Match report: Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
Premier League: An uncharacteristically sluggish and error-ridden Liverpool had to come from behind twice to escape from Craven Cottage with a point. John Brewin was there to see how they did it ...
Jurgen Klopp speaks: “We got a point from a really bad game from my side so now it’s a question of ‘How can that happen?’,” he tells BT. “The attitude was not right in the beginning and then we wanted to fight back but it wasn’t easy any more. The pitch was dry, stuff like this, we played really in their cards [translation: into their hands] most of the time. The result is fine, I don’t think we deserved more than that but the performance was massively improvable.”
Marco Silva speaks: “We have to respect the top, top quality they have but we have to do our job and trust in ourselves,” he tells BT. “We showed fantastic organisation from the sdtart until the end of the match. Our first half was almost perfect, the way we controlled and worked.”
On Mitrovic: “I know the quality Mitro has,” he says. “I’m here to take the best from my players and we are going on from last season. Mitro is not just goals and if somebody thinks that they can forget it.
“The job he did this afternoon for the team, his pressure, his helping the midfield and helping the backline, it would have been enough even if he hadn’t scored. I have to congratulate everyone from Marek to Mitro, but the work he did without the ball this afternoon was fantastic.”
Tim Ream speaks: “We did exactly what we wanted to do,” says Fulham’s captain in an interview with BT Sport. “We want to make it tough for teams to come here. We knew that if we could be aggressive and take the game to them they would find it difficult.
“Whether they were prepared for that or not, that’s on them but we knew what our gmae plan was and we did it pretty much perfectly. It’s a huge boost of confidence for us but it sets the bar for where we need to be for every match.”
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A quick recap: Liverpool’s play was flat and riddled with uncharacteristic errors in all areas of the pitch and they had to come from behind twice to rescue a point from this game.
Mitrovic opened the scoring for Fulham, leaping above a static Trent Alexander-Arnold at the far post to nod home Kenny Tete’s cross. Liverpool equalised through Darwin Nunez, on from the bench, only for Mitrovic to double his tally for the afternoon from the penalty spot after being tripped by Virgil Van Dijk in a one-on-one.
Having provided the assist for Liverpool’s first, Mo Salah scored their second, poking into a gaping goal from six yards out after a mix-up in communication between Fulham’s centre-backs.
Both sides hit the woodwork during a game from which Liverpool escaped with a point despite playing quite badly. We’ll get to hear what Jurgen Klopp made of his side’s sloppiness in a few minutes.
Full time: Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
It’s all over at Craven Cottage! Fulham get an unlikely early point on the board, even if they did need the paintwork on their crossbar to save them going down to what would have been a heartbreakingly late Liverpool winner.
90+5 min: Chance!!! Jordan Henderson rifles the ball against the Fulham cross-bar from outside the penalty area after being teed up by Harvey Elliott.
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90+3 min: Fulham substitution: Bobby Decordoba-Reid makes way for Shane Duffy, who is on for his debut for the club after signing on loan yesterday.
90+3 min: Mitrovic, who has been outstanding this afternoon, briefly succumbs to cramp but is soon back on his feet.
90+2 min: Liverpool are pegged back and try to advance again but Antonee Robinson heads a long diagonal pass from Van Dijk clear.
90+1 min: We’re into the first of five minutes of added time as Liverpool press upfield in search of a winner.
89 min: Fulham substitution: Andreas Pereira goes off to warm applause after a hard day’s graft on his Fulham debut. Club stalwart Tom Cairney replaces him.
88 min: Good defending from Antonee Robinson, as Elliott tries to play Nunez in behind. The American international puts the ball out for a throw-in.
87 min: Nunez collects a long pass from Milner on the inside left but is unable to wriggle past Tosin. Fulham win a free-kick just outside their own penalty area.
85 min: Having been quite critical of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s performance today, it behoves me to point out that it was he who sent in the cross that led to that goal after Harvey Elliott passed the ball his way.
83 min: It was a sloppy equaliser from Fulham’s point of view. Tosin and Tim Ream went for the same ball, it dropped to Darwin Nunez on the edge of the six-yard box and ricocheted to Salah, who was standing alongside him. The Egyptian’s task could not have been simpler.
GOAL! Fulham 2-2 Liverpool (Salah 81)
Mo Salah scores! He pokes home from six yards to score on the Premier League opening weekend for the sixth season in a row.
