Welcome to the LFC Match Summary, covering Fulham vs Liverpool. This series looks at games from the view of a Liverpool supporter.
Match Facts
Fulham vs Liverpool
Craven Cottage
Sunday 17th March, 14:15
Result
Fulham 1 - 2 Liverpool
Betting Results
Liverpool to win: win
Over 2.5 goals: win
Over 3.5 goals: loss
LFC Match Summary
I'm saddened to say this but I am not enjoying watching Liverpool in the Premier League this season. The Reds are doing an incredible job and, having taken another 3 points away at Fulham this afternoon, the title charge is well and truly on course. Nonetheless, I am finding myself agonising over every mistake or missed opportunity that Liverpool go through and it all comes down to the fact that I'm so desperate to see my team win the league title for the first time since I was 3 years old. I don't see this changing until the Reds do go and win it, but every win is now met with a sigh of relief rather than a feeling of joy. My mind is already turning towards the home game against Tottenham in the next round of Premier League fixtures and, truth be told, I can't wait for this season to be over.
When the team news was announced this afternoon I couldn't help but have a look at the comments on social media platform. As I had expected, the cesspit was overflowing with hatred towards Lallana and Klopp for daring to include him in the team. If we're going on long term form then I can understand some apprehension. I am by no means a huge fan of Lallana, but he did put in a man of the match performance last weekend so had earned his place on merit. The rest of the team was as expected with Keita and Henderson both sidelined with minor issues.
Liverpool played well for the most part today. That statement may come as a surprise to some considering the Reds were facing off against a poor Fulham team but this was, despite a major mistake to almost give me a heart attack, a professional performance. I had expected more goals from Liverpool as outlined in my 0-4 scoreline prediction earlier in the week but there were only fine margins preventing this from being the case. Robertson, in particular found himself in dangerous position on a couple of occasions, Mane hit the crossbar, and Wijnaldum's shot that seemed destined to hit the back of the net found itself narrowly wide. Of course, a lot of the media will be focusing on a moment of madness that saw Babel manage to ruin Alisson's dream of another clean sheet. I don't believe there is too much to analyse here as multiple players were at fault. Milner's slice started the panic, van Dijk should have just cleared his lines, and Alisson could have been much more aggressive in his challenge when it came down to it. Thankfully, that error didn't lead to any dropped points.
Perhaps the biggest concern at the moment is the form of Salah. The Egyptian superstar has been playing relatively well in open play but hasn't been able to find the net for an extended period now and that is likely down to the pressure of his next goal being his 50th for Liverpool. Nevertheless, something that irritated me somewhat today was Salah's reluctance to pass the ball when his teammates were in much better positions. I understand his desire to score but we are in a title race and it really does not matter who scores for the team at this point in time. Shaqiri's lack of game time continues to baffle Liverpool supporters and I am starting to wonder if he has a slight injury that Klopp doesn't want to aggravate if he can avoid it. Alternatively, Shaqiri could be failing to impress in training but his form in the earlier stages of the season suggest that he could be a huge help to push Liverpool over the line if Manchester City were to allow them back into the lead. Either way, Milner was the man of the moment as he stepped up to calmly put away a penalty that could have a huge say in the title race.
The Final Word
With Liverpool needing to overcome Manchester City's narrow lead in the title race, every game is a must win at the moment. Although Fulham have been in poor form all season, the old cliche of these games being potential banana skins really does seem to hold weight. Liverpool played well today without being anywhere near their best. The Reds now go into the international break at the top of the Premier League table and this is exactly what Liverpool supporters were dreaming of.
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