Liverpool moved level on points with top-of-the-table Arsenal after a 3-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Jurgen Klopp’s men bounced back from Thursday’s Europa League exit at Atalanta and last week’s home defeat by Crystal Palace as they proceed their pursuit of Premier League glory.
Second-placed Liverpool, who sit some extent above Manchester City and trail Arsenal on goal difference, opened the scoring with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick before Timothee Castagan scored his first goal for Fulham. Equalized.
Ryan Grevenbach and Diego Jota were the difference makers in the second half as they got in on the act to present their side all three points.
Fulham Academy graduate Harvey Elliott, who swapped London for Merseyside in 2019, was cheered on by the home boos as he helped his side earn their first probability of the match.
The attacking midfielder instinctively picked out Alexander-Arnold whose cross couldn’t be tapped in by Luis Diaz’s glancing header as the ball deflected wanting Bernd Leno’s post.
In the twenty second minute, Alexander-Arnold showed his elite ball-playing ability as the visitors kept pace.
Alexander-Arnold won the ball centrally and side-footed a first-time pass past Fulham full-back Anthony Robinson, before Diaz’s boot hit the wide side of the right-hand post as the Reds added one other. A golden opportunity was wasted. excel.
Liverpool’s persistence was rewarded and in the thirty second minute a technical Alexander-Arnold made it 1-0.
Joao Palhinha picked up his customary yellow card when he brought down Jota on the counter-attack, allowing Alexandre-Arnold to face on a set-piece in an almost central position from the fringe of the area.
The set-piece specialist hit the ball with a whipping technique that deflected off the Fulham wall before curling into the top left-hand corner.
The Cottagers were inactive throughout the half but got here alive in additional time to equalise.
After Andreas Pereira instilled confidence inside Craven Cottage with a dangerous free-kick that tested Alisson Baker, Rodrigo Muniz’s block header from Alex Iwobi’s cross fell kindly to an unmarked Castagan who fired his effort home. Delivered home.
But parity didn’t last long as Liverpool punished a series of mistakes to regain the lead in the 53rd minute.
A period of poor defending saw Iwobi with the ball at his feet on the fringe of his box but the Nigeria international’s routed pass found Elliott in a dangerous position.
The 21-year-old opted to throw the ball to Gravenbruch and the Dutchman’s curled first-time effort beat Leno for 2-1.
Liverpool wrapped up the win in the 72nd minute when Cody Gakpo’s pass split the defense and Jota finished with a strike into the bottom right corner.
Credit : www.independent.co.uk
