14 Dec 2024
Portuguese star scores on return from injury to earn 2-2 draw after Robertson was sent off in first half
Ten-man Liverpool dropped Premier League points for only the third time this season as they were held in an entertaining 2-2 draw by Fulham.
Diogo Jota rescued a point for the Reds, who had Andrew Robertson sent off early on before having to come from behind twice at Anfield.
Marco Silva’s side struck in the 11th minute, with Andreas Pereira expertly volleying home Antonee Robinson’s cross, before Robertson was shown a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity soon after.
Cody Gakpo equalised early in the second half, and although Rodrigo Muniz restored the Cottagers’ advantage, the returning Jota came off the bench to pop up with a late equaliser to ensure the points were shared.
Arne Slot’s side remain top and move five points clear of second-placed Chelsea, who would close the gap to two with victory over Brentford on Sunday, while the visitors climb a place to ninth.
How the match unfolded
Fulham broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, after a sweeping move led to an outstretched Pereira turning home at the back post with the aid of a deflection from Robertson.
Already a goal down, Liverpool were then a man down just six minutes later as Robertson was sent off after catching Harry Wilson late, with the red card upheld after a VAR review.
Nevertheless, the hosts appeared rejuvenated after the break and were level within two minutes of the restart, as Mohamed Salah's cross was headed in at the far post by an unmarked Gakpo.
However, they were hit on the counter in the 76th minute, as Muniz flicked in Robinson’s cutback with the aid of a touch from Joe Gomez to restore the visitors’ advantage.
Jota then dragged the hosts level once more when he neatly took Darwin Nunez’s pass in his stride and finished, only six minutes and 26 seconds after coming off the bench on his return from injury. While both sides went close to snatching a winner late on, the points were shared on Merseyside.
Robertson dismissed as Reds survive
Fresh from nine straight home victories across all competitions, Liverpool will have been confident of taking that tally into double figures, although they were ultimately grateful to take just a point from the contest.
It was a bad day at the office for Robertson. The tone for his afternoon was set when he was on the receiving end of Issa Diop's late challenge inside the opening minute.
His deflection then helped Pereira's volley beyond Alisson, before his rash challenge on Wilson after taking a heavy touch left the referee with no alternative option but to give the Scot his marching orders.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Slot’s side did well to get themselves back into the game, with Salah’s 100th assist for the club in all competitions setting up Gakpo for the equaliser.
Though they fell behind again, the Reds managed to drag themselves level once more through Jota’s well-taken goal. The hosts subsequently pushed for a dramatic winner, with Virgil van Dijk among those seeing late efforts blocked by the stubborn Fulham defence, as they were forced to settle for a point, with Tottenham Hotspur up next for the Reds.
Slot: Robertson not to blame for dropped points
Liverpool head coach says Andy Robertson deserved his red card in the 2-2 draw with, Fulham but praises the character of his full-back
Courageous Cottagers hold their own
From the moment they set foot on the pitch, it was clear Fulham would not be intimidated by the prospect of facing the Premier League leaders.
After all, they have demonstrated their ability to hold their own against title challengers this season, having run champions Manchester City close and holding Arsenal to a 1-1 draw last weekend. Not only that, but this was a side with their second-highest points tally after 15 matches in a Premier League season.
Sticking to their usual gameplan and displaying plenty of confidence on the ball, the visitors took the lead, with Pereira demonstrating tremendous acrobatics and flexibility to apply the finishing touch to Robinson’s cross.
Silva’s side were not deterred after they were pulled level either, edging their noses ahead once more through Muniz’s instinctive finish. Then, in the midst of Liverpool pushing for the winner after Jota’s equaliser, the Cottagers almost grabbed one themselves, with Adama Traore stinging the palms of Alisson in stoppage time.
Possibly disappointed not to have held on to their second lead, they can, nevertheless, reflect on a good day’s work at Anfield ahead of hosting Southampton a week on Sunday.
Club reports
Liverpool report | Fulham report
What the managers said
Arne Slot: "I don't think I could've asked for more from my players, especially after going down to 10 men. It's an emotional game and we were a man down, it's frustrating. It's good to see our performance after so many setbacks."
Marco Silva: "It's a mixture of emotions and feelings at this moment. I'm pleased with how we started the game. It was really good. We were winning the game already with the red card. We had so many moments in the second half three against four. We should have done so much better. Overall, a great job from them."
