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Liverpool 0-1 Fulham


Scott Parker said there was "a lot of emotion" after his Fulham side secured a crucial win to give their survival hopes a huge boost and continue Liverpool's incredible slump.

Mario Lemina's goal on the stroke of half-time, after the Gabon midfielder had dispossessed Mohamed Salah, inflicted a sixth successive Premier League home defeat on the Reds and saw Parker's side draw level on 26 points with 17th-placed Brighton.

It was Fulham's first win at Anfield since 2012, while champions Liverpool are now struggling to finish in the top four after another uninspired performance at home.

The Reds, who won the title last season by 18 points, had gone 68 home league matches unbeaten before their current run started with a loss to Burnley in January.

Since then they have also lost on home soil to Brighton, Manchester City, Everton, Chelsea and now Fulham.

"It's a big win. There's a lot of emotion and I am very proud," said Parker. "I am happy for the players and the team because they got nothing short of what they deserved. There was a resilience and real attitude to keep the ball out of the net and defend."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp made seven changes following the defeat to Chelsea in attempt to freshen things up, but Fulham were the better side and carved out four chances in the opening half an hour alone.

Ademola Lookman, who was given the freedom of Anfield, twice got behind the inexperienced Reds defence but could not finish while Josh Maja was denied by a brave save by Alisson.

The winner came after Liverpool thought they had cleared a free-kick but Salah was caught on the ball by Lemina who produced an arrowed finish, his first goal since joining on loan from Southampton.

Diogo Jota, making his first start since 28 November, was denied an equaliser by an acrobatic save from Alphonse Areola early in the second half before substitute Sadio Mane hit the post with a looping header.

But Liverpool were poor and have now failed to win their last eight home games.

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/976/cpsprodpb/12406/production/_117485747_bottom1.png)

Weary Liverpool look broken
It was this time last year that Liverpool went 25 points clear at the top of the table after a win over Bournemouth in front of a raucous Anfield crowd.

Twelve months on and Premier League games at Anfield have become an uncomfortable watch for Klopp and this was another stodgy repeat of recent performances.

The Liverpool manager's attempts to shake things up by making wholesale changes backfired as Fulham, who have spent most of the season in the bottom three, took advantage of another inexperienced centre-back partnership in the shape of Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams.

Lookman and Maja were a constant source of worry as they exploited huge pockets of space before Salah, the Premier League's leading scorer, was dispossessed by Lemina for the goal.

Klopp sent on Mane, Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold in an attempt to rescue the game but, despite an improved second-half showing, this was another woeful performance which extended an inexcusable run of home losses.

Liverpool, who finished the day eighth in the table, have yet to score a goal in open play at home in 2021.

A plane circled above Anfield during the game towing a banner which read: 'Unity in Strength - Let's Go Reds YNWA'.

But Liverpool, who are in Champions League action on Wednesday, have the weary look of a team who cannot wait for the season to finish.

From 10 points from safety to fighting chance
Fulham boss Parker let out a huge scream of delight at the final whistle after this momentous win.

As recently as 13 February the Cottagers were 10 points from safety, but this result will give them huge belief for the final 10 games of the season.

A performance full of character and spirit was characterised by Joachim Andersen's clearance right at the end, the Fulham skipper saving his side with Mane poised to turn home Andy Robertson's centre.

Too many times this season Fulham have struggled to turn draws into wins but there was a dogged resilience about they way they went about their work.

They are now unbeaten in eight games away from home, their longest without defeat on the road in their top-flight history.

Fulham still have work to do but two wins on Merseyside - this result coming three weeks after a 2-0 win at Everton - has helped transform their campaign.

It's runaway leaders Manchester City up next, but it will be home results against Wolves, Burnley and, on the final day, Newcastle that will determine whether Fulham will be in the Premier League next season.

'We're missing a goal and a clean sheet' - what they said
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "The obvious thing was missing a goal and a clean sheet. It was always clear that Fulham would cause us big problems with the situation they are in and the one we are in.

"It was clear we had to adapt. We started quite well, we were direct and Mo Salah caused them problems but we didn't finish the situations off. Then Fulham were good.

"Our last line was completely new. We had balls in behind where we had to run a lot because we were not high enough or just not in the right position and we conceded the goal."

Fulham boss Scott Parker: "In the first half I thought we were fantastic. We created numerous chances and we stuck to the plan in terms of how we wanted to cause them problems.

"The main thing coming into the game was 'can we put our stamp on it?' - easier said than done of course.

"We deserved this result and we have deserved better results over the last few weeks."

First since Huddersfield - the stats
    Liverpool are the first side to lose six in a row on home soil in the Premier League since Huddersfield Town in February 2019 (seven).
    Fulham are the first newly-promoted side to win away at Liverpool in the Premier League since Blackpool beat Roy Hodgson's Reds in October 2010.
    Excluding penalties and own goals, Liverpool have failed to score with each of their last 115 shots at Anfield in the Premier League (including 16 on Sunday).
    Having kept just four clean sheets in their first 21 Premier League games of the season, Fulham have since kept five in their last seven in the competition, conceding just two goals in this run.
    Liverpool's six league defeats at Anfield in 2020-21 is their most in a single campaign since 1953-54 (also six), when the Reds finished bottom of the top flight.
    All three of Fulham midfielder Mario Lemina's Premier League goals have been scored away from home, each also coming in a different season (in 2017-18 v West Brom, 2018-19 v Newcastle and this season v Liverpool).

What's next?
Liverpool turn their attention to the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) as they look to see off RB Leipzig after establishing a 2-0 first leg lead in the last-16 tie. Fulham have a free week to prepare for the visit of runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City next Saturday (20:00).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56227460

Post-Liverpool Press Conference


Scott Parker was beaming in his post-match press conference after Fulham claimed a thoroughly deserved victory away to Liverpool.

After taking the game to the Champions throughout the opening 45 minutes, the Whites eventually made a breakthrough on the stroke of half-time when Mario Lemina picked Mohamed Salah's pocket before lashing inside the far post.

The hosts improved after the break but some resolute defending from Parker's men ensured we took a huge three points back to SW6.

"I'm immensely proud," he said. "It was a big performance today. First half I thought we were fantastic really, both halves actually.

"In the first half we were the front foot, attacking team I want us to be, we created numerous chances and got our noses in front through some great skill from Mario.

"And second half we didn't want it to pan out that way but you understand if you come to a place like Anfield, with the quality that they possess, that you're going to have to be organised, you're going to have to be disciplined, win some headers, be good in your box.

"I thought the defensive line second half and the organisation from that was top as well. It's a massive result and I'm proud of them.

"The players have taken on every ounce of information they were given in the two, three days leading into this game.

"They worked tirelessly in meetings and obviously on the training field, and they put that into action first half and it worked very well.

"And in the second half, like I said, we had a resilience, something you need to fall back on, certain foundations, and I thought we did that to a tee.

"We withstood a storm but still limited them to few chances."

The win moved us level on points with 17th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and to within one point of Newcastle United.

Parker, though, insists sole attention will remain on what the boys of Fulham Football Club do.

"It's honestly not for me to say," he replied when asked if our win will have concerned those above us.

"We need to focus on us and not anyone around us, not any other results that have gone on.

"We focus on what keeps getting us performances, what makes us better, and the team I want us to be.

"And I know that if that's our main focus, I know we can get results in this league, I know we will be more than fine in this league, I honestly do.

"What other teams are thinking and what other teams are doing is down to them. This is us, and it will remain that way.

"A result and a win like this galvanises, not that this team needed galvanising or a result to give us belief or an understanding of what we can do this year, because that's always been there, and that's the constant message.

"What's happening around us and who we're dragging in is an irrelevance, and that will remain the case.

"If we'd taken any notice or taken the focus off us, we wouldn't be in this position that we're now in, so my message stays the same.

"The players and the team understand it's about us coming in every day, learning, wanting to get better and moving in the right direction. And that won't change."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/march/Post-Liverpool-Press-Conference/

Deserved win for Fulham as Liverpool flop again at home

Liverpool's inexplicable downward spiral continued unabated as Mario Lemina's first Fulham goal was enough for a 1-0 Premier League win as the struggling Cottagers gave their own survival hopes a massive boost.

Just when Jurgen Klopp thought things could not get any worse, after Thursday's defeat to Chelsea brought up an unwanted club record, they did as he experienced his first loss against a promoted side which consigned the Reds to a sixth-successive home defeat.

So too for Mohamed Salah. Plenty had been made of his reaction to being substituted in midweek so what he really needed to do was lead from the front, having been handed the central striker's role.

What he definitely did not need was to be the reason for Liverpool conceding the first goal for the sixth match in a row at Anfield, his loss of possession on the edge of his own area allowing Lemina to finish brilliantly just before half-time.

The Gabon midfielder became the first Fulham player to score against Liverpool at Anfield since Collins John in March 2006 as they won their first match on the ground since 2012, which on that day came courtesy of a Martin Skrtel own goal.

It meant Fulham's revival, having lost just once in the last seven, are only in the bottom three by virtue of having a goal difference three worse than Brighton.

Liverpool remain four points off the top four and are likely to be further adrift by the time they run out for their Champions League last-16 second leg against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, a game which has taken on far more significance even though they hold a 2-0 lead.

FULL MATCH DETAILS
Klopp's seven changes - including three of his back four - with that in mind were the most between Premier League matches since the 2015-16 season, with the inexperienced pairing of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams the 16th different centre-back combination to have started in 28 league matches.

It was perhaps unsurprising their first-half performance was disjointed, although they managed twice the number of shots on target (two) in the opening half-hour that they achieved in the entirety of Thursday's defeat to Chelsea.

Even with Salah, Diogo Jota - making his first start since December after a knee injury - and Xherdan Shaqiri completing a new-look forward line they still did not look like scoring.

Fulham, however, frequently did with Ademola Lookman a threat cutting in from the flank as the visitors utilised a quick right-to-left diagonal to expose young full-back Neco Williams and the space between him and Phillips.

After Josh Maja hooked wide Lookman twice sprinted clear before working his way into the penalty area to shoot as Fulham looked to carry on the tactic which Thomas Tuchel's side had been successful with.

Maja was also denied by Alisson Becker diving at his feet to prevent a certain goal from close range.

The closest Liverpool came was Shaqiri's free-kick landing on the roof of the net with Salah's first touch letting him down when put through earlier by the Switzerland international.

If that was poor his dithering in possession when Ivan Cavaleiro's free-kick was half-cleared was fatal.

Lemina quickly closed down the Egypt international and superbly seized his chance with a low drive across Alisson and inside the far post.

The same 11 players were sent out early for the second half, the start of which was accompanied by the low buzz of a plane flying the banner 'Unity is Strength. Let's go Reds. YNWA' overhead, and three minutes in Jota's stinging volley produced a brilliant save from Alphonse Areola.

Klopp's first change had to be an attacking one and it saw Sadio Mane replace midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

The forward was not quick enough to react when Shaqiri's corner fell at his feet soon after arriving but was closer with a header which looped onto the post, mis-hitting another - this one from a cross from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold - into the ground.

There was an air of desperation about the final 10 minutes with Liverpool effectively 2-2-4-2 when attacking, but it made little difference.