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78 min: Liverpool substitution: Luis Diaz makes way as Fabio Carvalho comes on to make his Premier League debut against his former club.
76 min: Nunez tries to volley the ball goalwards from a tight angle after being picked out by Henderson but sends it across the face of goal and rolling towards the touchline.
74 min: Liverpool’s players were furious with that penalty award but it was fair enough. Mitrovic went one on one against Van Dijk, who stuck out a lazy leg and brought down the Serbian striker. It was a rare error from the Dutchman, who has been far from the only Liverpool player in making costly, or potentially costly, mistakes today.
GOAL! Fulham 2-1 Liverpool (Mitrovic 72pen)
Mitrovic scores again!!! Having won the penalty, Mitrovic scores it. Alisson went the right way but the ball fizzes past him into the bottom corner.
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Penalty for Fulham!
70 min: Virgil van Dijk sticks a leg out and catches Mitrovic as he tries to shimmy past. Penalty for Fulham!!!
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69 min: Fulham clear the corner but the ball falls to Milner. He cross to the far post, where Mo Salah has a header palmed off the bar by Rodak. Offside.
69 min: James Milner crosses from the right, Nunez knocks the ball down at the far post and Harrison Reed has to intervene to prevent Luis Diaz from poking home. Corner for Liverpool.
67 min: Tim Ream hacks another Darwin Nunez effort off the line - the Liverpool striker has menaced the Fulham defence since coming on and looks lethal.
66 min: Fulham substitution: Israeli international Manor Solomon on for Neeskens Kebano, who has played well.
65 min: Nunez survives a VAR check for offside and resumes the celebrations of his first Premier League.
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Liverpool (Nunez 64)
Liverpool equalise! Mo Salah gets wide down the right and squares the ball from Nunez, who flicks the ball home at the near post under pressure from Tosin Adarabioyo.
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62 min: Mo Salah combines with Trent ALexander-Arnold down the right before squaring the ball for Darwin Nunez. His effort to steer the ball goalwards is smothered by Rodak. A minute or so previously, Nunez eschewed a good shooting opportunity, but passed instead, giving the ball away.
60 min: Liverpool substitution: James Milner on for Fabinho.
58 min: Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez have been on the field for less than 10 minutes and both have already presented Fulham with excellent chances by giving the ball away. Jurgen Klopp will be seething.
57 min: Chance! Darwin Nunez gives the ball away on the edge of Liverpool’s penalty area and it’s played wide to Neeskens Kebano, who thumps a diagonal shot against the far upright!
56 min: Fulham attack on the break, capitalising on another Liverpool mistake. Bobby Reid sprints downfield and plays Andreas Pereira into the penalty area. He shoots weakly at Alisson when he should have squared the ball for Harrison Reed, who was up in acres of space and screaming for the ball.
55 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fairly nightmarish afternoon continues as he shanks a long pass down the touchline out of play by the Liverpool technical area. Fulham’s fans cheer ironically.
52 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold wins a corner for his side. He swings the ball into the penalty area prompting a scramble as the ball drops to the feet of Nunez. Offside.
51 min: Liverpool double-substitution: Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott on for Bobby Firmino and Thiago. Firmino has had a very quiet game today.
50 min: Thiago Alcantara has pulled, or at least strained, a hamstring and needs to come off. More injury woes for Liverpool.
49 min: Neeskens Kebano slips and asends the ball out for a throw-in as he tried to cross the ball into the Liverpool penalty area, where Bobby Reid and Aleksandar Mitrovic were lurking with intent.
47 min: Antonee Robinson swings a cross into the Liverpool penalty area from the left flank and Virgil van Dijk heads it clear.
Second half: Fulham 1-0 Liverpool
46 min: The game resumes with no changes in personnel on either side so far. Each team is allowed five substitutions per game this season but can only make them in three different windows from this point of the game on. Wearing a luminous hi-viz bib, Darwin Nunez is warming up on the sideline for Liverpool.
Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp’s side have looked far from their best, although Luis Diaz has had his moments. Only they know whether or not they were expecting more feeble resistance from their newly-promoted hosts but Fulham’s players have worked their socks off and deserve their lead.
Half-time: Fulham 1-0 Liverpool
Peep! Well, who saw this coming? Certainly not me. Fulham lead by the only goal of the game so far, after Trent Alexander-Arnold allowed Aleksandar Mitrovic to bully him at the far post and steer home a header from a wonderful Kenny Tete cross. Pereira, Reid and Kebano all played their part in the build-up and collectively Fulham have been very impressive.
