Verdict: Liverpool banner called for unity – but it was Fulham’s heroes who showed it most
What a win!
Fulham inflicted a sixth straight home defeat on Liverpool, and not even a banner waving plane over Anfield could turn the tide for the red-faced Reds.
The banner read: ‘Unity is strength’. But it was the Whites who galvanised as one to defend Mario Lemina’s first goal for Fulham.
None more so than Tosin, who had a terrific game.
He telescoped a long leg time and time again to cancel the danger – never more so than after Sadio Mané had struck the post with a looping header in the second half.
Joachim Andersen’s crucial interception in added time caught the eye, but it was the tireless work from Harrison Reed and Tosin that threw their club a lifeline.
It’s ironic Liverpool’s go-to threat for goals was the man who presented Fulham with one.
When Mohamed Salah was robbed on the edge of the box approaching half-time, Lemina did what had been hitherto missing – he hit the ball first time to watch it skid into the far corner.
Fulham need much more of the same if they are to escape the drop.
If there was a moment that summed up Scott Parker’s frustration until then, it came a couple of minutes earlier, when a good raking cross found Kenny Tete on the far right.
Instead of sending it straight back into the mix, he stood on the ball looking for a pass.
It didn’t sit well with Parker.
Lemina delivers
But he had reason to show emotion the right way when Lemina put Fulham ahead.
For a long time in the first 45, it looked as if those nearly moments would cost Fulham again.
Josh Maja had an early great chance to put Liverpool on the back foot, but scooped over when free in front of goal.
Ademola Lookman then cut in from the right and fired wide before Ivan Cavaleiro toe poked over from a decent half-chance.
Lookman, again, ran from just inside his own half to charge in from the diagonal.
There was a half second of doubt, maybe not even that, as he looked across before cutting it back it on his right.
But you don’t give the likes of Liverpool, even this Liverpool, that amount of time.
Parker says it’s the hardest thing in the world to put the ball in the net – and it all looked a bit desperate when Fulham got a sight of goal.
What they needed was an ice-cold assassin, and in Lemina, they got one.
Maja finding the going tough
That early Maja miss seemed to have an effect on the striker.
In the second half, Cavaleiro broke from James Milner’s mistake, and was looking for the cavalry to arrive as he broke into the box.
The only one within shouting distance, and it would have needed a very loud shout, was Maja running, but far from flat out.
In fact, the loanee had given up the chase when he saw Cavaleiro cut inside for a skewed attempt on goal.
Maja looked tired, more than you might expect, and maybe that was half the reason he made way for Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Before he was hauled off against Tottenham, Loftus-Cheek had made it to the end of five previous games in a row.
Parker has missed no opportunity to praise the player he says he would like to sign permanently. But even the boss must be wearying of half-chances that never find the back of the net.
In fact, RLC’s last action against Spurs was to find the back of the stand with a wayward shot.
Whatever way you carve it, he’s scored just once, and that back in November with the aid of a deflection against Everton.
Sign him up!
Another plus, though, was the outstanding continuing form of Alphonse Areola.
It would be tricky to choose between the keeper and Andersen for most consistent performer in a white shirt.
This is the third time Areola has played at Anfield.
On the previous two in European competitions, he conceded three apiece.
I would say third time lucky, but there was nothing lucky about his tremendous one-handed save to deny Diogo Jota on 49 minutes.
If Fulham do survive, their first action after the season’s final whistle should be to trigger their right-to-buy permanently from Paris Saint-Germain.