A sixth home game in the last eight finished goalless for them and in celebration for their opponents.



https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0307/1201466-deserved-win-for-fulham-as-liverpool-flop-again-at-home/

Disastrous Fulham win at Liverpool exposes Steve Bruce negativity at West Brom

Scott Parker and his Fulham payers obviously didn't read the script prepared by Steve Bruce.

Bruce overseeing a noon kick-off horrendous negative Newcastle United set-up and display at West Brom.

An appalling match away at a club that in reality already relegated and who have conceded 33 goals at home, 11 more than any other Premier League outfit.

Steve Bruce after the match congratulating himself on what he obviously considered a brilliant point, against a shockingly poor opposition.

Steve Bruce taking for granted that this would mean a four point gap to the bottom three after the weekend, with Fulham obviously losing at Anfield.

However, only one problem with that.

Unlike Newcastle at The Hawthorns, Fulham travelled to Anfield and went for the win.

You may laugh at any expectation of Fulham winning at Anfield BUT only if you are clueless about what has been happening with Liverpool recently.

Their last five PL matches at Anfield had finished:

Liverpool 0 Burnley 1

Liverpool 0 Brighton 1

Liverpool 1 Man City 4

Liverpool 0 Everton 2

Liverpool 0 Chelsea 1

Now you can add Liverpool 0 Fulham 1 to that list.

Just like relegation rivals Burnley and Brighton, Scott Parker's team coming away from Anfield with three points and a clean sheet. Lemina getting the only goal of the game just before half-time.

As George Caulkin of The Athletic commented after today's first two results: 'Newcastle playing like a team who are content to stay up. Fulham playing like a team desperate to.'

The last 16 Premier League games have produced the following form:
Newcastle United – Won 2, Drawn 4, Lost 10, Points 10 Goals For 13 Goals Against 28

Fulham – Won 3, Drawn 9, Lost 4, Points 18 Goals For 10 Goals Against 11

Even West Brom have won more points (12) than Newcastle United have these past three months and sixteen PL matches.

This is how the Premier League table now looks after both Fulham and Newcastle results on Sunday.

(https://www.themag.co.uk/assets/Premier-League-Table-03-07-2021-1.png?ezimgfmt=ng:webp/ngcb8)

As you can see, Newcastle only a point clear of relegation and both Brighton and Fulham have far better goal differences.

Then these are all the matches for the bottom six before the international fortnight later this month:
Burnley – Everton (A)

Brighton – Southampton (A), Newcastle (H)

Newcastle United – Villa (H), Brighton (A)

Fulham – Man City (H), Leeds (A)

West Brom – Crystal Palace (A)

Sheff Utd – Leicester (A)

I can well see Fulham getting a point or even a win at Leeds, whilst that Brighton v Newcastle match on Saturday 20 March now looks massive.

Always in the back of your mind as well is the reminder that Newcastle are away to Fulham on the final day.

Steve Bruce has to be sacked or else he is seriously increasing the chances of NUFC going down for a third time under Mike Ashley.

Stats from BBC Sport:

West Brom 0 Newcastle 0 – Sunday 7 March 12pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

West Brom:

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was West Brom 53% (52%) Newcastle 47% (48%)

Total shots were West Brom 13 (5) Newcastle 9 (4)

Shots on target were West Brom 3 (3) Newcastle 5 (2)

Corners were West Brom 9 (3) Newcastle 7 (4)

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Newcastle United:

Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Willock, Hayden, Shelvey, Hendrick (Gayle 57), Fraser (Carroll 90+3), Joelinton

Unused Subs:

Darlow, Ritchie, Lewis, Fernandez, Manquillo, Murphy, S Longstaff

Crowd: 00,000

(Steve Bruce 'delighted' as Newcastle United make it 2 wins in last 18 matches – Read HERE)

(West Brom 0 Newcastle 0 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(West Brom 0 Newcastle 0 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Sunday's draw – Read HERE)

(I had zero expectations of a decent game and Steve Bruce took us below that – Read HERE)



https://www.themag.co.uk/2021/03/disastrous-fulham-win-at-liverpool-exposes-steve-bruce-negativity-at-west-brom-newcastle-united/

Disaster strikes for NUFC – Premier League table now looks grim after Fulham pull off huge win

Steve Bruce will tell you that our draw at West Brom is a 'point gained' and solid result, but the reality is it's an absolutely disastrous one.

Why? Because Fulham have just come away from Anfield with a 0-1 win over Liverpool.

One manager set up to get a point against an abysmal Baggies side who've conceded 56 goals this season, the other had total belief in his team and set them up to win against the Champions.

Ok, Liverpool are on a shocking run of form, but the fact we settled for a draw and allowed our biggest relegation rivals to gain two points on us when this weekend's fixtures worked in our favour speaks volumes. One side is playing well and on the up, the other is being led by a deluded and incapable manager who was "really, really pleased" with our result at The Hawthorns.

As a result, Fulham are now just one point behind us in the table with significantly better goal difference:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ev42tk3XAAcoZpc?format=jpg&name=medium)

Brighton's late defeat to Leicester last night seems all the more important now, however they have plenty winnable fixtures to come and, like Fulham, look like a side capable of turning good performances into points.

Steve Bruce deserves a bucket load of criticism, but Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley need to wake up and smell the coffee.

You'd think we'd have learned our lesson by now, yet here we are sleepwalking towards a third relegation of the Ashley era.

What a complete and utter shambles.



https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2021/03/07/disaster-strikes-for-nufc-premier-league-table-now-looks-grim-after-fulham-pull-off-huge-win/

Parker 'immensely proud' after Fulham's Anfield triumph

Scott Parker said he was "immensely proud" of his Fulham side after their win at Liverpool, where their game plan worked to perfection.

The 1-0 victory moved Fulham level on points with fourth-from-bottom Brighton and just one point behind Newcastle in the battle to stay up.

Defending champions Liverpool have now lost six home matches in a row and Whites boss Parker was keen to exploit their defensive frailties.

He therefore switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with Ademola Lookman causing Liverpool major problems on the flank and Bobby Decordova-Reid and Ivan Cavaliero also offering a constant threat along with striker Josh Maja.

Asked if his team selection was intended to try to expose Liverpool's shortcomings, Parker said: "It was. I picked a team today that I felt would best suit Liverpool's style and how I thought we could hurt Liverpool and that was the sole reason behind it.

"I thought the attacking players were nothing short of fantastic.

"Everything we worked on came to plan; Cavaleiro, Bobby and Lookman stretching the game and with Maja I always want us to be a goal threat and I thought we were that."

Fulham were worthy winners at Anfield, where they dominated the first half and stood firm in the second.

Parker said: "I'm immensely proud. It was a big performance.

"In the first half we were the front-foot attacking team I want us to be.

"In the second half, coming to a place like Anfield, you are going to have to be organised and disciplined."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/parker-says-he-changed-tactics-to-exploit-liverpools-weaknesses-and-it-worked

Liverpool vs Fulham result: Player ratings as Mario Lemina inflicts another home defeat on the Reds

Visitors secured a massive win in their relegation battle as Klopp's players suffered again

(https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/03/07/16/newFile.jpg?width=990&auto=webp&quality=75)
Fulham goalscorer Mario Lemina is surrounded by Liverpool players
(Getty Images)

Liverpool suffered yet another home defeat, losing 1-0 to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Josh Maja and Mohamed Salah both had openings in the early stages, but failed to really get a meaningful shot on target. James Milner and Naby Keita also had efforts from distance, but neither unduly troubled Alphonse Areola.

The away side had been the better team in the first half and got their reward right before the break, Mario Lemina robbing Salah on the edge of the box and lashing in a fine low finish.

Diogo Jota was denied right after half-time by a great save from Areola and the Reds certainly did take a more offensive stance after the break, but few chances were clear-cut and even when Sadio Mane hit the woodwork with a header, there was no finishing touch on the rebound as Jurgen Klopp's side fell to an incredible sixth straight league loss at Anfield.

Here are the player ratings from the game on Sunday.

Alisson Becker - 7. A brave block on Maja to deny a certain goal, but could do nothing about Lemina's hit. Was constantly directing and berating those in front of him.

Neco Williams - 5. Had a torrid first half getting beaten for pace non-stop and was unable to prevent crosses or low passes coming into the box. Sent over a few crosses after the break in a marginal improvement.

Nat Phillips - 7. The most accomplished member of another chopped and changed back line.

Rhys Williams - 5. Did well clearing a series of aerial balls but caught out of position in the centre a number of times.

Andy Robertson - 6. Spent as much time racing back into a messy defensive line to stop counters as he did trying to provide an outlet in attack.

Gini Wijnaldum - 6. Tried to push the team on but was often bypassed by the away side attacking wide.

James Milner - 5. Never really got into the game and was often easily outrun.

Naby Keita - 7. Looked good in possession, carved a few openings but certainly didn't control the game.

Xherdan Shaqiri - 6. A few good moments of build-up play but ultimately no cutting edge.

Mohaed Salah - 6. Looked sharp playing at centre-forward early on, but made a costly error in losing the ball for the opening goal.

Diogo Jota - 6. A few early flashes of speed but quickly faded on his first start after injury. One shot saved after the restart.

(https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/03/07/15/newFile-7.jpg?width=640&auto=webp&quality=75)
Lemina celebrates with his Fulham team-mates
(Getty Images)

Fulham
Alphonse Areola - 7. Two good saves and a commanding aerial presence.

Kenny Tete - 7. Solid in one-on-ones and an outlet when required.

Joachim Andersen - 8. Continued his recent excellent form with an assured performance.

Tosin Adarabioyo - 7. One or two shaky moments but largely shut out the spaces for the home side to attack in.

Ola Aina - 7. Another good showing, this time at left-back. Tucked in well, got out to stop crosses and supported play from deep.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid - 7. Played some good crossfield passes and worked hard throughout.

Harrison Reed - 7. Neat on the ball and protected the defence well.

Mario Lemina - 7. Tremendous strike for the opener. Kept offering support with runs from deep.

Ademola Lookman - 7. Threatened Liverpool non-stop in the first half with speed and dribbling, though should have scored or created a scoring chance given the positions he got into.

Ivan Cavaleiro - 6. Showed pace on the attack at times but more of a support act to Lookman and Maja for the most part.

Josh Maja - 6. Great movement throughout but denied by both Alisson and a poor final pass from his team-mates.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/liverpool/vs-fulham-result-player-ratings-b1813620.html

'No team and no manager has ever shamed the club like this' – These Liverpool fans want 'Klopp out' after defeat to Fulham

Liverpool have extended their unwanted club and Anfield record with a sixth straight defeat at their home, coming against relegation candidates Fulham this afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp's audacious decision to make seven changes to the starting lineup, with one eye on the Champions League tie against RB Leipzig clearly didn't work out, with yet another frustrating display.

The Reds dominated the possession and fired 16 shots on goal, but just three hit the target, Fulham managed the exact same with six less attempts.

Liverpool fell behind right on the brink of halftime after Mohamed Salah was brushed off the ball by Mario Lemina, with the Cottagers' midfielder producing a lovely finish to fire Scott Parker's side ahead.

The 'unity in strength' banner that was flown over Anfield early in the second-half provided a telling message, though it may be an impossible ask considering a glance at some fan reaction on social media.

It's obvious that something considerable needs to change after a disastrous run of eight defeats, three draws and just three wins from their last 14 Premier League fixtures.

Nonetheless, it's shocking to see the plentiful calls for Klopp to be sacked after the transformation that the German has led a the club, surely that isn't the only option for the club?



