Liverpool fell to a sixth consecutive home league defeat as they lost 1-0 to Fulham after a first-half goal by Mario Lemina on Sunday. On the stroke of half-time, Lemina robbed Mo Salah on the edge of the box before fizzing home a clinical finish into the bottom corner. It was his first goal for the Cottagers.
The defeat marks the first time since the 1953-54 season that the Reds have lost six league games at Anfield in a single campaign.
Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp made seven changes to the side that lost 1-0 at home to Chelsea on Thursday but it made little difference to the quality of their play. The Reds were outclassed in the first half and mounted a pretty feeble comeback attempt in the second.
Substitute Sadio Mane had a good opportunity to equalise in the 80th minute but the Senegalese forward mistimed his header. Otherwise, the champions again looked like a shadow of their former selves.
Afterwards, Klopp scoffed at suggestions Fulham were more up for the game than his side: “The winner is always right. My boys wanted it. It’s easy to judge, they (Fulham) have won it, so wanted it more. I don’t think that’s the problem.”
Klopp is starting to look lost for the first time in his Anfield tenure. North of the border, Steven Gerrard undoubtedly takes note.
“The second half, you don’t plan it to go like that, but we showed another side to us – character, resilience and doggedness. I’m very proud of the team today,” Fulham boss Scott Parker said.
Fulham stay in the bottom three on 26 points but they trail 17th-placed Brighton on goal difference only, and they have the momentum to pull off a (deserved) great escape.
Man of the match: Joachim Andersen (Fulham)
Match highlights: