Liverpool dropped factors within the Premier League title race on Saturday afternoon, however after coming from behind twice with solely 10 males, a 2-2 draw with Fulham seems like a semi-positive end result.
Arne Slot’s aspect performed a lot of the sport with 10 males after Andy Robertson was despatched off for bringing down Harry Wilson when the previous Liverpool man was by means of on purpose. By that stage, Liverpool had been already dropping, Andreas Pereira’s acrobatic end placing the high-flying Londoners 1-0 up.
The second half began with Liverpool re-energised. Cody Gakpo launched himself to go Liverpool degree by way of Mohamed Salah’s one centesimal help for the membership. Even so, Fulham all the time seemed harmful on the counter and Rodrigo Muniz put them again in entrance with 1 / 4 of an hour to go. But Slot’s staff have luggage of character and the returning Diogo Jota — on instead — sealed some extent with a late equaliser, with information that Arsenal had drawn 0-0 at dwelling to Everton additionally lowering the ache of the draw.
Andy Jones analyses the important thing moments from a dramatic match.
Where does this draw depart Liverpool?
Given the state of affairs Liverpool discovered themselves in after 17 minutes, rescuing some extent was perhaps the best-case situation this afternoon.
When Muniz flicked Fulham again in entrance, it seemed like all of that arduous work would come to nothing. Yet on his return to the Liverpool aspect after two months out injured, Jota confirmed all of his calmness and composure to attain when launched in behind by Darwin Nunez.
After the setbacks of going 1-0 down from Pereira’s strike after which dropping Robertson to a pink card for a foul on Harry Wilson, it might have left Arne Slot’s aspect feeling sorry for themselves.
After a shaky 10 minutes after Robertson’s dismissal, Liverpool settled into the sport and confirmed the kind of dedication that ought to depart no person in any doubt about their character or want to win the Premier League.
(Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC by way of Getty Images)
Why was Andy Robertson despatched off?
Andy Robertson’s afternoon almost ended after two minutes when he required therapy after being caught by Issa Diop.
Jarell Quansah was stripped and able to change him, however Robertson recovered and was in a position to proceed. However, his time on the pitch didn’t final for much longer.
On 17 minutes, a crossfield move was aimed in his course. Robertson tried to regulate the ball, however his contact gave Harry Wilson, who the move was meant for, a chance to win it from him.
The former Liverpool midfielder bought to the ball first and Robertson fouled him. Referee Tony Harrington issued a pink card with out hesitation, deeming the left-back had denied a goalscoring alternative.
The Scotland worldwide might haven’t any complaints. He was almost saved by a decent VAR offside name, however Virgil van Dijk was enjoying Wilson onside when the move was performed, so the choice stood.
Liverpool had been already a purpose down after Robertson had misplaced Andreas Pereira on the again submit. The Fulham midfielder’s acrobatic shot deflected off the defender and previous Alisson from shut vary.
This was a day to overlook for the 30-year-old. He will serve a one-game ban, so he’ll miss the Carabao Cup quarter-final towards Southampton. With Kostas Tsimikas out injured, the Scot is the one senior left-back out there to Slot. Except now, he isn’t.
(Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside by way of Getty Images)
How did Arne Slot react to the pink card?
For the primary time below Arne Slot, Liverpool had been decreased to 10 males and the pinnacle coach needed to regulate, whereas additionally needing a minimum of one purpose together with his aspect already behind.
His preliminary tweak was to drop Ryan Gravenberch into the center of a again three with Joe Gomez (proper centre-back) and Van Dijk (left centre-back) whereas utilizing Alexander-Arnold and Cody Gakpo as left and proper wing-backs in a 3-4-2 system. Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai operated as a midfield two, whereas Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz performed up high.
Gakpo struggled in an unfamiliar function, which led to a slight tweak from Slot. He moved Gomez to left centre-back, lowering Gakpo’s defensive duties. In a hybrid 3-4-2 system in possession and a 4-4-1 out of possession, Liverpool had been a lot better following that change, with their slim full-backs serving to present management. They started to place Fulham below strain in direction of the tip of the primary half.
There was a small alteration to start the second half, too, with Gravenberch pushing right into a deep midfield function and Alexander-Arnold tucking inside when Liverpool had been in possession. It added an additional man in midfield and helped add aggression to Liverpool’s assault at the beginning of the second half, which led to Gakpo’s equaliser.
An harm to Curtis Jones noticed Slot swap once more. He introduced on Jarell Quansah to play with no consideration centre-back and that allowed Alexander-Arnold to push into the central function that Gravenberch was starting to occupy.
Muniz’s purpose led to Slot deciding to go for broke. He launched Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota and moved to a 3-1-5 system with Gravenberch working as a sole midfielder at instances because the substitutes pushed ahead. That labored, too, because it led to the equaliser.
(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah’s century of assists
Once once more, in Liverpool’s second of want, Mohamed Salah produced a second of magic.
With the percentages stacked towards Liverpool, they wanted one thing particular to interrupt down a Fulham aspect who had an additional man and a purpose benefit.
As he obtained the ball within the inside-right channel, he noticed Gakpo unmarked on the again submit. It wanted a cross of the best high quality to search out him and that’s precisely what Salah supplied.
It was his one centesimal help for Liverpool in all competitions and it was up there together with his greatest. Understandably recognized for his goalscoring prowess, Salah’s means as a creator can typically go below the radar.
Certainly not this season, with this his thirteenth help of the marketing campaign, equalling his tally from final season. He is barely three behind his best-ever whole for Liverpool, set in 2022-23.
It helped safe some extent for Liverpool and it might show to be an necessary second of their title problem.
What did Arne Slot say?
Liverpool’s head coach was happy with how his aspect reacted to a number of setbacks towards Fulham. “It was precisely the alternative of the Girona sport the place I used to be happy with the end result however not the efficiency,. Now I’m very very completely happy in regards to the efficiency, couldn’t have requested for extra. But when you dropped factors in a house sport towards Fulham it’s positively not what you need.
“So many issues went towards us aside from one factor, our efficiency and our followers.”
Slot denied his staff had practiced enjoying with 10 males in coaching periods. “No, since you by no means know which participant goes out. It all the time will depend on which gamers you’ve gotten out there and the way you’ll react. Are you a purpose up or down, when you’re up, you would possibly think about defending with extra gamers. One purpose down it’s completely different. First you check out the tactic board and assume this is likely to be an excellent possibility. That’s what we did for 5 minutes however then it, it seemed higher on the tactic board than on the pitch. Cody as a left again… we wanted to alter it after 5 minutes!
“At half time we had been in a position to get our message throughout even higher. We informed them clearly what we count on from them. Then it helps by scoring right away. But the sport was delayed after they had been on the bottom, that occurred a bit an excessive amount of after we had been attempting to maintain the momentum going. It was up and down at any time when there was a therapy for an harm.”
What subsequent for Liverpool?
Wednesday, December 18: Southampton (A), Carabao Cup quarter-final, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET
Sunday, December 22: Tottenham Hotspur (A), Premier League, 4.30pm GMT, 11.30am ET
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(Top photograph: Getty Images)