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/03/07/no-team-and-no-manager-has-ever-shamed-the-club-like-this-these-liverpool-fans-want-klopp-out-after-defeat-to-fulham/

Mario Lemina deepens Liverpool's gloom with vital winner for Fulham

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'Not good enough': Klopp laments Liverpool's sixth successive home defeat

The only consolation for Liverpool in the ruins of another Anfield defeat is that their next official home game is in Hungary. On Merseyside the Premier League champions have collapsed into uncharted territory, and new depths, with a sixth successive home loss cutting Jürgen Klopp's team further adrift from the Champions League pack and galvanising Fulham's prospects of survival.

A solitary roar on the final whistle from Scott Parker underlined the importance of victory to the visitors. Fulham moved level on points with Brighton courtesy of a confident first-half display, a fine first goal for the club from Mario Lemina and a resilient defensive performance in a second half that Liverpool dominated.

Their determination to hold on to three points was typified by Joachim Andersen launching himself into a vital clearance with Sadio Mané poised to convert Andy Robertson's cut-back in stoppage time. Mané did strike a post after his second-half introduction, and this was not the familiar recent story of Liverpool lacking creativity or intensity on home soil. But the champions' confidence has disintegrated at Anfield and no amount of injuries can excuse the longest sequence of home defeats in the club's history.

This is relegation form, and it said everything about Liverpool's predicament that the side third from bottom of the table arrived at Anfield believing in victory. As the Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed said: "The manager breathed belief into us. He talked about coming here and winning. Not getting a point. Coming here and winning."

This season's Champions League has assumed greater significance for Liverpool as a result of their Premier League collapse and Klopp confirmed as much by ringing the changes before Wednesday's "home" game against RB Leipzig in Budapest. Seven changes to the team that started Thursday's loss to Chelsea was the most Klopp has made in the Premier League since his first season at the club.

While Liverpool still boasted pedigree and experience up front in Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, the opposite was true of their defence where Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams formed the 20th different central defensive partnership Klopp has employed this season. The pair, boasting 10 Premier League appearances between them before kick off, were accompanied by Neco Williams at right back. Liverpool's vulnerability against counterattacks, long balls and pace has been glaring irrespective of who has played in defence this term, however.

Opponents no longer make a secret of how they intend to exploit the champions' weaknesses and Fulham were no exception.

The visitors were neat in possession as always but sought to release Ademola Lookman at the earliest opportunity. First-time diagonal balls invited Lookman to attack Neco Williams regularly in the first half and, with more conviction in front of goal, Fulham would have led long before Lemina's smart finish.

(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/3dcbb84373d7476333e51754bae1c54c86e3d221/0_33_3468_2081/master/3468.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=67f4890b88eae2e9053ebac1fd9523c9)
Scott Parker shows his delight at the final whistle after a precious win for Fulham. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/AFP/Getty Images

Josh Maja missed his side's first chance when he ghosted in between Phillips and Neco Williams to meet Ivan Cavaleiro's cross only to miscue a volley wide. Lookman, released into space by Andersen's pass out of defence, cut inside Liverpool's right-back but dragged his shot wide of the near post. The on-loan winger had a similar effort deflected over by Neco Williams when released by Reed. Alisson saved bravely at the toes of Maja when Kenny Tete's cross found the striker inside the six-yard area. Cavaleiro blazed over when played through on the left. Fulham cut through Liverpool's makeshift rearguard too easily, although it was Salah at fault when the breakthrough eventually came.

Liverpool seemed to have dealt with Cavaleiro's free-kick when Robertson headed clear to Salah on the edge of the area. Lemina was on the Egypt international in a flash, however, and dispossessed the striker before sweeping a precise, powerful shot into the far corner of Alisson's goal.

Klopp's team threatened sporadically in the first half. A combination of the goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and left-back Ola Aina prevented Salah capitalising on Xherdan Shaqiri's sharp pass while Jota was unable to connect cleanly when Areola failed to cut out a cross. Fulham were otherwise comfortable. That luxury ended as soon as the second half commenced.

Liverpool dominated after the restart, controlling possession and denying Fulham further opportunity to stretch their defence, and kept the visitors on the back foot for the remainder of the contest. For once, it was not a lack of ingenuity or intensity that cost the champions in the final third at Anfield. Areola produced a superb one-handed save to keep out an immaculate volley from Jota when the Portugal international connected with Neco Williams' cross. The keeper also flicked away the loose ball before Salah could convert. Mané, on as a second-half replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, sent a looping header against a post from Naby Keïta's centre. Shaqiri curled just over from 20 yards out while white shirts threw themselves in the way of a procession of shots and crosses. Fulham's Premier League survival may ultimately depend on it.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/07/liverpool-fulham-premier-league-match-report

Gary Neville mocks Liverpool plane banner flown over Anfield during Fulham defeat

Manchester United legend Gary Neville had a number of taunting messages for Liverpool as they suffered yet another defeat at home to Fulham, during which a banner was flown over Anfield

Gary Neville mercilessly taunted Liverpool after a banner was flown over Anfield during their 1-0 defeat by Fulham.

The Reds were 1-0 down thanks to Mario Lemina's 45th-minute opener when the words "Unity is strength - let's go Reds YNWA" emerged in the Merseyside sky in the second half.

But the message did not kick-start a revival for the champions, who were just as toothless in the second half as they were in the first.

Another defeat at Anfield means Liverpool have lost six consecutive home games for the first time in their history, and their hopes of finishing in the top four are in huge jeopardy.

(https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23624066.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Liverpool-v-Fulham-Premier-League.jpg)
The banner was flown over Anfield during the second half (Image: Getty Images)

While the mood in Jurgen Klopp's camp is at an all-time low, Manchester United legend Gary Neville is utterly delighted by the turmoil his old rivals find themselves in.

He took to social media to share a picture of the banner above Anfield and captioned his post with five laughing-crying emojis.

Piling further misery on Liverpool fans, Neville sent a mocking message as he arrived at the Etihad Stadium.

"I'm just about to walk into the Etihad for the Manchester derby," said Neville in a Twitter video. "Good record here, United, in the last year or two.

"Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) has got a good record as well against Pep (Guardiola), which not many managers have.

"But remember, the most important thing today is that the plane that flew over Liverpool told us 'Unity is strength'."

Neville then burst out laughing for a number of seconds - but he was not finished there.

After his first post prompted an angry reaction by Jamie Carragher, Neville shared a video from September in which fellow pundit said: "Fulham are going down, I've never been more certain about anything in my life."

The Cottagers remain in the relegation zone after their victory at Anfield, but they moved level on points with 17th-place Brighton and are now just one behind Newcastle in 16th.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/neville-liverpool-plane-banner-anfield-23623992

Liverpool hero McManaman reveals how Fulham striker Maja caused problems for the Reds defence

An outstanding afternoon's work saw Fulham secure the maximum points at Anfield, beating the champions Liverpool 1-0 thanks to Mario Lemina's first half winner.

Manager Scott Parker handed starts to four players of Nigerian descent namely defenders Tosin Adarabioyo and Ola Aina, winger Ademola Lookman and striker Josh Maja.

In the first part of the game, Liverpool didn't get going and were punished as a crisp finish into the bottom left corner gave the Cottagers a deserved lead in the 45th minute.

Maja came close to breaking the deadlock at minute four when he found space between Liverpool's center backs but skewed his effort wide and was presented with another chance again but his lob didn't come off.

The Bordeaux loanee was denied a golden opportunity to put Fulham ahead in the 28th minute as Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson flew off his line to block his attempted shot.

Speaking during halftime, former Liverpool midfielder Steven McManaman highlighted that Maja caused problems for the Liverpool defence, whose center back pairing was their nineteenth in all competitions this season.

McManaman said on Premier League Productions : "That area between Neco Williams and Nathaniel Phillips is causing them all kinds of problems.

"Josh Maja just doesn't get the desired connection but they have always looked to him, this hasn't just been in the last five minutes.

"They have utilized that space over there on that side of the pitch. Liverpool have made seven changes but have significantly weakened the starting lineup."

With ten games left to the end of the season, it's just goal difference keeping Fulham in the relegation zone; they have the same number of points as Brighton & Hove who are seventeenth in the table.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=39181

Lemina lashes Fulham to famous win at Liverpool

Fate works in mysterious ways in football. Three days ago, Mario Lemina was frustrated after being punished for the henois crime of having his arms by his side as Josh Maja's equaliser was ruled out against Tottenham. Today, the Gabonese midfielder capped an outstanding display at Anfield with a fabulous finish from the edge of the box to extend Liverpool's run without a home win to six matches as Scott Parker's side moved level on the points with seventeeth-placed Brighton. Lemina's rueful smile was replaced with a beam of delight as the Whites added more momentum to their survival bid.

Fulham thoroughly deserved a precious three points, but this was far from a fortunate smash and grab gleefully grabbed by relegation strugglers. Parker adopted a bold 4-4-2 seeking to seize on Liverpool's home discomforts and their suicidally high defensive line – and the tactics worked from the outset. They could have been in front inside three moments when Kenny Tete's cross found Josh Maja between Liverpool's centre halves, but the former Sunderland forward's volley was awkward and flashed wide. Maja might have had a hat-trick before the break, clipping a finish wide fro close range and being denied at point-blank range by Alisson, and Ademola Lookman, who terrorised Neco Williams down the left, had his own effort deflected over.

Jurgen Klopp made seven changes in a bid to end the defending champions' desperate run of form but a lethargic Liverpool lacked the intensity that his sides have become known for. Mo Salah, after throwing himself to the floor in an attempt to win an early spot-kick, was denied by a sprawling Alphonse Areola after outwitting Ola Aina and flickered intermittently rather than dominating proceedings. The returning Diogo Jota almost seized on a mix-up between Areola and the otherwise excellent Joachim Andersen, but Fulham's defenders limited the home side to patient passing before speculative shots from range.

They hadn't found the finishing touch to crown an encouraging first half, until Lemina's anticipatory instincts were matched by a magnificent finish on the stroke of half time. The on-loan Southampton midfielder nipped in to nick the ball off Salah as Liverpool cleared a Fulham corner and then lashed a low drive beyond Alisson's dive into the bottom right corner. It was only Fulham's fourth goal at Anfield in the 21st century – and it could prove valuable in their fight against the drop. The job was just half done and diligent defending was necessary to record a fourth clean sheet in their last seven fixtures.

Areola produced an agile save to claw away Jota's first-time volley at the start of the second period after Williams had somehow dug a cross out after being closed down by Aina, but Liverpool hardly put their opponents under a significant spell of unrelenting pressure. The visitors even had a chance to extending their lead, when Ivan Cavaleiro robbed James Milner in midfield and raced clear, cutting inside and shooting wide after a lungbusting individual run. Sadio Mane, who rescued the Reds at Craven Cottage before Christmas, struck the angle of post and crossbar with a header from Naby Kaita's cross before spurning a simpler headed chance. Xherdan Shaqiri curled wide of the post from the edge of the box, but Fulham's desire to cling on to a massive victory was typfied by the way Andersen slid in to clear over the crossbar as Mane looked set to tap in from close range.