45+2 min: Liverpool end the first half on the front foot but are unable to trouble the Fulham goal.
45 min: Unmarked at the far post, Luis Diaz is unable to get enough power behind a header to trouble Marek Rodak in the Fulham goal.
42 min: Completely on his own out on the right flank, Trent Alexander-Arnold is correctly penalised for handling the ball as he receives a cross-field pass. He shakes his head in disbelief at his own daftness. He’s definitely not having one of his better games despite slinging several good passes into the Fulham penalty area.
40 min: Andreas Pereira goes to ground holding the back of his head after shipping a knock from Joel Matip as they contested the ball. He’s OK.
39 min: Luis Diaz gets the better of Kenny Tete down the left flank and unleashes a shot from a tight angle. It hits the outside of the far post.
36 min: At fault for Liverpool’s goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold tries to make amends. He fizzes another cross into the Fulham penalty area but Luis Diaz is unable to connect.
34 min: Liverpool’s players and their manager are complaioning about what they felt was a foul by Joao Palhinha on Jordan Henderson very early in the build-up to the goal.
They also feel Kenny Tete was offside when he embarked on his run down the right flank. Palhinha may have accidentally trod on Henderson’s foot as the two players were tussling for the ball but Tete was definitely onside.
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GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Liverpool (Mitrovic 32)
Fulham take the lead!!! Aleksandar Mitrovic opens his account for the season to give Fulham a lead they deserve. He leaps above Trent Alexander-Arnold at the far post to head home a deflected Tete cross from the right.
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31 min: Under a dropping ball, Harrison Reed has a shot on the volley from about 16 yards out blocked by Andy Robertson. It was on target.
29 min: Marek Rodak launches a quick counter-attack, sending the ball long to Pereira, who wins a corner for Fulham. Pereira’s delivery to the near post almost catches Alisson out but hits the side-netting.
29 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner is headed clear by Aleksandar Mitrovic.
27 min: Neeskens Kebano is penalised for a foul on Luis Diaz. The free-kick, taken by Andy Robertson out wide by the touchline, is put out for a corner by Tosin.
26 min: In the scramble following that Ream chance, Palhinha had a low shot deflected wide. Nothing comes from the corner.
24 min: Tim Ream gets the run on his marker and his head to the ball when Andreas Pereira curls a free-kick from deep across the Liverpool penalty area. Joel Matip gets enough on the ball to block.
22 min: Another cross from Alexander-Arnold, which Mo Salah tries to flick home from a position in front of the near post. Behind him, Jordan Henderson was in a much better position and screamed for the Egyptian to leave it but his request went ignored.
20 min: Liverpool are starting to impose themselves but have yet to hit their stride. Trent Alexander-Arnold gives the ball away, with Joao Palhinha the beneficiary on this occasion.
18 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold whips a cross from the right to the far post but it’s headed clear by Tosin. Alexander-Arnold is getting further up the pitch, giving Fulham’s defence plenty to think about.
17 min: Kenny Tete slides through Luis Diaz, sending him skywards. He gets a stern talking-to and a yellow card from the referee.
15 min: Oof! Rodak is forced to save from close range from Andy Robertson, who was miles offside when he received the through ball from Bobby Firmino. The ball breaks to Luis Diaz, who curls a beauty into the top corner but it won’t count because of Robinson’s offside in the build-up.
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14 min: Liverpool advance through the centre but Luis Diaz has the ball nicked off his toe by Tosin Adarabioyo, who clears.
11 min: Liverpool are enjoying the lion’s share of possession but Fulham’s players are busy hustling and harrying, not giving them any time to settle on the ball. With it being a very hot day, so early in the season when nobody is at full fitness, how long will they be able to keep it up?
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10 min: Andy Robertson heads the ball out for a throw-in deep in Liverpool territory as Fulham try to attack down the right flank.
8 min: Antonee Robinson tries to advance up the left for Fulham but is dispossessed by Jordan Henderson, who sends the ball into the stand.
7 min: The opening minutes have been played almost exclusively in Liverpool’s half of the pitch but Thiago boots it high and long trying to pick out Mo Salah’s run on the right wing. He overhits his pass and sends the ball bouncing wide.
5 min: This is hugely impressive from Fulham, who are showing no signs of being cowed by their exalted opposition. They win a corner when Joel Matip puts the ball out of play. Joel Matip heads the inswinger clear.
