Liverpool's title hopes suffered a major setback at Craven Cottage, where Fulham held off a late surge from the visitors to earn a thrilling 2-1 draw that rescued a precious point for manager Marco Silva's side.
In a game that had ebbed and flowed in a seemingly endless loop, Fulham's substitute Harrison Reed came up with the most stunning of finishes - a shot that was somehow destined to find its way into Alisson's top corner. The 30-year-old midfielder's fourth goal of his career will be remembered for years to come as he watched Liverpool's dreams of a comeback slip through their fingers.
Reed, who has been struggling to find his feet in the Premier League, had seemingly been invisible until that moment, but when the ball was played back to him after a Fulham throw-in, he showed remarkable composure to unleash a 25-yard rocket that left even the most hardened Liverpool defenders grasping at thin air.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among Fulham's players and fans, while Liverpool's players looked on in dismay as they realized their title hopes were slipping away. The Reds had dominated much of the first half but lacked the urgency to finish off their opportunities, with Mo Salah, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike missing chances that would have sealed the win.
Despite being 2-1 up, Liverpool's mentality had transformed after the break, with Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wirtz offering support for Gakpo. However, it was not enough to overcome the resilience of Fulham, who have been forced to fight tooth and nail in each of their recent games despite missing key players to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot acknowledged that his side had been poor in the first half but argued that they controlled the game overall. However, Slot was left ruing the fact that Reed was given acres of space to shoot, which ultimately led to the equalizer.
The goal will be remembered as a major turning point in the game and will raise eyebrows about Liverpool's mental toughness and ability to see out games. With their title hopes now hanging by a thread, the Reds must regroup and refocus if they are to have any chance of salvaging their season.
In a game that had ebbed and flowed in a seemingly endless loop, Fulham's substitute Harrison Reed came up with the most stunning of finishes - a shot that was somehow destined to find its way into Alisson's top corner. The 30-year-old midfielder's fourth goal of his career will be remembered for years to come as he watched Liverpool's dreams of a comeback slip through their fingers.
Reed, who has been struggling to find his feet in the Premier League, had seemingly been invisible until that moment, but when the ball was played back to him after a Fulham throw-in, he showed remarkable composure to unleash a 25-yard rocket that left even the most hardened Liverpool defenders grasping at thin air.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among Fulham's players and fans, while Liverpool's players looked on in dismay as they realized their title hopes were slipping away. The Reds had dominated much of the first half but lacked the urgency to finish off their opportunities, with Mo Salah, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike missing chances that would have sealed the win.
Despite being 2-1 up, Liverpool's mentality had transformed after the break, with Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wirtz offering support for Gakpo. However, it was not enough to overcome the resilience of Fulham, who have been forced to fight tooth and nail in each of their recent games despite missing key players to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot acknowledged that his side had been poor in the first half but argued that they controlled the game overall. However, Slot was left ruing the fact that Reed was given acres of space to shoot, which ultimately led to the equalizer.
The goal will be remembered as a major turning point in the game and will raise eyebrows about Liverpool's mental toughness and ability to see out games. With their title hopes now hanging by a thread, the Reds must regroup and refocus if they are to have any chance of salvaging their season.
harrison reed is like a superhero or something 
his goal was insane! alisson couldn't do anything to stop that 25-yard rocket 
i mean, i know liverpool has been on fire this season but fulham just outplayed them and deserved that win 
the only thing i'm worried about now is liverpool's mental toughness - can they even bounce back from this? 
anyway, fulham gets 3 points for me today 
️. They needed to be clinical and ruthless, but instead they let Fulham get back into the game. And then that goal from Harrison Reed? Game-changer 
. It'll be interesting to see how Liverpool respond to this setback, can they regroup and refocus before it's too late? 
alisson had no chance with that shot lol. title hopes are def gone now 
need to watch out for fulham, they're on fire 
they really needed that win but Fulham just wouldn't give up 
! I mean, that goal from Harrison Reed was insane 
his shot is gonna go down as one of the best in the Premier League this season 
. Liverpool just can't seem to catch a break with their chances all being squandered by their defenders 
. They really need to regroup and figure out how to close out games now 
maybe it's time for Arne Slot to shake things up a bit 
️ - I mean who expects a midfielder to come up with a strike like that? 
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. And to be honest, I think Liverpool's mentality changed after the break - it just wasn't as ruthless 
. They've been fighting tooth and nail in each of their recent games despite missing key players 
. They need to regroup and refocus if they want to salvage their title hopes 
and wirtz, not even a touch on that one... poor dude's gotta be cringing right now 
alisson was left flailing like a salmon in water 
. i mean, who needs a clear plan when you can just wing it and hope for the best? 
Fulham just ruined Liverpool's title hopes so bad!!! Reed's goal was insane, I mean who expects that from a sub? 
Salah, Isak, Ekitike all missing easy ones like it was nothing 
This game will be remembered as one of the biggest setbacks of the season, no doubt about it