Parker has been maligned for his pragmatism at times in his Craven Cottage tenure, but the young manager's tactical acumen allied with Fulham's sense of adventure delivered Fulham's second win at Liverpool in the club's history – extending their unbeaten run away from home to eight games at a crucial point in the season. The Whites have come a long way since Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher announced their certain relegation on television three weeks into the campaign. Quietly, one of the country's most promising managers might just have the last laugh.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; N. Williams (Alexander-Arnold 76), Robertson, Phillips, R. Williams; Wijnaldum (Mane 62), Milner (Fabinho 76), Keita; Shaqiri, Jota, Salah. Subs (not used): Adrian, Tsimikas, Thiago, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Origi.

BOOKED: Jota, Keita.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Areoa; Tete, Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo; Reed, Lemina, Decordova-Reid, Lookman (Robinson 83); Maja (Loftus-Cheek 67), Cavaleiro (Mitrovic 85). Subs (not used): Fabri, Hector, Ream, Kongolo, Bryan, Anguissa.

BOOKED: Tete, Lemina, Mitrovic.

GOAL: Lemina (45).

REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/lemina-lashes-fulham-to-famous-win-at-liverpool/

Parker 'immensely proud' after Fulham's Anfield triumph

Scott Parker said he was "immensely proud" of his Fulham side after their win at Liverpool, where their game plan worked to perfection.

The 1-0 victory moved Fulham level on points with fourth-from-bottom Brighton and just one point behind Newcastle in the battle to stay up.

Defending champions Liverpool have now lost six home matches in a row and Whites boss Parker was keen to exploit their defensive frailties.

He therefore switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with Ademola Lookman causing Liverpool major problems on the flank and Bobby Decordova-Reid and Ivan Cavaliero also offering a constant threat along with striker Josh Maja.

Asked if his team selection was intended to try to expose Liverpool's shortcomings, Parker said: "It was. I picked a team today that I felt would best suit Liverpool's style and how I thought we could hurt Liverpool and that was the sole reason behind it.

"I thought the attacking players were nothing short of fantastic.

"Everything we worked on came to plan; Cavaleiro, Bobby and Lookman stretching the game and with Maja I always want us to be a goal threat and I thought we were that."

Fulham were worthy winners at Anfield, where they dominated the first half and stood firm in the second.

Parker said: "I'm immensely proud. It was a big performance.

"In the first half we were the front-foot attacking team I want us to be.

"In the second half, coming to a place like Anfield, you are going to have to be organised and disciplined."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/parker-says-he-changed-tactics-to-exploit-liverpools-weaknesses-and-it-worked

Fulham boss Scott Parker ridiculed for wearing coat 'even worse than Liverpool are playing'

Fulham boss Scott Parker saw his side pick up three points against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, but all eyes were on the white coat he donned on the touchline

Fulham pulled off a brilliant result as they beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday, but for many fans, Scott Parker's coat was the real star of the show.

The newly-promoted Whites put in a superb performance at the home of the champions, with Mario Lemina firing in an opener after robbing Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box.

The result puts Fulham within touching distance of climbing out of the relegation spots.

The Whites are now level on points with Brighton, and are just one point behind 16th-placed Newcastle.

However, during the win over Liverpool much of the talk online was about Fulham boss Parker's attire.

The former midfielder is always seen looking classy on the touchline, and often dresses sharply.

And on Sunday, he wore a bright white jacket with a blue fleece underneath.

Fans flooded social media with jokes about his attire.

"Fulham winning at Anfield is all good and well but the main talking point is why on earth was Scott Parker wearing a blazer over the top of a coat," one wrote.

"Scott Parker has dressed up as Roger Moore," another joked.

One supporter quipped: "Where does Scott Parker get his jackets from? Doubles up as a duvet this one."

(https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article23624248.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_GettyImages-1305817265-1.jpg)
Fulham picked up three valuable points after beating Liverpool at Anfield

One fan joked: "Premier League relegation battle now tighter than Scott Parkers jacket."

Speaking afterwards, Parker heaped praise on his side and discussed how proud he was to get the win.

"It's a big win," he said. "There's a lot of emotion and I am very proud. I am happy for the players and the team because they got nothing short of what they deserved."



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-scott-parker-liverpool-anfield-23624265

Graeme Souness says Jurgen Klopp inadvertently gave Fulham added motivation to beat Liverpool

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp made seven changes for the visit of Fulham, and Graeme Souness believes the decision to bench so many key players played a significant role in the Reds' 1-0 defeat

Graeme Souness has claimed Jurgen Klopp inadvertently gave Fulham added motivation to beat Liverpool on Sunday.

Mario Lemina scored the only goal as the Cottagers triumphed 1-0 at Anfield to inflict a sixth straight home defeat on the Reds.

Defeat leaves Liverpool four points adrift of the top four and facing question marks over their Champions League credentials.

Klopp opted to make seven changes for the match - much to the disbelief of Reds great and Sky Sports pundit Souness.

The 67-year-old said after the game that he believed Klopp's team selection gave Fulham the impetus to win the contest.

He began: "I still find it strange he made seven changes given where they were prior to this game. I still felt they could get themselves into the top four.

"It's a double edged sword for me. When you start with some of your main players on the bench, the message that sends to Fulham today is, 'they're not showing us respect'.

"As a manager, that's how I would've used it. 'They think they can pick a reserve team and turn us over, you go out and prove them wrong'.

"When you hand the initiative to the opposition and you end up chasing the game, it's totally wrong, and you end up bringing on some of your main men to try and claw the game back."

Klopp's seven changes saw Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mane and Fabinho drop to the bench. The trio were all introduced in the second-half, but it was too little too late for the beleaguered Reds.

Souness continued: "The way I was brought up, I came from a time at Liverpool where you start right, get your goals then you can get off some of the players who are maybe feeling a little bit tired or carrying an injury.

"To answer your question, how low can you go. Did you just use the word gobsmacked? It is unfathomable, that's the word you use.

"It just beggars belief how a team can go from being so good to so average. It's OK asking questions about the manager, but it's about players.

"Jurgen Klopp at this time has found out exactly what he's got in his dressing room. Some of them have not stood up to the challenge.

"When you're a big player and you win a trophy, enjoy it for a week, then it's about next season. You go into a close season, every day you're lying on a beach in Spain you're thinking of the challenges coming ahead.

"I'd say some of those players haven't done that. 'Let's enjoy the moment, it may never happen to us again'. That's not Liverpool. It's all about winning it again, and again, and again."



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-fulham-reaction-souness-klopp-23624251

Jamie Carragher left red-faced as confident Fulham prediction backfires

Liverpool suffered their sixth home defeat on the spin, with Mario Lemina's second-half strike the decisive blow for Scott Parker's battling side

If Liverpool thought their dismal Premier League defence had hit rock bottom, Fulham 's win at Anfield proves the nadir has yet to be reached.

From leading the league in January, the champions have won just three out of their last 12 games, with a run of six straight home defeats in there for good measure.

Mario Lemina's second-half strike was the difference for Fulham, who under Scott Parker look ready to fight for their own top-flight status.

The Cottagers have lost just one of their last six and fully deserved three points from their trip to Merseyside.

(https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23623814.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Liverpool-FC-vs-Fulham-FC-United-Kingdom-07-Mar-2021.jpg)
Mario Lemina's strike was the difference for Fulham (Image: Phil Noble/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

As has become customary during Liverpool 's demise, Manchester United hero Gary Neville was quick to poke fun at Jurgen Klopp's men.

In the process he unearthed Jamie Carragher's view on Fulham, a view that spectacularly backfired in the aftermath of their win.

Speaking in September, Carragher told Sky Sports: "I mean Fulham are going down, I've never been more certain about anything in my life.

"They were a mess last time they came up. What they don't want to be is a mess. They're going to go down. But go down together."

Fast forward a few months and Carragher was full of praise for Parker's side labelling them a 'really well coached outfit'.

"Fulham will cause us problems – it's clear," Klopp said of their latest defeat. "They're in a good moment, they're a good team. We all agree a team like this should stay in the Premier League."

It was also put to the German that Fulham's players wanted it more, something he strongly denied: "The winner is always right. My boys wanted it. It's easy to judge they have won it so wanted it more. I don't think that's the problem."

Whether Fulham can stay up remains to be seen, after all, they still occupy one of the three relegation spots with ten games reamining.

But to even be in the mix highlights the job Parker has done and perhaps shows just how far Liverpool fallen in turn.

"Last year, that man there [Klopp] rightfully called his team mentality monsters and rightly so. They deserved that title," Carragher said during his commentary.

"But right now they are more like mentality midgets."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-vs-fulham-jamie-carragher-23624186

Parker lists key qualities that meant Fulham 'deserved' to beat Liverpool

Scott Parker insisted that Fulham fully deserved their win over Liverpool and is "very proud" to have overseen the result.

Fulham compiled further misery on last season's champions by inflicting a sixth consecutive defeat at Anfield upon them.

Mario Lemina provided the goal that made the difference shortly before half-time, and Fulham held on for a 1-0 win.

They have been improving of late and creeping towards safety – even though they remain in the relegation zone for now.

And Parker believes this result was the reward for how far they have come.

He told BBC Sport: "It's a big win. There's a lot of emotion and I am very proud.

"I am happy for the players and the team because they got nothing short of what they deserved.

"In the first half I though we were fantastic. Numerous chances and we stuck to the plan in terms of how we wanted to cause them problems.

"The main thing coming into the game was 'can we put our stamp on it?'. Easier said than done of course. In the second half you never want it to pan out that way of course.

"There was a resilience and real attitude to keep the ball out of the net and defend. It was an overall all round performance by us.

"I still wanted us to get a foothold but defensively in terms of our line, distances and key headers it was massive.

"We've had a lot of draws, where I often stand here and say 'we have just fallen short a little bit' and the way the first half went felt similar until a bit of magic from Mario [Lemina].

"We deserved this result and we have deserved better results over the last few weeks."

Klopp tips Fulham to stay up
After losing to them, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was complimentary of Parker's Fulham side.

He told Sky Sports: "Fulham will cause us problems – it's clear. They're in a good moment, they're a good team. We all agree a team like this should stay in the Premier League.

"There were moments we could have had more of an impact on the game. Conceding that goal before half-time was a massive blow.

"We tried to react and the boys showed that. In the end we don't score goals and that's a big problem."



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/parker-key-qualities-fulham-deserved-beat-liverpool

Liverpool's astonishing Anfield slump continues against relegation-threatened Fulham

LIVERPOOL'S INEXPLICABLE downward spiral continued unabated as Mario Lemina's first Fulham goal was enough for a 1-0 Premier League win as the struggling Cottagers gave their own survival hopes a massive boost.

Just when Jurgen Klopp thought things could not get any worse, after Thursday's defeat to Chelsea brought up an unwanted club record, they did as he experienced his first loss against a promoted side which consigned the Reds to a sixth-successive home defeat.

So too for Mohamed Salah. Plenty had been made of his reaction to being substituted in midweek so what he really needed to do was lead from the front, having been handed the central striker's role.

What he definitely did not need was to be the reason for Liverpool conceding the first goal for the sixth match in a row at Anfield, his loss of possession on the edge of his own area allowing Lemina to finish brilliantly just before half-time.

The Gabon midfielder became the first Fulham player to score against Liverpool at Anfield since Collins John in March 2006 as they won their first match on the ground since 2012, which on that day came courtesy of a Martin Skrtel own goal.

