Fulham held on to beat Liverpool 3-2 at Craven Cottage, with the Premier League leaders failing to open up a 14-point gap at the top of the table.
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The hosts staged a first-half comeback to stun Arne Slot’s side after Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring with a brilliant long-range strike.
Ryan Sessegnon volleyed Fulham level before Alex Iwobi profited from a defensive mistake to give them the lead. Rodrigo Muniz then gave them some breathing space with another fine finish, all within 15 minutes.
A much-improved Liverpool searched for a way back, with substitute Luis Diaz offering them hope by reducing the deficit, but they could not find a late equaliser.
Liverpool remain 11 points ahead of Arsenal, while Fulham move up to eighth, having provided a major boost to their European hopes.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
34 | +48 | 82 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
34 | +34 | 67 |
How the match unfolded
The Reds took the lead against the run of play when Mac Allister held off Sander Berge and put his laces through an unstoppable long-range shot, but Fulham soon flipped the script.
Curtis Jones blocked Andreas Pereira’s first-time cross from the right, but it bounced kindly for Sessegnon, who volleyed past Caoimhin Kelleher at his near post.
Another defensive lapse gifted Fulham the lead. Andy Robertson gave the ball to Iwobi on the edge of the box, and he fired past Kelleher with the help of a deflection off the left-back.
Liverpool’s defensive collapse was complete in the 37th minute. After Iwobi recycled a corner, Muniz expertly turned Virgil van Dijk to work the space to send a low shot through Kelleher's legs.
Diogo Jota’s attempted dink early in the second half was smothered by Bernd Leno, but the goalkeeper would be beaten in the 72nd minute, when Conor Bradley teed up Diaz for a prodded finish.
Liverpool continued to push in the dying moments, with former Fulham player Harvey Elliott sending a curling effort against the crossbar, but they could not force an equaliser.
Fulham show European credentials
Marco Silva said before this match that Fulham needed to be close to perfection if they wanted to beat the champions elect, and they certainly showed their mettle on Sunday.
Liverpool may have landed the first blow on the scoresheet, but Fulham started better. Just five minutes in, they wanted a penalty when a sprawling Kelleher felled Pereira after Ibrahima Konate lost the ball, but the decision not to award a spot-kick was checked and cleared by the VAR.
They did not let their heads drop after Mac Allister’s goal and their proactive approach was soon rewarded, with some help from Liverpool’s shaky defence.
Iwobi was the standout for Silva’s side and could have had a first-half hat-trick, having also forced a fine Kelleher save after cutting inside from the left before sending a long-range strike into the goalkeeper’s arms.
The hosts had to drop deeper as Liverpool forced the issue in the second half, but they defended their penalty area expertly and got a slice of fortune when Elliott struck the bar.
Fulham clung on to win back-to-back home matches in the Premier League for the first time since March 2024, and Silva will be determined to build on that momentum against fellow European hopefuls AFC Bournemouth next time out.
Reds falter on the road
After rivals Everton did Liverpool a favour by drawing with Arsenal on Saturday, it left the Reds needing just four wins to wrap up the Premier League title.
And things looked promising for the visitors, who arrived in west London on a 17-match unbeaten streak on the road that dated back to 24 April last year.
However, they were ultimately unable to recover from an uncharacteristically shaky first-half display.
They were given a reprieve after Konate’s early lapse, but Jones, playing at right-back, could have done better for the first goal. Robertson then gifted Iwobi the ball twice in the build-up to the second before his deflection helped the strike past Kelleher.
Van Dijk may claim there was a foul by Muniz in the build-up to the third, but it was an inspired touch from the Brazilian to flick it over his marker.
The Reds dominated the second half, but Mohamed Salah struggled to make a mark, blazing over the bar from close range moments after Robertson had rifled over instead of picking out the unmarked Egyptian.
Diaz eventually gave Liverpool a lifeline, but Elliott's curler was the closest they came to a leveller. They still need a maximum of 11 more points to lift the trophy, with West Ham United next up.
Club reports
Fulham report | Liverpool report
What the managers said
Marco Silva: "Our first half was really at a high level. To be able to have 10 shots and score three goals in the first half... we had a good dynamic, good tempo, high energy.
"In the second half we started to drop a little bit of the energy. Overall I really believe we deserved [to win]. What way to bounce back [after Crystal Palace and Arsenal defeats]."
Arne Slot: "That was a difficult spell of 14 minutes [three goals conceded]. Apart from [Fulham's] quality and finishing, it was mostly to do with our errors.
"In general we are not making many of these errors - let alone three in one game. Our second-half performance was so much better but it is hard to win a game at this level if you concede three in the first half."
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Key facts
Sunday's victory was only the second time Fulham have beaten Liverpool in the last 14 Premier League matches (D3 L9), having also won 1-0 at Anfield in March 2021.
This match was the first time that Liverpool trailed a Premier League game by more than one goal at any stage this season. Before Sunday, they were the only side not to have done so in the competition in 2024/25.
Fulham have picked up four points in their last 12 Premier League matches against teams starting the day top of the table (D1 L10) - three in Sunday's match at Craven Cottage and the other against Liverpool in this season’s reverse fixture, a 2-2 draw.
Liverpool's defeat was their first away loss in the Premier League since 24 April 2024 (0-2) at Everton when Jurgen Klopp was in charge.