LIVERPOOL 2 – 0 Fulham
Liverpool – Ngumoha 36’, Salah 40’
Pre-Match
For your weekly dose of existential dread, Liverpool welcome Fulham to Anfield. Andy Robertson and Rio Ngumoha both start, with Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez on the bench. Liverpool, though in fifth place, are only five points ahead of Fulham on the table.
First Half
Liverpool start pretty well, with the closest chance in the first 15 minutes or so going to a caught off guard Robertson, who looked surprised to have the ball at his feet. He gets a shot
off, but it’s weak and easily blocked by the Fulham defense.
Jeremie Frimpong does great work wriggling free of a tricky situation and gets the ball to Mohamed Salah. Salah forces goalkeeper Leno into a good save. But that was great work from those two. It’s a shame it didn’t come off in the end.
The next Liverpool chance lands with Cody Gapko, but his shot goes slightly wide of the mark. Liverpool are forcing Fulham to do a whole lot of defending and look genuinely up for it, but without luck as yet.
Fulham get their first chance of the game through Iwobi, but it goes straight into the safe hands of Mamardashvili.
Ngumoha, who had been having a good game, upgrades to having a great game when he scores his first Liverpool goal. It’s a really pretty one too. He engineers it himself, taking a few touches to find an opening and then slamming a long range effort into the bottom far corner. Anfield becomes a frenzy of his name as the teenager becomes the youngest Liverpool player to score at Anfield.
And when Liverpool make it 2-0 minutes later, it starts with a clip into the area from Ngumoha that lads near Gakpo. Gapko gets it to Salah who confidently slides it home. Shut up, everyone, I’m fine.
In added time, Curtis Jones receives treatment for what looks like a groin problem. He gingerly finishes out the half, but we’ll likely see him subbed for the second.
Liverpool go into the tunnel two ahead.
Second Half
Unsurprisingly, Jones is is replaced by Ryan Gravenberch.
Immediately following the break, Sasa Lukic gets the ball in the net for the Fulham, but he’s so far offside that they barely even bothered with VAR. Still don’t love it though.
It should be 3-0 from Gakpo, who gets the ball from Frimpong unmarked, but he can’t stick the landing. Ngumoha floats one to the far post near Florian Wirtz, but he fires over.
Fulham are pushing and pushing for a goal and a way into this game. Liverpool have so far stood their ground against free kicks and corners, but they need to score another to really feel safe here.
Frimpong, Wirtz, and Ngumoha are off in favor of Joe Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Alexander Isak. Still no change in the score like with about 15 minutes left to play. This favors the home team, who have been barraged. Ryan Sessegnon cuts back to Rowe, but the Fulham man can’t keep it on target. That looked like trouble, but the Reds are let off the hook.
Liverpool hit the break on the other end. Gakpo crosses to Mac Allister, but his run onto the ball isn’t quite accurate, and the shot goes narrowly wide.
Salah goes off in favor of Trey Nyoni for added time.
Final Thoughts
That was actually pretty fun! A little nervy here and there, but we got to see Ngumoha score and Liverpool keep a clean sheet. It’s a nice palate cleanser.