It meant Fulham's revival, having lost just once in the last seven, are only in the bottom three by virtue of having a goal difference three worse than Brighton.

Liverpool remain four points off the top four and are likely to be further adrift by the time they run out for their Champions League last-16 second leg against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, a game which has taken on far more significance even though they hold a 2-0 lead.

Klopp's seven changes – including three of his back four – with that in mind were the most between Premier League matches since the 2015-16 season, with the inexperienced pairing of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams the 16th different centre-back combination to have started in 28 league matches.

It was perhaps unsurprising their first-half performance was disjointed, although they managed twice the number of shots on target (two) in the opening half-hour that they achieved in the entirety of Thursday's defeat to Chelsea.

Even with Salah, Diogo Jota – making his first start since December after a knee injury – and Xherdan Shaqiri completing a new-look forward line they still did not look like scoring.

Fulham, however, frequently did with Ademola Lookman a threat cutting in from the flank as the visitors utilised a quick right-to-left diagonal to expose young full-back Neco Williams and the space between him and Phillips.

After Josh Maja hooked wide Lookman twice sprinted clear before working his way into the penalty area to shoot as Fulham looked to carry on the tactic which Thomas Tuchel's side had been successful with.

Maja was also denied by Alisson Becker diving at his feet to prevent a certain goal from close range.

The closest Liverpool came was Shaqiri's free-kick landing on the roof of the net with Salah's first touch letting him down when put through earlier by the Switzerland international.

If that was poor his dithering in possession when Ivan Cavaleiro's free-kick was half-cleared was fatal.

Lemina quickly closed down the Egypt international and superbly seized his chance with a low drive across Alisson and inside the far post.

The same 11 players were sent out early for the second half, the start of which was accompanied by the low buzz of a plane flying the banner 'Unity is Strength. Let's go Reds. YNWA' overhead, and three minutes in Jota's stinging volley produced a brilliant save from Alphonse Areola.

Klopp's first change had to be an attacking one and it saw Sadio Mane replace midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

The forward was not quick enough to react when Shaqiri's corner fell at his feet soon after arriving but was closer with a header which looped onto the post, mis-hitting another – this one from a cross from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold – into the ground.

There was an air of desperation about the final 10 minutes with Liverpool effectively 2-2-4-2 when attacking, but it made little difference.

A sixth home game in the last eight finished goalless for them and in celebration for their opponents.



https://www.the42.ie/liverpool-fulham-report-5374394-Mar2021/

'Thanks for nothing Liverpool' - Burnley fans react after Fulham's Anfield win closes gap in table

The Clarets' rivals at the bottom of the table picked up a precious three points in the Premier League thanks to Mario Lemina's goal

(https://i2-prod.lancs.live/incoming/article19985338.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_JS230045951.jpg)
Fulham's Mario Lemina (left) celebrates scoring his side's winning goal over Liverpool, which reduced the gap to Burnley in the Premier League table. (Image: Phil Noble/PA Wire)

Fulham reduced the gap in the Premier League table to Burnley with a shock win over champions Liverpool at Anfield.

The Cottagers picked up a precious three points against Jurgen Klopp's side thanks to Mario Lemina's first half goal proved to be decisive.

Scott Parker's side remain in the relegation zone, but are now only four points behind Burnley in the table.

The Clarets sit 15th after coming from behind yesterday at Turf Moor to pick up a point against Arsenal.

Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion both sit between the Clarets and the Cottagers in the table as the picture at the bottom end really starts to shape up.

The loss was Liverpool's sixth defeat in a row at Anfield, a run which of course was started by the Clarets in January thanks to Ashley Barnes' penalty which secured a 1-0 win for Sean Dyche's side.

And Clarets fans have taken to Twitter to have their say on the result, which has taken Fulham three points closer to the Turf Moor side.

Colin Meredith wrote: "Fulham get a great result and are moving closer to us.

"But hey also getting closer to Southampton and Newcastle who we still have to play. It's in our hands!"

Danny Ward wrote: "Thanks for nothing @LFC."

@JoshPrknsn posted: "Liverpool lose again but Fulham close the gap. What has Dyche started here?"

Lewis Porter wrote: "It would appear that us breaking Liverpool may have backfired on us."

James Brunskill wrote: "Loved our result at Anfield, didn't realise at the time that Jurgen would dish out 3 points to Brighton & Fulham over the next few weeks."

Stuart Gaynor wrote: "Extraordinary. Not the result I wanted to see."



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/fulham-liverpool-burnley-premier-league-19985279

Tosin Adarabioyo outlines his England credentials in Fulham's crucial win at Liverpool

At the beginning of February, Fulham looked dead and buried.

Now we're not even a week into March, but Scott Parker's team are alive and kicking.

In a Premier League season that is being drained of character and life with every passing week, Fulham's resurrection has been a breath of fresh air.

They have evolved from a side that is hard to beat into a fully functioning team capable of mixing it with English football's best, and in doing so they have dissolved an eight-point gap to move level on points with the teams above them.

Their win at Liverpool saw them keep their fifth clean sheet in seven games, and only Manchester City have a better defensive record since the beginning of December. That's no small sample size of games: they've played almost every team in the division since losing to City at the Etihad.

Ironically, at the heart of it all has been a City alumnus. After slamming the door in Liverpool's face in their back garden, Tosin Adarabioyo is only just now getting the credit he deserves for his revelational performances at the heart of the Fulham back line.

He wasn't viewed as a particularly exciting signing when he arrived at Craven Cottage off the back of a loan spell with Blackburn. The general consensus from the outside looking in was that he was brought in to tick a box and make up the numbers, but he is beginning to make us all look very silly indeed.

He is the perfect defender for a team at the back end of the Premier League. It doesn't seem to matter that he is a little cumbersome and not the quickest across the ground, because nothing gets past him. Ever.

The 23-year-old has played every minute for the Cottagers since his summer move, and in that time he has averaged more clearances per 90 minutes than any other Premier League player (5.9). Against Liverpool, he cleared the ball 17 times: second place was Joachim Andersen, who made six.

He ranks in the top ten for aerial duels won among defenders, and in the 23 league games Fulham have played with him at the heart of their back line, they've conceded just 20 times. That is the sort of form that keeps you in the top flight, and we are now starting to see that reflected in the table.

If Fulham's resurrection continues at its current pace, we're likely to see Adarabioyo's name (just 'Tosin' on his shirt) in the headlines a fair deal more often. His new-found recognition is well deserved, and could well see him come into Gareth Southgate's thinking come the Euros. Hell, if Tyrone Mings and Michael Keane have seats on the bus, why not?

One thing at a time, though. For now, Adarabioyo will be thinking of nothing other than dragging Fulham further out of the mire and keeping the heat on Newcastle and Brighton - who must now be cursing his very existence and the effect it is having on Parker's team.

Fulham are alive, and as long as their defensive colossus is there to kick the ball into touch every time an opposing striker thinks about having a shot, they're not giving up the fight any time soon.



https://www.90min.com/posts/tosin-adarabioyo-england-credentials-fulham-liverpool-opinion

Liverpool slayer Lemina continues Premier League away run

The Gabon international has enjoyed great fortune away from home, and that run continued on Sunday evening at Anfield

Mario Lemina's three Premier League goals ever have been scored away from home, following his latest strike against Liverpool.

In Sunday's encounter against Jurgen Klopp's men, the Gabonese star sealed victory by netting the game's only goal in the 45th minute.

Ivan Cavaleiro's free-kick was headed away by Andrew Robertson, albeit, Mohamed Salad failed to clear his lines when the balled dropped to him on the edge of the box.

Lemina outmuscled him before drilling his shot across Alisson Becker's goal and into the far bottom corner.

With that, the 27-year-old midfielder ended his 23-month wait an English elite division strike, while each of his goals have come in different seasons - in 2017-18 vs West Brom, 2018-19 vs Newcastle and this season vs Liverpool.

Both teams came into Sunday's fixture having recorded defeats last time out. While Scott Parker's Cottagers bowed 1-0 at home against Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur, the Reds were pegged down by the same scoreline by Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea.

Despite dominating ball possession, Klopp's team were unable to break down the visitors who are fighting against relegation.

"I'm immensely proud," Parker told the Fulham website. "It was a big performance today. First half I thought we were fantastic really, both halves actually.

"In the first half we were the front foot, attacking team I want us to be, we created numerous chances and got our noses in front through some great skill from Mario.

"And second half we didn't want it to pan out that way but you understand if you come to a place like Anfield, with the quality that they possess, that you're going to have to be organised, you're going to have to be disciplined, win some headers, be good in your box.

"I thought the defensive line second half and the organisation from that was top as well. It's a massive result and I'm proud of them.

"The players have taken on every ounce of information they were given in the two, three days leading into this game."

Fulham are now level on points with Brighton and Hove Albion, but they stay in 18th on goal difference. Next up for them is a test against league leaders Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

As for Liverpool – who have now lost their last six home games - they take on outfit RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/liverpool-slayer-lemina-continues-premier-league-away-run/8a2li5xub4g31uen2w6mw55on

Parker 'proud' after Fulham's fantastic Anfield win

Scott Parker spoke of his immense pride after Fulham recorded a famous win at Anfield to further enhance their chances of beating the drop.

The Whites earned only their second ever victory at Liverpool thanks to Mario Lemina's magnificent strike on the stroke of half time and diligent defensive work against Jurgen Klopp's side. The win moves Fulham level on points with Brighton and Hove Albion and just a point behind Newcastle after the Magpies drew with West Bromwich Albion earlier this afternoon.

Parker told his post-match press conference:

"I'm immensely proud. It was a big performance today. First half I thought we were fantastic really, both halves actually. In the first half we were the front foot, attacking team I want us to be, we created numerous chances and got our noses in front through some great skill from Mario. And second half we didn't want it to pan out that way but you understand if you come to a place like Anfield, with the quality that they possess, that you're going to have to be organised, you're going to have to be disciplined, win some headers, be good in your box.

"I thought the defensive line second half and the organisation from that was top as well. It's a massive result and I'm proud of them. The players have taken on every ounce of information they were given in the two, three days leading into this game. They worked tirelessly in meetings and obviously on the training field, and they put that into action first half and it worked very well. And in the second half, like I said, we had a resilience, something you need to fall back on, certain foundations, and I thought we did that to a tee. We withstood a storm but still limited them to few chances."

The Fulham boss admitted that he had tweaked his team selection and tactics to exploit Liverpool's weaknesses.

"It was. I picked a team today that I felt would best suit Liverpool's style and how I thought we could hurt Liverpool and that was the sole reason behind it. I thought the attacking players were nothing short of fantastic. Everything we worked on came to plan; [Ivan] Cavaleiro, Bobby [Decordova-Reid] and [Ademola] Lookman stretching the game and with Maja I always want us to be a goal threat and I thought we were that.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/parker-proud-after-fulhams-fantastic-anfield-win/

Gary Neville trolls Jamie Carragher after Fulham seal famous victory over Liverpool

Manchester United legend Gary Neville couldn't resist poking fun at Jamie Carragher after Fulham beat Liverpool to consign the champions to a sixth straight home defeat in the Premier League on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp's much-changed team rarely threatened and were made to pay for their lacklustre performance in the opening 45 minutes as Mario Lemina stole the ball from Mohamed Salah and fired Fulham in front with a clinical finish right on the stroke of half-time.

