Fulham 1-2 Liverpool: Mane’s hot streak helps Reds overcome away form jitters to go top of the Premier League
This was a game Liverpool simply had to win.
With Premier League title rivals Manchester City in FA Cup action, they played Fulham, who had lost six games in a row and are suffering an identity crisis under their third manager of the season.
It had all the makings of a banker, but the Reds’ sketchy recent away form meant that was not the case.
Liverpool had won just one of their five Premier League away games in 2019, drawing 0-0 with Everton and Manchester United, 1-1 at West Ham and losing 2-1 to City. Their solitary win came at Brighton.
After the high of midweek Champions League victory in Munich, it was back to the league grind at Craven Cottage. Thanks to Sadio Mane and James Milner they passed the test with a 2-1 win, but it was far from comfortable.
Mane’s hot streak
With Mohamed Salah having gone off the boil, the talismanic goalscorer role has fallen to Mane and he has taken up the mantle with delight.
He opened the scoring with his ninth goal in as many games, combining with Roberto Firmino to tap in his 20th of the season.
The Senegal forward has been exceptional in recent weeks, with two goals leading Jurgen Klopp’s side to wins of contrasting nature and importance against Burnley and Bayern Munich.
He was once again sharp in west London, scoring, winning the vital penalty, clipping the crossbar with a header and leading the charge in the dying moments.
Sadio Mane is making up for Mohamed Salah's slump in form (Source: Getty)
Fantastic full-backs
Mane has been the focal point in attack, but the defining feature for Liverpool has been full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Afforded space time and again by Ryan Babel and Floyd Ayite, the duo terrorised Fulham down the flanks with raking crossfield passes continually finding their mark.
For once neither assisted a goal but the stretching of the play was Klopp’s game-plan.
Fulham’s improvement not enough
In his programme notes, Fulham captain Tom Cairney described avoiding relegation as a “tall order” and an “outside shot”; a seventh successive defeat exacerbates the situation, leaving them 13 points adrift of safety with seven games left.
The gradual improvement interim boss Scott Parker has pointed to is evident – Fulham were by no means blown away by the league leaders.
Calum Chambers shored up the defence and Babel showed glimpses and pounced on a rare mistake in the Liverpool rearguard to have the hosts level for seven minutes.
But ultimately it’s not enough. The damage has been done off the pitch by poor recruitment and on it by individual errors, which have seen them concede 70 goals – 11 more than any other side.
Rare slip-up not costly
Virgil van Dijk’s commanding presence, positional assurance and class on the ball have been key factors in Liverpool maintaining the tightest defence in the league.
It was therefore a huge surprise to see him involved in a defensive mix-up which could have cost them dear.
Milner may have started it with a horrible shank up in the air and Alisson may have ended it by allowing Babel in to tap home, but it was Van Dijk’s weak back-header that was most to blame for the equaliser.
Luckily for him it was Sergio Rico’s mistake which settled the game, with the Fulham goalkeeper pulling down Mane to concede a spot-kick which Milner stuck away.