Reduce Jurgen Klopp’s options on his bench and the Liverpool manager can still look a master of invention. Three days after the German changed a cup tie against capital opponents to conjure victory where defeat beckoned, he did so again. Two changes brought two goals in three minutes, another reshuffle leading to another change in fortunes. The manager felt the match-winner. It may be of scant consolation to Fulham that Arsenal know how they feel. At least Marco Silva’s side have a second chance. The problem they may already sense is that Liverpool are the toughest of teams to kill off.
Fulham were leading at Anfield, perhaps beginning to contemplate a first major trophy in their 145-year history, when Klopp summoned the only two senior outfield players left at his disposal. Within 20 minutes, Darwin Nunez had twin assists and Cody Gakpo a winner. Protect their advantage at Craven Cottage on 24 January and Wembley beckons, perhaps a second Carabao Cup triumph in three seasons.
Once again, Liverpool could enjoy a tale of two halves. The tactical changes came at the break at the Emirates Stadium and if Klopp injected his side with much-needed urgency at the interval here, he delayed a few minutes before making a double change. Nunez, with his penchant for the unpredictable, may be designed for such situations. Gakpo, though, was charged with filling what has started to look Liverpool’s problem position: for the second consecutive game, Harvey Elliott failed his audition to fill in for Mohamed Salah on the right wing. Gakpo came on and cut in from a flank he rarely occupies to deliver the most telling touch of the night.
Gakpo (left) and Nunez came off the bench and changed the game— (Getty Images)
Fulham, however, could rue an inadvertent contribution. Silva was sacked by Everton the day after a 5-2 derby shellacking by a weakened Liverpool team. Anfield still contains a cruelty for him and Liverpool’s leveller was facilitated by a slice of luck.
The outstanding individual in the demolition of West Ham in the previous round, Curtis Jones turned rescuer. The Liverpudlian had been the best of an undistinguished side in Liverpool’s disjointed first half. He scored in the second, aided by a huge deflection. His shot looped up off the back of the defiant Tosin Adarabioyo. Bernd Leno was given no chance.
Liverpool found a slice of luck as Jones’s shot deflected in off Adarabioyo— (Reuters)
Nunez had found Jones. Three minutes later, he picked out Gakpo, with a burst down the left and a low cross that his fellow substitute tucked in at the near post. Nunez’s catalytic cameo lacked only a goal and Leno excelled to deny him one, with a hat-trick of stops. He turned a powerful header over the bar, repelled a forceful shot and made a point-blank save. He kept Fulham in the tie.
But the night amounted to yet another illustration of Liverpool’s powers of recovery. They have conceded first 15 times this season, lost only three. Their victories from losing positions included Fulham’s previous visit, when Marco Silva’s side were 3-2 up after 86 minutes and still ended up beaten. In that context, this comeback was timed a little too early for the full dramatic effect.
Gakpo and Nunez combined for the winner— (Reuters)
But Liverpool were without the orchestrators of that fightback, in Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The list of absentees is extensive. The surprise is that Fulham’s advantage came in part from a man whose return to Klopp’s ranks was supposed to provide reassurance.
Virgil van Dijk, Klopp had said, had looked “like s**t” when illness prevented him from playing at Arsenal. He looked bad in a different way on his return in a goal that was doubly chastening.
A decade ago, Willian scored in a game notable for an error by a Liverpool captain – Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip that permitted Demba Ba to strike for Chelsea – and he capitalised on the rarity of a mistake by Van Dijk. The Dutchman headed the ball up in the air, Andreas Pereira latched on to it and passed to Willian. As Conor Bradley went to ground too easily, he skipped through to nutmeg Van Dijk with his shot.
Willian fired Fulham into a first-half lead— (Getty Images)
Part footballer, part Duracell bunny, Willian keeps on running. He was terrific and as Fulham exhibited menace on the counter-attack, they could have stretched their lead. Twice Bobby Decordova-Reid was culpable, the cost soon becoming apparent.
But whereas Fulham were comfortable in their lead in the first half, they encountered a different Liverpool thereafter. Klopp had two cards to play and he played them wisely. But the subs continued a theme. Diogo Jota scored at Burnley on Boxing Day as a replacement, the Portuguese and Gakpo ensured victory at Newcastle and then Klopp’s half-time rejig, plus the late introduction of Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark, were factors as Arsenal were eliminated from the FA Cup. Now it was Fulham’s turn to rue Klopp’s intervention. As is becoming a theme, he was the game-changer.
