inside Fulham’s half. Alexis Mac Allister was first to the free ball, spanking it into the highest nook from 25 yards. Again, Leno had little hope towards the swerving swipe.
But Fulham pressured one other equaliser earlier than the break. Kenny Tete’s celebration was lower quick by the assistant’s flag after stabbing in from a nook deep into second-half stoppage time. Paul Tierney on VAR appropriately noticed that Darwin Nunez was taking part in Tete onside, prompting one other burst of pleasure from the scorer.
While Nunez squandered a glut of probabilities at one finish, Fulham proved to be much more scientific. Three of Marco Silva’s substitutes mixed to catch Liverpool out down their proper flank as soon as once more, with Willian and Tom Cairney dovetailing to pick Bobby De Cordova-Reid on the again submit within the eightieth minute.
A hush of astonishment briefly swept round Anfield earlier than the roars of ‘Liverpool’ reemerged. One of Jurgen Klopp’s replacements fired the hosts degree, with Wataru Endo choosing out the highest nook to finish a hat-trick of unstoppable strikes.
Coasting on the deafening din of the group, Alexander-Arnold had Liverpool again in entrance inside a matter of seconds. The volley drilled into the underside nook from the highest of the field will certainly go down as his match winner.
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher – 4/10 – In the absence of an injured Alisson, Kelleher did not convey any actual sense of solidity.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10 – For all that Alexander-Arnold brings in possession – and it’s lots – he does lack some solidity off the ball. Klopp countered this by shifting his right-back into midfield within the second half.
CB: Joel Matip – 6/10 – Forced to defend a yawning chasm when Liverpool had been caught in transition – which wasn’t too usually.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 7/10 – Snuffed out nearly all menace down his flank in open play.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas – 3/10 – Came off second finest when one-on-one with Tete in Fulham’s half and outjumped by De Cordova-Reid.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai – 5/10 – Showed loads of sprint and drive however let Jimenez get away from him on the nook for Fulham’s second equaliser.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister – 6/10 – Who cares about his struggles mopping up on the base of midfield when he can rating targets like that?
CM: Ryan Gravenberch – 3/10 – Failed to exert a major affect over proceedings.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 6/10 – Not probably the most electrical show of his profession however nonetheless sparked some probabilities.
ST: Darwin Nunez – 4/10 – Typically erratic in entrance of purpose.
LW: Luis Diaz – 4/10 – The single lasting influence that Diaz had on the competition was the gash he by chance gave Leno.
Substitutes
SUB: Cody Gakpo (65′ for Szoboszlai) – 5/10
SUB: Joe Gomez (65′ for Mac Allister) – 5/10
SUB: Ibrahima Konate (68′ for Matip) – 5/10
SUB: Wataru Endo (83′ for Gravenberch) – 7/10
Subs not used: Adrian (GK), Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Ben Doak
Manager
Jurgen Klopp – 4/10 – Liverpool’s inner purpose of the month competitors will take the headlines however they struggled to create clear openings on Sunday and gave away three targets which had been all scored within the six-yard field.
GK: Bernd Leno – 5/10 – Playing with a bandage urgent down on his proper eyebrow after an early collision, Leno could not get anyplace close to Liverpool’s screamers.
RB: Kenny Tete – 7/10 – In the best place on the proper time to attain and disrupt loads of Liverpool ahead thrusts.
CB: Calvin Bassey – 5/10 – Didn’t shirk the bodily problem of marking Nunez – if something, he sought just a little an excessive amount of contact.
CB: Tim Ream – 5/10 – Struggled when pressured to cowl massive distances.
LB: Antonee Robinson – 7/10 – Fired the ball throughout for Wilson’s first purpose and fared nicely with a front-foot strategy towards Salah.
CM: Harrison Reed – 6/10 – Dutifully harangued any pink shirt that entered his zone of affect.
CM: Joao Palhinha – 7/10 – A continuing spoke in Liverpool’s wheel.
AM: Andreas Pereira – 2/10 – Wasteful on the few events that he noticed the ball.
RW: Harry Wilson – 5/10 – Resisted the urge to rejoice towards his former employers after poking in a well-taken purpose.
ST: Raul Jimenez – 6/10 – Evaded his marker in a choreographed pick-and-roll nook routine to tee up Tete.
LW: Alex Iwobi – 4/10 – Tried and largely failed to dam off the passing lanes to Alexander-Arnold.
Substitutes
SUB: Tom Cairney (62′ for Wilson) – 6/10
SUB: Willian (62′ for Pereira) – 6/10
SUB: Bobby De Cordova-Reid (75′ for Iwobi) – 7/10
SUB: Timothy Castagne (75′ for Tete) – 5/10
Subs not used: Marek Rodak (GK), Tosin Adarabioyo, Fode Ballo-Toure, Sasa Lukic, Vinicius
Manager
Marco Silva – 5/10 – Organised his aspect nicely and noticed three subs mix for a purpose however nonetheless ended up on the dropping aspect. Go determine.
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