3 min: It was Trent Alexander-Arnold who gave the ball away under pressure from Bobby Reed to present Mitrovic with that early chance and Fulham continue their good start when Neeskens Kebano receives a pss from Andreas Pereira and sends a cross from the right flashing across the face of the Liverpool goal. Offside.
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1 min: Aleksandar Mitrovic latches on to a rogue pass, advances and steers a low shot wide of the far post. A bright start for Fulham.
Fulham v Liverpool is go ...
1 min: Liverpool get the ball rolling and almost immediately win a throw-in near the halfway line.
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Not long now: Andy Madley and his fellow officials lead both sides out on to the Craven Cottage sward and they line up ahead of the last of the pre-match formalities. Kick-off is just a few handshakes, a coin-toss away and a shrill blast of referee Madley’s whistle away.
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Fulham’s ticket prices: There has been much dissatisfaction among fans on this particular subject during the summer months. If you don’t have a season card, the cheapest adult ticket for today’s game is £65 (rising to £100!), while the most affordable child ticket is £35.
On BT Sport, Lynsey Hipgrave reveals that neither Tony Khan, the club’s vice-chairman, nor CEO Alistair McIntosh were prepared to speak to the network about these extortionate prices during the week.
In the spirit of whataboutery while on the subject of gouging football fans, might I suggest that BT Sport should look at their subscription fees and perhaps get their own house in order before pointing the finger at others.
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Fulham v Liverpool line-ups
Fulham: Rodak, Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson, Reed, Joao Palhinha, Reid, Andreas Pereira, Kebano, Mitrovic.
Subs: Solomon, Leno, Duffy, Mbabu, Cairney, Rodrigo Muniz, Francois, Harris, Stansfield.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, Salah, Firmino, Diaz.
Subs: Gomez, Milner, Adrian, Elliott, Nunez, Carvalho, van den Berg, Bajcetic, Chambers.
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire)
Early team news
In the absence of Harry Wilson, Neeskens Kebano starts for Fulham. Recently arrived from Arsenal, goalkeeper Bernd Leno is among the substitutes, with Marek Rodak starting between the sticks. Joao Palhina starts in midfield following his arrival from Sporting and his fellow newbie Andreas Perreira is also in the side. Their fellow summer recruits Shane Duffy, Kevin Mbabu and Manor Solomon are all on the bench.
Alisson is back for Liverpool but otherwise it’s as you were from the Community Shield last Saturday.Bobby Firmino will lead the Liverpool line, while new boy Darwin Nunez has to settle for a place on the bench.
Here's how we line up for our 2022/23 @PremierLeague opener 👊🔴 #FULLIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 6, 2022
Your first Fulham of 2022/23! 👊#FULLIV pic.twitter.com/ZEyrqLHRog
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 6, 2022
Today's match officials
- Referee: Andy Madley
- Assistants: Dan Cook and Derek Eaton
- Fourth Official: Tony Harrington
- VAR: Stuart Attwell
Injury news
Fulham have been dealt an early season hammer-blow with the news that Harry Wilson could be out for at least two months with a knee injury the Wales international suffered in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wolves. Joe Bryan has a broken hand and looks likely to miss out, while Nathan Chalobah is also sidelined.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is expected to return from injury to face Fulham but his Irish understudy Caoimhin Kelleher is out with a groin injury and is, according to his manager Jurgen Klopp, still “a few weeks away”.
Diogo Jota missed the entirety of Liverpool’s pre-season with a hamstring injury he picked up on international duty earlier in the summer, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ibrahim Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones have all been ruled out for today’s game. Naby Keita has been ill but could feature.
Premier League: Fulham v Liverpool
With one game down and just 379 to go, the new Premier League season continues with Fulham welcoming Liverpool to Craven Cottage. It’s a daunting prospect for west London side, whose manager Marco Silva bemoaned the lack of new faces in his squad earlier this week. Since bolstered by the arrival of central defender Shane Duffy on loan from Brighton, Fulham hope to shake off their reputation as a yo-yo club by avoiding an immediate return to the Championship.
By contrast, their visitors looked to be firing on most – if not all – cylinders in the Community Shield last weekend and will be hoping to go one better than last season by winning the league. In a quite frank chat with the press, Silva admitted his squad is not ready to start the season but a lengthy Liverpool injury list may give him some hope of taking something from this game. Kick-off at Craven Cottage is at 12.30pm but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
