Jürgen Klopp made six changes ahead of Liverpool's key match with Fulham and it paid dividends. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota all scored as the Reds picked up a vitally important three points to stay in the EPL Title race.
First Half
Liverpool got off to a promising start as Luis Daiz nearly headed home a corner inside five minutes. Diogo Jota earned another corner in the eighth minute, but the cross was errant. Fulham began to work their way into the game with a corner and a free kick, but both chances were cleared.
Harvey Elliott had a shot blocked in the 20th minute as Liverpool began to ping the ball around the box. Liverpool earned a free kick in a dangerous area near the half-hour mark, but the Elliott shot went right into the wall. The Reds earned another free kick in the 32nd minute and this time a shot from Trent Alexander-Arnold went over the wall and into the top corner of the net for a 1-0 Liverpool lead.
Cody Gakpo forced a save moments later as the Reds seemed invigorated by the goal., After lengthy delays for cards and injuries, Alisson made a big save in the 40th minute, but he could not make the save in first-half stoppage time as Timothy Castagne scored to tie the match at 1-1.
Second Half
Harvey Elliott missed a golden opportunity in the 50th minute when the ball fell to him in the box, but he put the shot wide. Ryan Gravenberch did not miss his chance in the 53rd as he capitalized on a Fulham giveaway, firing the ball into the back of the net thanks to an assist from Elliott.
Jota forced a save in the 60th minute as Liverpool looked to add to their lead. The Reds stayed on the attack as Gakpo forced a save in the 63rd minute. Diaz earned a corner moments later and even though it was cleared, Liverpool kept chasing a third goal. They got the strike in the 72nd minute when Jota slotted the ball home on his final touch of the game to give the Reds a two-goal cushion at 3-1
Fulham earned a free kick in the 83rd minute, but a bicycle kick by the Cottager went out for a goal kick. Alisson made a big save in the 89th minute and the defence was able to see out the rest of the match for the 3-1 win.
A Look At The Table
Liverpool are now tied with Arsenal at the top of the Table with 74 points. The Gunners have the lead on goal difference, however, so as of now, Liverpool are in second place. Manchester City are one point off of the pace with five matches left in the season.
Jota Hits Century Mark & Other Notes
When Diogo Jota scored, it was his 100th goal in English Football, 44 with Wolves and now 56 with Liverpool. It is also Liverpool's seventh straight result at Craven Cottage, but their first win in the last three tries. It was also Ryan Gravenberch's first Premier League goal when he scored in the 53rd minute.
Hey Arnold
Trent Alexander Arnold scored on a beautiful free kick to draw first blood. He spoke with Sky Ports following the match concerning the importance of the victory.
“Huge obviously,” he said. “If we did not get that result, we are out of the Title Race. The rest of them are big now. We are going to treat them like five finals. We are going to throw the kitchen sink at it and see if we can get over the line.”
LFC Globe Verdict
Klopp took a big gamble by not starting household names such as Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez. And it paid off in a big way. Diogo Jota and Ryan Gravenberch looked fresh and both found the back of the net. The broadcasters were questioning whether Liverpool had given up on the Title chase. Well, at least for today, they seemed to have plenty of energy left.
Man Of The Match
I'm going with Diogo Jota. While there are several other deserving candidates, he kept putting himself in dangerous areas and scored on his final touch of the game just before being subbed off. All this came in his first start back from injury, so he justly deserves the honour.
What's Next
Liverpool travel to Goodison Park for one of the more important Merseyside Darbys vs. Everton in recent memory on Wednesday, April 24th.
Goals
Fulham
- Timothy Castagne 45+'
Liverpool
- Trent Alexander-Arnold 32'
- Ryan Gravenberch 53'
- Diogo Jota 72'
Substitutions
Fulham
- Tom Cairney for Joao Palhinha 71'
- Harry Wilson for Bobby De Cordova-Reid 71'
- Adama Traore for Alex Iwobi 85'
Liverpool
- Mohamed Salah for Luis Diaz 74'
- Alexis MacAllister for Ryan Gravenberch 74'
- Darwin Nunez for Diogo Jota 74'
- Joe Gomez for Trent Alexander-Arnold 80'
- Dominik Szoboszlai for Cody Gakpo 86'