Liverpool were 2-2 draw against Fulham in a vibrant Anfield clash defined by an early red card for Andy Robertson.
The Reds went in front after just 11 minutes when Andreas Pereira produced an incredible volley, and their misery was compounded when Robertson was sent off for a last-man challenge soon after.
Cody Gakpo’s equalizer early in the second half fueled hopes among the home support of an unlikely win, but they appeared to have been extinguished by Rodrigo Muniz’s late strike.
However, Diogo Jota marked his return from injury with a well-taken goal, leaving Fulham hanging on for a point at the end.
How the game developed
Liverpool almost had a dream start as a loose back pass put Curtis Jones on target but the midfielder was denied by a well-timed challenge from Issa Diop.
And it was Fulham who did indeed take the lead, Pereira producing an incredible, acrobatic finish to squeeze the ball into the top corner after Antonee Robinson had crossed from the left.
Things went from bad to worse for the hosts soon after, with Robertson seeing red for a last-man challenge on Wilson and missing a suspension after VAR confirmed the Welshman was in the game.
Only a desperate block from Joe Gomez prevented Wilson from making it 2-0 as Fulham continued to threaten, although Liverpool finally began to settle as the half wore on. It was they who finished the stronger, with Cody Gakpo forcing a save with a header from a free-kick before Luis Diaz nodded home a great chance from a Dominik Szoboszlai cross.
And the momentum continued in a second half that began with Gakpo heading home a delicious Mohamed Salah cross to send Anfield into raptures.
The Dutchman almost had another moment later, forcing Bernd Leno to stop low to his right as Fulham struggled to calm the game and the crowd.
The visitors, however, eventually regained control, meaning Liverpool’s best chances came almost exclusively on the counter. However, on two occasions they almost took advantage through Salah, although he drove further and further with each respective opportunity.
Unfortunately for the Reds, it seemed inevitable that Fulham’s numerical advantage would eventually tell, and it proved so when Muniz turned home Robinson’s cross to spark jubilant scenes at the end.
However, there was yet another twist to the story, and it was provided by the return of Jota, whose feint, after being played in, opened the scoring for a typically composed finish to make it 2-2 .
And so it ended as Fulham saw a late siege on their goal, despite the man advantage.
Under any other circumstances, a draw at home to Fulham would look like a serious blow to a Liverpool side hoping to go on and lift the Premier League title.
But it would be foolish not to consider the circumstances, the most significant of which was Robertson’s first red card.
Playing with ten men is tough, and coming from behind twice in these situations even tougher, so Arne Slot will surely find it easy to take the positives out of this one.
This is even more true after Liverpool’s main rivals Arsenal dropped points in a home clash with Everton that kicked off at the same time.
Liverpool’s number 9 spot has been shared by Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz in recent weeks, but the fact remains that neither has nailed the position.
As such, Reds fans probably didn’t need a reminder of Jota’s strong claim to the role, but he provided one anyway during a brilliant 20-minute cameo that helped turn the game around.
Of all Liverpool’s forwards, only the Portuguese comes close to matching Salah’s lethality in the box, and he proved it by calmly scoring here to level up.
While this game saw Liverpool drop points, the most important thing could be the return of a player who has the quality to fire this team to glory.
It was interesting to see the contrasting fortunes of the similarly named left-backs who started the game, with Robertson heading for an early swim and Robinson shining for Fulham.
The 27-year-old did a job on Bukayo Saka during the Cottagers’ 1-1 draw with Arsenal last time out, and was equally impressive in stringing up Salah here.
He then finished with both assists, showing that he really is a phenomenal full-back, the kind Liverpool could need, indeed.
