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Liverpool lost a chance to claim first place in the Premier League after coming back late to secure a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Bobby Decordova-Reid expertly hit the ball past the recently returned Alisson to give the Cottagers the lead, but Scott Parker’s team couldn’t contain Liverpool’s second-half comeback to secure all three points.
Jurgen Klopp’s men came out after the break looking to make an impact on the game and finally found the equalizer when Mohamed Salah converted from the point in the 80th minute.
Following Tottenham’s draw at Crystal Palace, a win would have returned the Reds to the top of the league, but after a lackluster performance against a determined Fulham they had to settle for a draw at Craven Cottage.
FULL MATCH DETAILS
Fulham welcomed 2,000 fans to the stadium for the first time since a 2-0 win over Preston on 29 February, when Liverpool’s 18-game winning streak against newly promoted teams came to an end.
Fulham started fast in contrast to their recent slow performance against Manchester City and Ivan Cavaleiro forced Alisson to make a strong save in the first five minutes.
Just as Liverpool were looking to settle into the game, Fulham found space between their lines with Ademola Lookman playing at Cavaleiro, only for Alisson to turn away the Portuguese player for a second time in the first 15 minutes.
Fulham managed to break through Liverpool’s lines for the third time and VAR was called in by Fabinho’s tackle on Cavaleiro, but referee Andre Marriner made a quick decision to award just a corner after consulting the monitor on the field.
In the 25th minute, Fulham was rewarded for their early dominance and attacking threat when Decordova-Reid threw the ball past Alisson and into the net.
The forward had been played by Lookman, who had been running well between Liverpool’s lines, before hitting the ball past the Liverpool goalkeeper.
The Reds took until the end of the first half to find their rhythm after being limited to just one shot in the first 35 minutes.
The visitors ‘first real chance of the game came with five minutes to go in the first half when Sadio Mane, seeking his first league goal since October 17, headed Curtis Jones’ elevated cross over the bar, and Salah also fired wide minutes later.
Although Klopp’s defensive woes were made worse by the replacement of Joel Matip at half-time, Liverpool began to enjoy most of the possession in the second half.
Makeshift central defender Jordan Henderson forced Alphonse Areola to make a great save from close range after finding space behind Fulham’s defensive line as the Reds attempted to equalize.
Liverpool were allowed to return to the game with just over 10 minutes to go, when referee Marriner signaled the spot after a hand on the wall following a free kick from Gini Wijnaldum.
Salah took the next shot low and down the middle, with Areola unable to hold the shot despite receiving a glove, to record his 13th goal of the season and secure a late point.
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