LIVERPOOL 1-0 FULHAM

Mohamed Salah’s penalty was the difference between Fulham and Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Both sides exchanged attacking momentum in the first half, until Issa Diop was caught in possession in the Whites box by Darwin Nunez, who then went down. Replays struggled to show any contact, but the decision stood and Salah slammed home from 12 yards.

Fulham continued to quell the Liverpool threat in the second half and twice went close to an equaliser through Carlos Vinicius and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, but it just wasn’t to be for the boys, despite a spirited display.

Marco Silva made five changes for the midweek clash, two of which were enforced following the news that Tim Ream and Andreas Pereira are out for the season. Diop and Tom Cairney were the natural replacements for the pair, while Cédric Soares, Saša Lukić and Willian came in for Kenny Tete, Harrison Reed and De Cordova-Reid.

Fulham should have gone in front with just five minutes played when a perfect ball over the top was matched by the timing and movement of Harry Wilson to get in behind the Reds backline. The former Liverpool man could have taken it on himself but elected to try and set up Vinicius for a tap-in, allowing Virgil van Dijk to clear.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was getting into some good positions in his new hybrid role of full-back/midfielder, testing Bernd Leno with a rising shot before dragging another just wide.

Vinicius then showed great strength to hold off van Dijk as he rolled into the box, allowing him to get a fine strike off on his weaker right foot – one that was headed for the top corner until Alisson’s fingertips diverted its path.

Willian then fired over following the subsequent corner.

It had been an entertaining start to the game with chances at either end, Salah next to try his luck, but he squeezed his effort over after shimmying beyond Diop, with the hosts continuing the pressure with a Luis Diaz shot that deflected wide.

João Palhinha got two efforts away in quick succession – the first a backheel from Cédric’s centre at the end of a clever free-kick routine, and the second a ballooned volley from 30 yards.

Liverpool went in front with a gift on 39 minutes when Nunez nicked in ahead of Diop and then went down as the Fulham man went to clear in the box. Replays suggested a possible reprieve as contact was minimal, if it existed at all, but the decision stood and Salah fired straight down the middle to open the scoring.

Liverpool took their confidence from the goal into the opening stages of the second half with a couple of openings for Salah, the second of which was particularly promising following quick feet from Diaz, but the Egyptian lacked composure and blazed into the Kop.

Fulham were enjoying good spells but struggling to create that clear chance. Silva responded with a triple substitution with 20 to play – Neeskens Kebano, De Cordova-Reid and Reed all introduced.

The opening the Whites were looking for proved to be just around the corner as Antonee Robinson’s quick throw launched an attack down the left which led to Willian feeding Vinicius. He showed good footwork to dance beyond Jordan Henderson in the area, but Alisson put out a strong arm to repel his powerful shot.

Kebano’s reverse pass then sought to slip De Cordova-Reid in on the angle, but Alisson just about beat him to the ball.

De Cordova-Reid’s movement was tying the Reds backline in knots, with Solomon next to pick out his run, but van Dijk was able to clear Bobby’s cutback before it could find a man in white.

And it was our number 14 who almost snatched what would have been a deserved equaliser with the last kick of the game. Solomon played fellow substitute Daniel James in on his left, and his delivery was perfect for De Cordova-Reid, but his first time effort on the sprint sailed agonisingly over under pressure from a defender.