The defense of Liverpool implodes when the Fulham bag inspired the victory over the leaders of the Premier League
Who saw this arrival? The 27,000 in Craven Cottage certainly no, such was the state of total amazement on a spring afternoon to remember in south-west of London. Fulham They were both dazzling and stubborn and, unquestionably, they deserved winners. For Premier League Waiting samples LiverpoolHowever, it was simply one day to forget. One to delete. By extension for their defense, the opening period has seen an absolute implosion from all corners.
But here’s the point: it shouldn’t import. So far the extraordinary season of Liverpool has given them a huge margin of error. Their 11-point bearing in the Arsenal in second place with seven games to be done is still an almost insurgerable advantage and it is extremely feasible that they can still win their second title in the championship in 35 years by the end of the month. But their pride took a kick here on the banks of the Thames.
Their race unbeaten by 26 games in the Premier League? Left. The unbeaten slot championship record since he took the command? Swept away. In the end, perhaps, in defense still without the injured and Real Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold, perhaps it is a game lesson, a reminder, where reinforcements are needed in the summer window. For Andy Robertson, in particular, it could be a display sprinkled with errors, against a team with which it was expelled in December, which forces the Reds to act in the transfers market.
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But for the analysis of the announcement of Liverpool it would make a disservice to Fulham inspired. Marco Silva had the cottagers chasing European football, with his players who bloom in a fluid game system easy to eye, under the lights of their new support for the river. Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and a flash of pure brilliance by Rodrigo Muniz won this game in a spell of the first half of 15 minutes barely credible, making the stunning Open by Alexis Mac Allister a distant memory. The entire back-line for visitors-Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson-endured individual clans. The arms were tense. The heads were bowed.
The hero of the day, however? Fulham Calvin Bassey’s central defender was exceptional, with his forward racing and the ability to smell any threat behind. He won every battle against Mohamed Salah without teeth, in particular. A men’s display of the game, from a hero of worship in these parts.
As unexpected as it was the first half, perhaps the recent story should have told us differently. These two goals scored in both games last season and there were four goals in December, in a fun 2-2 in Anfield. Halfway through time, they had combined that count. The only shock was that it was Fulham with three of them.
The man of composure of Liverpool in Mac Middle Allister, perhaps surprisingly starting after James Tarkowski’s horror equipment in the mid -week derby, soon opened the markings: a raking strike on the right beyond Bernd Leno from outside the box and seemed all sun and roses for the fans on the travel of Liverpool in the heat of the West London. “We will win the championship,” they sang abruptly. They don’t sing it again.
Sessegnon, a wing cultivated in Fulham’s house, equated nine minutes later, capitalizing on the distorted game of Curtis Jones by beating Van Dijk’s crazy crazy in the fist and exquisitely connecting fleeing with his left foot. It was beyond Caoimhin Kelleher in an instant.
Ten minutes later, Fulham would take the command of Robertson’s moment of calamity. The left Scottish full -back has lost a horrid cronged ball on the back, giving the ball to Iwobi, and then aggravated the error while trying to meet and block the shot. A deflection, a goal and the leaders of the League have looked in a state of absolute. No more than Captain Virgil Van Dijk, the weapons have stretched for amazement in every round, so much so that when Muniz’s moment of genius gave guests an advantage in half time of two goals. A exquisite first lap from the ball outside the air, convening the Dutch defender, before squeezing the ball under Kelleher. In a flash, Liverpool was two down.
For a team that had lost a game in the Premier League throughout the season, this was the worst half of Liverpool’s football under the tool slot.
The Dutchman did not resist after the interval, bringing the minutes of Harvey Elliott and Luis Diaz in the second half, and the Colombian in particular provided fresh vigor on the left side. He created Salah, goal to his mercy, only for the top scorer of the premier league out of shape to mount his finish line on the bar. The Egyptian is now without goals in four games, his worst race in two years.
Diaz would have halved the deficit 20 minutes from the end-of-a-end finished in a corner after a fresh setting of the substitute colleague Conor Bradley-E Harvey Elliott shaken the crossbar against his former team. Even the Federico Chiesa barely used had a view on goal, well saved by Leno.
But a sterile display of Liverpool did not have the end of the saving of matches. It was Fulham’s day, as they approach two points from seventh place and a place in Europe Conference League. Yet, for the leaders of the Premier League, the only comfort is that this blip is not-speaking-it cost in the run-in. But it will hurt them.
