Diogo Jota deservedly rescued a point for Liverpool in the 86th minute, after they twice fell behind to Fulham, whilst Andy Robertson was red-carded inside the opening 20 minutes. A proliferation of yellow cards also littered the opening half, as the Reds dropped league points at Anfield for only the second time this season.
Having been felled after barely a minute, Robertson played on injured, and perhaps the injury contributed to his later dismissal, a heavy touch leading to him lunging into former team mate, Harry Wilson. A lengthy VAR decision eventually deciding that Wilson had been denied a clear goalscoring opportunity just outside the penalty box. By this time however, Liverpool were already behind, as Pereira gave the West Londoners the lead inside 10 minutes. The home side’s slow start cost them dear, as the former United man volleyed into the net at the Kop end.
Despite being behind, Liverpool, after re-grouping, began to cause Fulham problems. Luis Diaz headed over the bar from the hosts’ best chance but, having been sent out early by Arne Slot for the second half, with a more vigorous sense of purpose, they soon levelled. A Cody Gakpo header ignited the Kop for the expected charge, but the momentum Liverpool generated largely dissipated upon the wishes of an over-emotional home crowd. In urging Joe Gomez to shoot, even from distance and, with his weaker left foot, the clarion calls of the vociferous home support then saw Fulham retain the ball for almost two minutes. This enabled them to pressurise an already threadbare Liverpool defence, and eventually having repelled the momentum, Fulham again went in front, Muniz, somehow smuggling the ball past Alisson. The Brazilian suffered yet another injury in a collision that saw the ball almost trickle over the line at his near post, as both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jarell Quansah failed to deal with the attack down the Liverpool right.
However, having brought on Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliot and Diogo Jota, there was to be a final twist in what became a pulsating finale. Jota, proving his reliability in front of goal once more, slotted home with a clinical finish from inside the penalty area in the final five minutes. With nine minutes of additional time added on, an injury time winner now looked a real possibility and Fulham, taking every chance to stop the game and waste time, were hanging on for the point.
Elliot though, once of Fulham of course, completely wasted a corner in the dying seconds as the Kop held its collective breath. Just how a dead-ball taker, with less than a minute left on the clock, can barely get the ball above knee height, when pressing for a goal, as almost every player in red occupied the Fulham penalty box in anticipation of one final chance to grab what could have been a sensational winner, is genuinely baffling. It’s verging on the criminal to fail to clear the near post in such circumstances, and it’s quite remarkable how often it happens. Team after team, are guilty of it and, however much it drives supporters to near despair, managers must surely be apoplectic with rage when it happens.
So Liverpool, grateful no doubt to hear that near neighbours Everton had held Arsenal to a draw in the capital, stretch their lead to five points, at least until Chelsea play on Sunday but, having now dropped four points in the last six, supporters will be hopeful that a positive festive programme of fixtures will restore league momentum, starting at Spurs next weekend.
