Liverpool 1-0 Fulham LIVE: Jurgen Klopp’s side hit the front as Mohamed Salah scores from the spot for the second game in succession after Darwin Nunez is brought down… as Reds look to keep their Champions League hopes alive
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Fulham.
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53m: Chance this time for Salah on his left foot as Diaz goes on a brilliant run but his mate fires well over.
A cross in from Tsimikas then fails to find Nunez with some good defending from Diop.
Complete domination from Liverpool.
49m: Henderson feeds Nunez but the forward loses his footing and slices his effort wide.
The Reds picking up where they left off, however.
46m: The second half has begun.
Some more grabs from the first half for you.
It’s all to play for at the break then with Liverpool leading by the one goal.
Salah’s penalty is the difference with the Egyptian firing straight down the middle from the spot for the second game running after Nunez won the spot kick.
Fulham have had chances, and they’re not out of it yet, but Liverpool have been in control.
45 +2m: Just the one minute added on and the whistle goes for the break.
Mostly comfortable for Liverpool at Anfield.
44m: The Reds smell blood now as Salah’s cross almost finds Nunez but Diop intercepts well.
Lots of possession for Liverpool with a couple of minutes to go until half time.
40m: No mistake from Salah and he nets his second penalty in as many games! Straight down the middle!
Straight down the middle from @MoSalah! 🥶 pic.twitter.com/iX9Wx5xR7Q
38m: Penalty! Nunez nicks the ball off Diop and the defender hacks the forward down.
35m: Good play from Alexander-Arnold who wins a corner on the right.
Henderson’s eventual cross finds Jones but he stops. Soares slices a cross at the other end, and that pretty much sums up this first half so far.
31m: Fulham come forward and Allison has to save again from a little flick on from Cairney.
Willian then feeds Vinicius who looks to be in but Tsimikas gets back well. Palinha then shoots, but it’s well over.
24m: Jones wins Liverpool a free kick in a decent position as the away fans politely question whether Anfield is a library.
Tsmikias’ cross goes all the way through, before Van Dijk commits a foul.
21m: Diaz this time curls wide for Liverpool. He slips as he shoots and Dip deflects it past the post.
The Reds keep the ball after the corner is initially cleared but nothing comes of the period of play.
18m: Good play involving several players and the spell ends with Salah clipping wide from inside the area.
There’s just so little space in there for Liverpool.
15m: Salah breaks and tries to square the ball to Nunez, who is busting a gut to reach the pull back, but it’s just in front of him.
Fulham then with a chance as Vinicius spins Konate and gets the better of Van Dijk, and Allison has to get across to save the shot.
11m: A short break in play as Van Dijk requires treatment for a blow to the head.
Liverpool extremely dominant right now and trying to break down a resolute Fulham defence.
Alexander-Arnold’s latest effort goes narrowly past a helpless Leno’s post.
5m: Jones shoots from distance now but frags the effort wide.
Fulham are in now as Wilson latches onto a ball over the top. Van Dijk intercepts the ball aimed at Robinson.
3m: Liverpool win an early corner after a penalty call on Diaz is waved away.
A first shot then for the Reds from Alexander-Arnold from distance but his effort hits his own player and it’s out for a goal kick.
1m: We are underway!
The teams are on their ways out at Anfield.
The warm-ups and time for talking are done. Kick-off is just five minutes away.
The warm-ups are well underway at Anfield and we have some snaps for you.
The ground is filling up ahead of kick-off, which is 15 minutes away.
Ibrahima Konate is set to make his 50th appearance for Liverpool tonight.
He’s really come into his own in the last few weeks, cementing his place in the starting side next to Virgil Van Dijk.
5️⃣0️⃣ Reds appearances up for Ibou! pic.twitter.com/4OyX5Qv55c
It’s little secret by now that Jude Bellingham won’t be joining Liverpool this summer.
The midfielder had been strongly linked with a move to the Reds over the last few months, but the club pulled out in April over the cost of the deal.
He instead seems to be on his way to Real Madrid. Read how it all happened below.
Some snaps for you of the home side arriving at Anfield.
Kick off is just 40 minutes away now.
Marco Silva has made five – yes, five – changes to the team that lost to City at the weekend.
Soares is in for Tete at right-back, Diop replaces the injured Ream, Lukic is in for Reed, Willian returns in place of De Cordova-Reid and club captain Tom Ciarney is the man to replace Andreas Pereira.
Got it?
Three changes for Liverpool from the team that beat Tottenham, with Tsimikas in for Robertson at left-back, Henderson in for Elliott in midfield and Nunez starting up front instead of Gakpo.
Diaz is fit enough to start a second game in a row, with Jota on the bench.
Leno, Soares, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson, Lukic, Palhinha, Wilson, Cairney, Willina, Vinicius.
Subs: Rodak, Duffy, Tete, James, Reed, Kebano, Harris, Solomon, De Cordova-Reid.
Our #LIVFUL line-up! 📜
Five changes for this one. 🔄 pic.twitter.com/rk5rUvlpkR
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tasimikas, Henderson, Fabinho, Jones, Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Matip, Robertson, Milner, Elliott, Carvalho, Jota, Gakpo.
🔴 TEAM NEWS 🔴
Our line-up to face Fulham tonight in the @PremierLeague 👊#LIVFUL
Klopp has been engulfed in controversy since the Tottenham game after he celebrated Jota’s goal in the face of the fourth official, and pulled his hamstring in doing so.
There have been suggestions of bans, fines and even points deductions, but there’s little doubt what he did is not ok.
The German has been critical of referee Paul Tierney since the game, however, and has not doubled down, receiving an FA charge for his comments.
We’ll see if he’s calmer tonight.
Fulham are still without Aleksandr Mitrovic for the game through suspension, and key man Andreas Pereira will be absent for the rest of the season after being stretchered off against City.
He’ll be a big miss in attacking midfield, and Silva has to find a way to fix that.
Centre-half Tim Ream is out and unlikely to play again this season after breaking his arm.
Klopp may make changes to the Liverpool team from the win over Spurs, but the headline news is that Diogo Jota is a doubt through injury.
He played through his issue on Sunday and Klopp told us earlier in the week that he hadn’t trained since.
We will see in roughly 20 minutes if he’s made it.
Marco Silva has insisted his side are not on the beach as the season draws to a close, but back-to-back defeats may suggest otherwise.
They can be somewhat forgiven with those losses coming against Man City and Aston Villa, with the London side beating Everton and Leeds before that.
Win what you’re expected to win, lose what you’re expected to lose. A typical mid-table side, I’d suggest
The Reds have won their last four games, as Klopp continues to re-invent his side that have been so successful over the last few years.
They won against Tottenham on Sunday thanks to Diogo Jota’s last-gasp winner (evening Richarlison), and before that had beaten West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
Ending a difficult season on a positive note.
So Liverpool do have Champions League hopes, but they are faint hopes.
Klopp’s side are fifth in the Premier League, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth having played a game more. The gap can be cut to four tonight, but it would take a big slip up from United for them to lose the place now.
Fulham are 10th, five points clear of Palace in 11th. They’re five points behind London rivals Brentford and could cut that to two tonight if they win what is their game in hand.
Good evening one and all and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of Liverpool vs Fulham in the Premier League.
Still plenty to play for for both sides as the season draws to a close. Liverpool will still have one eye on a top four finish, while Fulham are looking to end the campaign inside the top 10.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm.
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