Liverpool 0-1 Fulham: Mario Lemina’s Goal Condemns Champions To Sixth Straight Defeat At Anfield

Mario Lemina‘s goal has given Fulham a suprising victory at Anfield stadium, United Kingdom on Sunday, confining Liverpool to their sixth successive home defeat in English Premier League (EPL).

The EPL Champions (Liverpool) have now failed to win six successive home games for the first time in 63 years. They have lost their last six games in the domestic league – Burnley, Brighton, Mancheater City, Everton, Chelsea and now Fulham.

Hoping for a change before facing Fulham, Liverpool Boss, Jurgen Klopp made seven changes in the wake of Thursday’s defeat by Chelsea with Diogo Jota, Neco Williams, Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips among the returnees.

However, they all failed to inspire the team as their horrendous home run continued against the relegation-threatened Cottagers (Fulham).

Fulham has now seal second-ever Anfield win as Scott Parker’s side draw level on points with Brighton to boost survival hopes. It was Parker’s first visit to Anfield as a manager and he made it a memorable visit.

The visitors (Fulham) came close to taking an early lead when January loan signing Josh Maja shanked a volley wide inside three minutes, and Fulham’s adventurous approach went on to cause Liverpool’s makeshift defence issues throughout the first period.

Here, Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson Becker saved his side from going behind before the half-hour mark when he prevented Maja from bundling the ball home at the second attempt after reaching Kenny Tete‘s cross to the back post.

Meanwhile, Liverpool star man, Mohammed Salah dithered in possession on the edge of his own area after his team had cleared a cross into the box, inviting pressure from Lemina who picked his pocket and rifled a low shot past Alisson which gave Fulham the half-time lead.

Then, Kloop brought in Sadio Mane in the second half adding more attacking legs, the Senegalese clipped the crossbar in the second half and a crucial stoppage-time clearance from Joachim Andersen prevented Liverpool from salvaging a point as they failed to win for an eighth consecutive game at Anfield for the first time since 1958.

Fulham are the first newly-promoted side to win away at Liverpool in Premier League since Blackpool beat Roy Hodgson’s Reds in October 2010, ending Liverpool’s run of 30 home league meetings with such opponents without defeat.

Speaking to the newsmen after the game, Kloop said,

We had to make some changes and wanted to make some more, and it is then clear that it takes a little bit of time to adapt – especially when you know that Fulham is in a really good moment and is anyway a good football-playing side. So that was clear. We started OK with our direction, especially when we sent Mo(Salah) in behind. We had there moments, didn’t use them, they had their moments when they played behind our last line, of course, but we didn’t concede a goal [then]. We conceded a goal in the moment when obviously we didn’t expect it and it was only a few minutes before half-time.

But we got then more and more used to each other and played some good stuff, created chances, had chances, didn’t score. Then the longer the game goes, obviously in our situation it’s not that you get stronger and stronger and stronger. It gets a little bit lesser again and that’s why we lost.

Liverpool will travel to Budapest for their second leg Champions league tie against RB Liepzig, they were 2-0 victors in the first leg tie.