Joachim Andersen prevented a simple tap-in for Sadio Mane with a heroic clearance at the death and the visitors held firm to secure their third win in six top-flight games and only their second ever victory at Anfield.

And while Fulham remain in the relegation zone, there have been signs they could steer themselves out of trouble despite being touted as definite candidates for the drop just a few games into their campaign.

Among the Cottagers' biggest critics while they sat rock-bottom of the table was Carragher, who said he was 'certain' they would go down in the wake of their thumping 3-0 loss at home to Aston Villa.

'Fulham are going down. I've never been more certain about anything in my life,' the ex-Liverpool and England defender said back in September.

Fans of Monday Night Football will know Neville never misses an opportunity to get one over on Carragher and the former Manchester United right-back wasted little time in reminding his fellow Sky Sports pundit of his previous comments after Fulham's famous win. 'Over to @Carra23 for the final word,' Neville tweeted along with a clip of Carragher's bold statement about Fulham earlier this season.

Liverpool's defeat means they remain stranded down in seventh and four points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand on the Merseyside giants.

'The obvious thing missing was a goal and a clean sheet,' Liverpool head coach Klopp told BBC Sport after their latest defeat. 'It was always clear that Fulham would cause us big problems with the situation they are in and the one we are in.

'It was clear we had to adapt. We started quite well, we were direct and Mo [Salah] caused them problems but we didn't finish the situations off. Then Fulham were good.

'Our last line was completely new. We had balls in behind where we had to run a lot because we were not high enough or just not in the right position and we conceded the goal.

'That has an impact. Usually I would say 1-0 down is not a problem, it is a normal score and is one of three possible scores but of course at the moment for us it is different.

'We had to step up and the boys did. We started the second half well, created chances and we did not score again.'

Asked whether he was experiencing his lowest ever spell as a manager, the German replied: 'I would wish to say no but yes it is. 'That's not a problem. I don't always have to have the best times.

'This team is an extreme team. We were extremely successful and now we have an extreme situation as well but we will fight through.'



Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/07/gary-neville-trolls-jamie-carragher-after-fulham-seal-famous-win-at-liverpool-14203434/?ito=newsnow-feed?ito=cbshare

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Scott Parker 'immensely proud' as Fulham beat Liverpool to boost Premier League survival hopes


Scott Parker declared his "immense" pride after Fulham pulled off a famous win over Liverpool at Anfield to boost their Premier League survival hopes.

Though Liverpool headed into Sunday's clash off the back of five League home defeats in a row, Jurgen Klopp's champions were still odds-on to beat Scott Parker's relegation battlers.

However, Mario Lemina's first-half goal and some heroic defending gave Fulham a well-deserved 1-0 victory on Merseyside as their fight against the drop continues to gather pace.

Fulham have lost just once in the last seven and are now only in the bottom three by virtue of having a goal difference three worse than Brighton.

Manager Parker hailed the "massive result" at Anfield but insisted they were not getting distracted by their situation in the table.

"Immensely proud. A big performance today. A massive result," he said.

"The front-foot attacking side I want us to be was there and we got our noses in front with some good skill from Mario.

"You understand coming to a place like Anfield and the quality they possess you are going to have to be organised and disciplined.

"A win like this galvanises, not that we needed it or a result to give us belief or an understanding of what we can do as it's constantly been there.

"What is happening around us, who we are dragging in is irrelevant and remains to be the case.

"It is about us wanting to get better and keep moving in the right direction and that will not change.

"The new focus was to come here and get a result and cause Liverpool problems.

"I thought we did that, certainly first half. While results can give you that extra bit of belief, this is a team which has real belief.

"We will carry on for the remainder of the season in the same vein."

Additional reporting by PA.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/scott-parker-proud-fulham-fc-beat-liverpool-boost-premier-league-survival-hopes-b922680.html

Lemina makes Fulham survival claim after massive win against Liverpool

Fulham midfielder Mario Lemina believes they will avoid relegation from the Premier League if they continue to play like they did in their 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield.

Lemina netted the winning goal for his side on the stroke of half-time to secure a massive three points in the Cottagers' fight for survival.

They remain in the drop zone by virtue of goal difference but are now level with Brighton on 26 points and are just one point behind Newcastle, although both have a game in hand.

"It depends on us and the way we play the other games," the 27-year-old told BBC Sport on the subject of staying up. "If we play like that, I think we will."

The remarkable victory is the latest result in an unbeaten away run that stretches back to last year. In that time the west London side have also defeated Everton and picked up a point against Tottenham on the road.

Lemina added: "We are struggling at the moment and it is hard to be at the bottom of the league, but we still believe in our quality and we showed in the first half we can play against a big opponent and in the second half we showed good character. It is three good points for us.

"Honestly I am not going to lie, I was scared because they need to win some games. But I was so confident in my team.

"We have shown in all the games we have played that we play good football and deserve to be higher in the league.

"In the last game I missed a big, big chance and I wanted to say I can score. It's a good goal because we win the game."

Parker reacts to win

Meanwhile, Scott Parker insisted that Fulham fully deserved their win over Liverpool and is "very proud" to have overseen the result.

He told BBC Sport: "It's a big win. There's a lot of emotion and I am very proud.

"I am happy for the players and the team because they got nothing short of what they deserved.

"In the first half I though we were fantastic. Numerous chances and we stuck to the plan in terms of how we wanted to cause them problems.

"The main thing coming into the game was 'can we put our stamp on it?'. Easier said than done of course. In the second half you never want it to pan out that way of course.

"There was a resilience and real attitude to keep the ball out of the net and defend. It was an overall all round performance by us."



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/mario-lemina-fulham-survival-claim-massive-liverpool-win

Reed revels in 'massive' win

Harrison Reed described Fulham's narrow win at Anfield was a 'massive' result in their bid to fight off relegation from the Premier League – and suggested that Scott Parker's side wanted the three poins more than Liverpool.

The tigerish midfielder was at his combative best as the Whites comprehensively won the midfield battle with goalscorer Mario Lemina and Reed coming out on top against James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum and Naby Keita in the centre of the park. Reed told Sky Sports after the final whistle:

"It's massive. We came here with confidence and we knew we have got a tough run. We had Spurs on Thursday, we've got City next and we knew if we could get something out of these games it would stand us in great stead. We're delighted with the win today."

Reed credited Parker with instilling Fulham's players with belief that they could pick up a precious three points and felt that Fulham's domination of the first 45 minutes was arguably one of their best displays in the current campaign.

"That was the message from the moment we built up to this game. The manager breeds belief to us – he speaks about coming here and winning, not coming here and getting a point or anything like that. It's coming here and winning. I think the first half was a superb performance, maybe one of our best this season and then we had to dig in in the second half. We knew they were going to come hard, we were going to have to dig in and put our bodies on the line and we did that.

"I think we did want it more. I think that was evident on the pitch. From the first whistle, we did want it more and I think that was a big factor in us getting the three points today. We feel it has been coming. We spoke about it a lot. It's been spoken about a lot – maybe that we haven't been scoring enough goals and turning games into wins for us. We put in Maj[a] in January and he's bought a striking instinct and goalscorer to our squad. He's a dangerous player, he worked his socks off and he was brilliant today.

The former Southampton midfielder believes that the momentum is with Fulham, who have now moved level on points with Brighton and Hove Albion, who currently occupy seventeenth spot in the table.

"I think we feel that. I think we've been building. I think if you look at the start of the season to now, we've grown massively and I feel everyone in the league and everyone watching can see that as well."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/reed-revels-in-massive-win/

Verdict: Liverpool banner called for unity – but it was Fulham's heroes who showed it most

What a win!

Fulham inflicted a sixth straight home defeat on Liverpool, and not even a banner waving plane over Anfield could turn the tide for the red-faced Reds.

The banner read: 'Unity is strength'. But it was the Whites who galvanised as one to defend Mario Lemina's first goal for Fulham.

None more so than Tosin, who had a terrific game.

He telescoped a long leg time and time again to cancel the danger – never more so than after Sadio Mané had struck the post with a looping header in the second half.

Joachim Andersen's crucial interception in added time caught the eye, but it was the tireless work from Harrison Reed and Tosin that threw their club a lifeline.

It's ironic Liverpool's go-to threat for goals was the man who presented Fulham with one.

When Mohamed Salah was robbed on the edge of the box approaching half-time, Lemina did what had been hitherto missing – he hit the ball first time to watch it skid into the far corner.

Fulham need much more of the same if they are to escape the drop.

If there was a moment that summed up Scott Parker's frustration until then, it came a couple of minutes earlier, when a good raking cross found Kenny Tete on the far right.

Instead of sending it straight back into the mix, he stood on the ball looking for a pass.

It didn't sit well with Parker.

Lemina delivers
But he had reason to show emotion the right way when Lemina put Fulham ahead.

For a long time in the first 45, it looked as if those nearly moments would cost Fulham again.

Josh Maja had an early great chance to put Liverpool on the back foot, but scooped over when free in front of goal.

Ademola Lookman then cut in from the right and fired wide before Ivan Cavaleiro toe poked over from a decent half-chance.

Lookman, again, ran from just inside his own half to charge in from the diagonal.

There was a half second of doubt, maybe not even that, as he looked across before cutting it back it on his right.

But you don't give the likes of Liverpool, even this Liverpool, that amount of time.

Parker says it's the hardest thing in the world to put the ball in the net – and it all looked a bit desperate when Fulham got a sight of goal.

What they needed was an ice-cold assassin, and in Lemina, they got one.

Maja finding the going tough
That early Maja miss seemed to have an effect on the striker.

In the second half, Cavaleiro broke from James Milner's mistake, and was looking for the cavalry to arrive as he broke into the box.

The only one within shouting distance, and it would have needed a very loud shout, was Maja running, but far from flat out.

In fact, the loanee had given up the chase when he saw Cavaleiro cut inside for a skewed attempt on goal.

Maja looked tired, more than you might expect, and maybe that was half the reason he made way for Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Before he was hauled off against Tottenham, Loftus-Cheek had made it to the end of five previous games in a row.

Parker has missed no opportunity to praise the player he says he would like to sign permanently. But even the boss must be wearying of half-chances that never find the back of the net.

In fact, RLC's last action against Spurs was to find the back of the stand with a wayward shot.

Whatever way you carve it, he's scored just once, and that back in November with the aid of a deflection against Everton.

Sign him up!
Another plus, though, was the outstanding continuing form of Alphonse Areola.

It would be tricky to choose between the keeper and Andersen for most consistent performer in a white shirt.

This is the third time Areola has played at Anfield.

On the previous two in European competitions, he conceded three apiece.

I would say third time lucky, but there was nothing lucky about his tremendous one-handed save to deny Diogo Jota on 49 minutes.

If Fulham do survive, their first action after the season's final whistle should be to trigger their right-to-buy permanently from Paris Saint-Germain.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/verdict-liverpool-banner-called-for-unity-but-it-was-fulhams-heroes-who-showed-it-most

 Fulham lay on more misery at home for Liverpool
Juergen Klopp's side had the lion's share of the ball but again failed to convert possession into chances

Liverpool — Liverpool slumped to a club-record extending sixth consecutive home league defeat as they lost 1-0 to Fulham after a first-half goal by Mario Lemina in the Premier League on Sunday.   

The defeat by the relegation-threatened visitors marks the first time since the 1953/1954 season that the Reds have lost six games at Anfield in a league campaign.

