Fulham 2-2 Liverpool: Arne Slot’s side hobbled in push for top four
Perhaps Liverpool should have defended better. Certainly it has been a pain point for the Reds and Arne Slot this season. They have been consistently led down by their shape, decision making and overall quality at the back, in both set pieces and open play. Liverpool have conceded 28 goals, the third highest of any side in the top 14 places.
With Cody Gakpo having taken Liverpool ahead in stoppage time at Craven Cottage, they only needed to hold on for three minutes. They didn’t. Harrison Reed was allowed time and space to hit an impossibly sweet shot into the top corner from 25 yards and force a draw in the 96th minute.
To be fair to Liverpool, surely no one would have expected Reed to score from that angle and distance. He had no right to do that. But with Fulham fuming at Gakpo’s scrappy goal having seemingly stolen an arguably undeserved victory, it’s easy to understand Reed’s motivation.
Liverpool did not play too badly for a side that were missing Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. The latter had been ruled out for a minor injury and Gakpo started centrally in his place. But the weakness in attacking power showed as Liverpool enjoyed a lion’s share of possession but were unable to create any clear-cut chances in a tepid first half.
Fulham, although they sat back to absorb pressure, were the livelier of the two sides in attack and opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Jorge Cuenca sent a pass out from the back and Raul Jimenez’s flick found Harry Wilson, the Welshman slamming the ball past Alisson to crank up the volume at the Cottage. The goal withstood the offside check.
The visitors just had to improve after the break and they did. Gakpo found the net but was flagged offside, and Alexis Mac Allister’s header thumped the bar before Conor Bradley went on an excellent run and sent Florian Wirtz through on goal.
It was baffling that Wirtz was deemed onside for his goal when it was clear to the eye that he wasn’t, but somehow the VAR’s line marked him as just onside. The explanation given was that thicker lines are being used, which might allow a player to be deemed onside if the margins are slim enough.
Liverpool were thankful for the reprieve but it was Fulham who afterwards did more to try and win the game. Wilson could have had a second with the empty goal gaping but his lobbed effort hit the bar. Then Gakpo forced the ball over the line against the run of play and it looked like Fulham had lost, before Reed took matters into his own hands.
