Liverpool’s title hopes suffered a blip against Fulham, as they were beaten 3-2 at Craven Cottage.
Alexis Mac Allister’s stunning goal got the Reds off to the perfect start, that good work however would soon be undone by a lacklustre 45 minutes from Arne Slot’s men.
Ryan Sessegnon would punish Liverpool for their sloppiness drawing Fulham level in the 23rd minute before Alex Iwobi added a second nine minutes later.
Fulham would then manage to score a third before the break, through Rodrigo Muniz – a goal which actually broke Premier League history in the process.
Liverpool break first-half record vs Fulham
The Reds have been guilty of being off the pace during the first half of matches over recent weeks, shown by their lacklustre performance against Southampton before the international break.
This would again be the case at Craven Cottage, with Liverpool’s players far away from their usual high standards.
Their first-half display was compounded by the fact that it was actually the first time in Premier League history that the Reds have conceded three goals in a first half in which they have scored the opening goal.
It was also the first time since 2020 that Liverpool conceded three goals in the first half of a Premier League game since their 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa when they were 4-1 down at half-time.
Roy Keane slams Liverpool first-half performance
After watching Liverpool disappoint during the first half, Roy Keane was quick to criticise Slot’s side for their inspiring display.
The ex-Man United star told Sky Sports:
“Liverpool have looked like a mid-table team. Liverpool defensively, my goodness…”
The Reds have looked jaded over the past month or so which could be the reason behind their sloppy starts to games.
Fatigue issues aside though, Slot will recognise his team has to start games quicker, otherwise their lead at the top of the Premier League could slowly fall away.
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