Liverpool stay seventh on 43 points, four points off fourth-placed Chelsea having played a game more. Fulham remain in the bottom three on 26 points after 28 games but now only trail 17th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on goal difference.

Juergen Klopp made seven changes to the Liverpool side that lost 1-0 at home to Chelsea on Thursday, but it made little difference as Lemina outmuscled Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box to take possession before lashing home in the 45th minute.

Liverpool's fortunes were summed up when unmarked substitute Sadio Mane had a great opportunity to equalise in the 80th minute but mistimed his downward header and the opening came to nothing.

Klopp dismissed suggestions Fulham were more up for the game than his reigning champions, who have looked a shadow of the team that romped to the title last season.

"The winner is always right. My boys wanted it. It's easy to judge, they [Fulham] have won it, so wanted it more. I don't think that's the problem," he told Sky Sports before giving a more damning assessment in the post-match media conference.

"It was not good enough. We conceded a goal, didn't score, lost the game, it was not good enough," he added.

Liverpool had the lion's share of the ball but yet again failed to convert possession into chances as Fulham's defence worked hard to prevent the home side from penetrating.

As Liverpool poured forward late on, Joachim Andersen threw himself to block a late Andy Robertson cross and, though the Reds earned a number of set pieces, Scott Parker's side held on to grab three valuable points in the battle against relegation.

"The second half, you don't plan it to go like that, but we showed another side to us — character, resilience and doggedness. I'm very proud of the team today," Parker told Sky Sports.

In the early game West Bromwich Albion's hopes of avoiding relegation were dented as they missed several chances in a 0-0 draw at home to fellow strugglers Newcastle United.

The result left Newcastle four points above the drop zone in 16th place on 27 from as many games, while West Brom stayed second-bottom on 18 from 28, eight points from the safety area.

Newcastle had the upper hand in the opening 15 minutes as they staged several fast breaks and only a superb clearance by Darnell Furlong from a Joelinton cross denied Ryan Fraser a close-range tap in.

Jonjo Shelvey also came close for the visitors in the 30th minute when goalkeeper Sam Johnstone kept out his deflected shot from inside the penalty area with a reflex save.

The hosts then spurned a pair of sitters either side of halftime as Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka tipped away Mbaye Diagne's header before Matthew Phillips blazed a shot over the bar from 8m.

West Brom's Johnstone then turned a Joseph Willock shot around the post on the hour before the pace dropped in the closing stages, with Newcastle holding out comfortably as West Brom applied some late pressure.

Reuters



https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/sport/soccer/2021-03-07-fulham-lay-on-more-misery-at-home-for-liverpool/

Harrison Reed rubs salt in Liverpool wounds by claiming Fulham 'wanted it more' than Jurgen Klopp's hapless Reds in 'massive' victory over the reigning champions at Anfield

    Fulham beat Liverpool 1-0 to inflict a sixth successive home defeat on the Reds
    The Cottagers have now lost just one of their last seven Premier League games
    The Reds remain seventh in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea 
    Scott Parker's side host runaway league leaders Manchester City next Saturday

Harrison Reed gave a damning assessment of Liverpool's current state when the Fulham midfielder said his side won at Anfield on Sunday because they 'wanted it more'.

Mario Lemina's goal before half-time inflicted Liverpool's sixth consecutive home league defeat and left them facing an almighty task to qualify for the Champions League.

Reed said: 'The manager spoke about coming here and winning and the first half was one of our best this season.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/07/17/40170136-9335847-image-a-1_1615137197953.jpg)
Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed (right) claimed his side 'wanted it more' than Liverpool

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/07/17/40170170-9335847-image-a-2_1615137244704.jpg)
Liverpool have now lost six straight games at Anfield for the first time in their history

'In the second half we had to dig in, put our bodies on the line and we did that. We wanted it more. That was evident from the first whistle and it was a big factor.'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who says he cannot even consider challenging for a top-four finish at the moment, did not disagree that Scott Parker's team had deserved their 1-0 victory.

It was only the second time in 35 visits that Fulham had won at Anfield.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/07/17/40170230-9335847-image-a-3_1615137319276.jpg)
The Cottagers' win at Anfield means they're now level on points with 17th-placed Brighton

Responding to Reed, Klopp said: 'The winners are always right. What can I say? My boys wanted it.

'Wanted it more? Easy to judge. They have won it, but I don't think that is a problem. I don't have to say we have to fight for this or that. We fight for all three points.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9335847/Harrison-Reed-rubs-salt-Liverpool-wounds-claiming-Fulham-wanted-more.html

The baffling Newcastle United approach to the West Brom game that left plenty puzzled

Fulham closed to gap to Newcastle United to just one point - and fans are really fearing the worst

Watching Newcastle United's performance against West Brom, you would have been forgiven for thinking it was a final-day kick-about and not two sides fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table.

United - despite three days off this week - were lacklustre and certainly looked less energetic than the unchanged side Baggies side they faced.

Yes, they've been rocked by injuries to star men and a training ground bust-up but given what was on offer - the chance to move six points clear of the drop zone - more was rightly expected.

As it is, the gap is now just one point after Fulham's win at Liverpool - and instead of this point being seen as a positive one, it's seen as two dropped.

That's understandable - there was a total lack of urgency from United, who failed to really test a Baggies' defence which has shipped 56 goals this season.

Despite the injuries to key men United arguably still had the better starting 11, add to that the quick turn around of two and bit days for Sam Allardyce's men from Goodison Park on Thursday - it really is unacceptable to approach a game with a game plan of what seemed to many to be one not to lose, as opposed to winning.

It's perhaps no surprise though given Bruce's rejection that the game was a 'must-win' when asked by reporters on Friday.

And that is what has riled many - if a game against a safety rival, who has only won three times all season, is not a 'must-win' - then what game is?

Fulham's Harrison Reed after his side's victory against Liverpool spoke of the 'belief' Scott Park gives out - 'about coming here and winning, not coming here and getting a point or anything like that.'

There's an approach that every game is winnable - and while some might argue that's no surprise given the ground Fulham have had to make-up, the reality is that it's beginning to pay off.

Fulham seem to be riding a wave of self-belief, United are paddling toward safety but with the very real threat, they'll get dragged off course by an unwanted current.

Either Bruce and the Newcastle hierarchy are trying to play down the trouble facing them or they're playing a tactic of burying their heads in the sand - either way, the stats don't lie -

Newcastle have collected just 10 points from the last 42 available, whilst Fulham have picked up 18.

Granted, United have a game in hand on Fulham, and arguably an easer run-in but given that Liverpool have just been beaten by Parker's men - that might matter little.

There's also the small matter of the goal difference - United's on -17 is both worse than Brighton (-8) and Fulham (-11) and with a lack of goals in the Magpies' side, that adds another element to this battle.

If those at the top of the club aren't worried about the threat of relegation, they really should be now.



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/contrast-self-belief-between-newcastle-19985308

Cottage Talk Full Time: Fulham Slay The Champions At Anfield

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is our initial reaction show to Fulham's 1-0 victory against Liverpool. During the show we featured many comments from the Fulham supporters as this episode was more of a celebration show. We did highlight our thoughts of the match and ended the show with Man Of The Match.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/3/7/22318435/cottage-talk-full-time-fulham-slay-the-champions-at-anfield

Fulham 'will fight to the end,' says Lemina

Matchwinner Mario Lemina was delighted with Fulham's win at Liverpool – and insists that the Whites 'will fight to the end' as they battle against the Premier League drop.

The on-loan Southampton midfielder's first goal for the club secured a famous victory at Anfield and extended Fulham's unbeaten run away from home to eight matches. The Gabon internnational was delighted with his side's showing, which saw Scott Parker's side dominate the first half against the defending champions.

Lemina told Fulham's official website:

"We are going to fight until the end because we know where we are and we want to get out of the bottom three. From the beginning we have been together, and we will stay together until the end. Honestly, we are so happy. "We were like we must concentrate because it's gonna be a tough game.

"We did well in the first half and we scored a goal after which we didn't concede a goal. We could have it two, but I am very happy for the team for getting the three points. In my last game I missed a big chance and I was like I must score in this one and I was really focused on my shooting and when the ball went in, its good for the team.

"Of course, I know that Liverpool are not in their best form, we took our chance and we won. It was like the first leg at Cottage. Honestly, we knew what we had to do, we knew they were going to put pressure on us, and we defended so well."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/fulham-will-fight-to-the-end-says-lemina/

Scott Parker desperate for Fulham to continue believing in their bid for Premier League survival as his side gained momentum in relegation battle by clinching statement victory at Liverpool

    Fulham condemned Liverpool to a sixth-straight home league defeat on Sunday
    Mario Lemina's strike gave Fulham a vital three points in relegation battle
    Parker is desperate for Fulham to continue believing in their bid for survival

Scott Parker has challenged his Fulham squad to take the impetus from a landmark win after he heaped more problems on Jurgen Klopp.

Fulham are now level on points with Brighton thanks to Mario Lemina's first-half strike and are playing more compelling football than any of the other teams in the bottom six. The victory at Anfield characterised all the qualities Parker wants to see from his players.

Liverpool, Klopp admitted, were not good enough to deal with the challenges Fulham set and Parker wants this performance to be the barometer for the remainder of the campaign. He has urged his players to ignore what is going on at their rivals and focus on making themselves safe.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/07/22/40177724-0-image-a-61_1615155709565.jpg)
Scott Parker guided his Fulham side to a vital three points away at Liverpool on Sunday

A win like this galvanises, not that we needed it, or a result, to give us belief or an understanding of what we can do as it's constantly been there,' said Parker. 'What is happening around us, who we are dragging in, is irrelevant and remains to be the case. If we had taken any focus off us from the start of the season we wouldn't be in this position.

'It is about us wanting to get better and keep moving in the right direction and that will not change.

'The focus was to come here and get a result and cause Liverpool problems. I thought we did that, certainly in the first half. While results can give you that extra bit of belief this is a team which has real belief. We will carry on for the remainder of the season in the same vein.'

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/07/22/40177736-0-image-a-62_1615155750194.jpg)
Mario Lemina's late first-half strike ensured the visitors ran out 1-0 winners at Anfield

Klopp was unable to explain how a team who were top of the table on Christmas Day now resemble a side gasping for breath. What they achieved in the past counts for nothing.

'We can't win the game because we won all the games before or because you want to win a game,' said Klopp. 'Believe me these boys want to but that doesn't work at the moment. That we don't score goals and concede one is enough.

'You can discuss whatever you want, I cannot. We don't have the mentality we are used to but the boys want to win games and I saw that. We still made mistakes and that's the problem. It's not that the boys want to make mistakes we just make them. We have to make sure the mistakes we make are not accountable.

'We have really tight results which always go against us. We have to make sure we win a game again. If it is 1-0 that is fine.'

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/03/07/22/40177738-0-image-a-60_1615155706772.jpg)
Liverpool are in crisis mode, having lost six consecutive league matches at Anfield



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9336457/Scott-Parker-desperate-Fulham-continue-believing-Premier-League-relegation-battle.html

Parker urges Fulham to maintain momentum

Scott Parker has urged his Fulham side to maintain the momentum provided by yesterday afternoon's superb win at Liverpool as their bid for survival reaches the season's final ten games.

The Londoners recorded only their second-ever success at Anfield thanks to a fine strike on the stroke of half-time from Mario Lemina. The narrow win extended Fulham's unbeaten away run to eight Premier League matches and the Whites now only remain in the bottom three on goal difference.

Parker has been insistent for some time that his side, who looked marooned in the drop zone at one stage of the season, had the quality to avoid relegation and Fulham's fine performances in February began to narrow the gap between themselves and safety. The Fulham boss is firmly focused on what is ahead of his side – telling the written press after a second win on Merseyside in a matter of weeks that he pays little attention to the results of relegation rivals.

"A win like this galvanises, not that we needed it, or a result, to give us belief or an understanding of what we can do as it's constantly been there. What is happening around us, who we are dragging in, is irrelevant and remains to be the case. If we had taken any focus off us from the start of the season we wouldn't be in this position.It is about us wanting to get better and keep moving in the right direction and that will not change.

"The focus was to come here and get a result and cause Liverpool problems. I thought we did that, certainly in the first half. While results can give you that extra bit of belief this is a team which has real belief. We will carry on for the remainder of the season in the same vein."

Fulham face league leaders Manchester City, whose run of 21 straight victories came to an end in their derby defeat by local rivals Manchester United yesterday, at Craven Cottage next Saturday night.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/parker-urges-fulham-to-maintain-momentum/

Flawless Fulham execute Parker's plan to perfection

Monday mornings might not be particularly popular but if we were allowed to go anywhere, I'd imagine Fulham fans would have a spring in their step today. The Whites are inching their way towards safety and, as Harrison Reed implied at the tail end of his post-match interview, the rest of the Premier League is beginning to take notice. Most sides might win at Anfield these days – Liverpool's dizzying decline from the sublime heights of last season is shocking for its speed – but Scott Parker's side did so with a combination of style and steel that suggests this might not be the last big scalp they take this term.

Fulham's sense of adventure was evident from the off. The visitors set the tempo, clearly surprising a much-changed Liverpool outfit with the crispness of their early passing and a desire to land some early blows. Parker went with a 4-4-2, but it wasn't designed to contain the home side, and that enterprising approach should have been swiftly rewarded. Kenny Tete is a fine deliverer from the right flank and Josh Maja, who might have had a hat-trick inside the opening half an hour, fluffed a good opportunity when he went for a volley rather than with his head. The ease with which Maja ghosted between the Liverpool centre halves hinted at a profitable afternoon, but no-one could have forecast just how much joy Fulham would have.

Ademola Lookman scampered away from Neco Williams at will and it was frustrating that the winger was unable to find the target himself or fashion an assist for Maja. The ball down the left was a constant source of problems for Liverpool, but it was surprisingly just how straightforward outwitting Jurgen Klopp was for Parker. The German had lauded his opposite number as one of the country's brightest coaching talents in the run up to this fixture and then watched just how prophetic his words were, seemingly unable to alter the complexion of the contest until it was too late.

It was some achievement for Mario Lemina and Harrison Reed, who must be on Gareth Southgate's radar by now, to comprehensive win the midfield battle when they were at a numerical disadvantage, but Fulham held the upper hand in the possession statistics until fifty minutes into the match. They popped the ball around with purpose, too, taking advantage of a lack of Liverpool pressing – and, although Fulham should have been in front before Lemina's lovely mugging of Mo Salah and majestic finish, they did at least have a lead that reflected their superiority when Parker began a big half-time pep talk.

Liverpool certainly upped the intensity after the interval – but save for an athletic stop from Alphonse Areola to deny Diego Jota an equaliser of serious quality – Fulham weren't unduly tested until late in the peace. Much of that was down to the defensive structure that Parker, Matt Wells, Nathan Gardiner and Stuart Gray had drilled into the players (it rivalled a Hodgson outfit in terms of discipline), with Lemina and Reed getting through oceans of work at the heart of the midfield. The Gabonese international was everywhere, winning all of his aerial battles, regaining possession on ten occasions and playing smart passes. Reed's own emergence as more than just ballast in front of the back four has arguably been the story of this campaign – like Fulham, the flame-haired firefighter improves with every outing.

Liverpool's forward line barely made an impression until their desperate search for a leveller reached panic stations. Joachim Andersen was assured at the heart of Fulham's back four – he didn't lose a single header and, remarkably, won every tackle – as well as pinging passes out to the left with his usual pinpoint accuracy. Just when it looked like Andy Robertson might break our hearts by setting up a simple tap-in for Sadio Mane, the Danish defender stretched out a leg to divert the cross over his own crossbar. It was a masterful piece of defending. Tosin Adarabioyo was just as composed, completing seventeen clearances, heading away countless crosses and picking his passes through the lines in the manner that he has ever since he stepped into the starting line up at Sheffield United. That combination appears almost impregnable at the moment – the nine clean sheets could prove so pivotal come May. A word too on Ola Aina, whose consistency in any one of three defensive positions, is a joy to behold.

Much of the media's focus will be on Liverpool's alarming dip in form, but carving out these sorts of wins shows just how far Fulham have come. They created chances galore in the first half – there is still plenty of work to be done on the finishing in the days ahead – and didn't cave in, despite Kevin Friend unfathomably adding two more minutes of stoppage time to send our heart rates soaring further. This wasn't a backs-to-the-wall effort by a plucky no-hoper – Fulham thoroughly deserved all three points. Parker is already imploring his side to not rest on their laurels with Manchester City coming to the Cottage next Saturday night, but about the only thing you can predict with any certainty in this strange season is his team will never do that.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/flawless-fulham-execute-parkers-plan/

Thanks for all this whitejc. I must say I did find it quite enjoyable to read.....esp the Carragher condemnation bit...... :005:

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Jack and Loz Not at the Cottage - Blog 171
Date: 7th March 2021

Opposition: Liverpool

Score: 0-1

Goal scorer: Mario Lemina

MOTM: we're not giving this to Lemina just because of the goal (although what a goal it was!) but because in a quest for redemption for the hand ball incident on Thursday he played his best game in a Fulham shirt. Shout out to Tosin who, after a few shaky games, was superb, easily containing the Mersey frogman, Mo Salah

Snacks: Loz - smoked salmon bagel, Jack - mini cup cakes

Not all points are equal. 3 points when you're fighting relegation are worth a lot more than 3 points when you're clear at the top of the league. 3 points when you're fighting relegation, away against the Champions, when your rivals are struggling around you are absolutely massive.

Although Liverpool are, indeed, the Champions they've been an unknown quantity lately and it was impossible to know what we were going to face - a fading side going gently into that good night or a rejuvenated, rampant team raging back up the table. Juergen Klopp - gritting his pearly white teeth - had picked an unusual lineup but this was Liverpool - all their lineups are good and all their players are world class.

But on Sunday they weren't good enough.

Don't listen to the pundits or the commentators - this wasn't Liverpool's loss, this was Fulham's victory. Scott Parker got his team selection, his tactics and his sartorial choices just right. His players - who clearly adore him (and aren't the only ones) - followed his instructions to the letter. This was a thoroughly professional performance from everyone - efficient, effective, as elegant as their manager himself.

Sometimes, the Fulham version of a Game of Two Halves is a a good half and a bad half. On Sunday it was a superb attacking half and a brilliant defensive half. In an afternoon where we were smashing stats all over the place, one of the best is that Fulham - yes, our Fulham, the one who can't score goals - had more shots at Anfield than any away team since 2000. Which is before most of this team started school.

Admittedly, a lot of those shots went the way of most Fulham shots but we were racing into the box to take them. The most common route was an inch perfect, furlong long pass from Andersen cross field to Lookman. We could watch those arching, spinning, dipping balls all day. Lookman controlled each one expertly but was, unfortunately, as wasteful as ever. Maja had a shot cleared off the line, we had a free kick which didn't quite work and some corners which were well delivered by Cav. In other words we were toying with Liverpool but couldn't make our hard work count.

Then we won a free kick in a useful position. Cav curled the ball in,

Liverpool cleared it but only as far as Lemina and Salah, tussling on the edge of the box. Lemina, as we have said, motivated by redemption, was having his best game of the season. We know how good he is defensively but now we saw what else he is capable of - a low, lethal, rifled shot right into the bottom corner. In the absence of a crowd his teammates celebrated like fans and Liverpool stumbled to half time.

We don't know much about American Football but we know that they have an Offence and a Deeeefence and the two switch around. Fulham also have an attacking unit and a defensive unit, except they're made up of the same 11 players. In the second half Liverpool looked dangerous and mounted a more or less continuous assault on the Fulham box. Klopp gnashed his teeth and threw on a few big names. They tried their trickery but ran into brick walls. They tried piling on the pressure but we just absorbed it.

Areola, in majestic command of his area, made a terrific save and Andersen, in absolute control of the defence, made an unbelievable clearance but most of the time we made defending against a free-scoring side look easy. Tosin, as we have already said, played with maturity and composure. Aina and Tete from rampaging forwards in the first half, looked comfortable defending in the second. The Lemina/Reed Axis of Tenacity was unassailable and Bobby was proving why he's a born again right back in his spare time.

After the enjoyable first half raced by the second ground on like lockdown, endless and nerve racking. We know one goal is rarely enough and Liverpool became more confident and searching as the game went on. The only outlet from the constant red press was an occasional ball hoofed forwards. Sometimes the forwards would chase it down. After the subs came on, they didn't even do that and the ball just came straight back. But every time we dealt with it. It wasn't so elegant at the end but it was always organised and always calm. Even in the six and half hours - sorry, minutes of extra time we didn't panic, or capitulate or deviate from the plan.

So, back to the man whose plan it was - Scott Parker looked suave and dashing at Anfield - ready for fine dining, Glyndebourne or trouncing his rivals in a relegation scrap. But our thoughtful, careful, understated, manager isn't about what he wears on the touch line . Scott is substance over style. We can see how hard he and the players work on the training pitch so they can bring all their skills and fitness on a match day. What we can't see is the ineffable team spirit which Scott has instilled in the players. Look at how they celebrated the goal - not playing to the cameras or an imaginary crowd - it was all about each other. And look at how they queued up to be hugged by Scott at the final whistle.

Football is war minus the shooting, said Orwell. Also, you don't quite have to put your life on the line in a football match. But for Scott Parker, the Fulham players would.

Random musings:-

- having seen what Mitro wears under his shorts a couple of games ago, on Sunday we got to see Maja's Big Pants

- for all our praise of Scott's 2021 Spring Collection, the jacket was a little snug

- presumably RLC has played so much recently that we are in credit for his minutes so he didn't have to start

- as for the plane with banner - really? Who spends their money on that?

- of all the away games to miss this is obviously the most disappointing so far, made worse for us by the fact we were at Anfield two years ago for Mitro's wrongly disallowed goal, Liverpool's cheating response and Slav's last game.

Frankly, it is hard to take in what happened in Liverpool and what this team is achieving. We have gone from certain relegation to winning at Anfield. We are getting used to the flawless performances, to a procession of clean sheets but we're not yet used to getting the results we deserve. But now they are coming.

A word to the wise despite the euphoria, though - as massive as those 3 points are, we are still 18th. We still don't score enough goals and, however much we want to think the opposite, no team is too good to go down.

But our Fulham team has gone from chaotic, to solid, to unlucky to amazing. There are ten games left. We are still fighting to survive. But who would bet against us now?



https://werdsmith.com/p/SF8xJaP24MkBb