It was a game of fine margins… and rather wide margins. Not least the space allowed to Harrison Reed to score one of the goals of the season. That 97th-minute strike denied Liverpool what would have been a rare come-from-behind win. Fulham could reasonably claim this 2-2 draw was the least they deserved, though, as the margin between the actual teams wasn’t that wide.
This is where there are greater questions for Arne Slot.
Marco Silva’s team were often superior, and Liverpool only got back into the game through the tightest offside call possible. Literal millimetres, given the definition.
Florian Wirtz had looked a toe offside as he clipped in a smart finish to make it 1-1, which was exactly the decision given by the assistant referee.
On review, however, he very much benefited from a 2021 law change that was intended to give the attacker the benefit of the doubt. The Premier League at that point expanded the offside line to a wider 5cm to prevent situations where “toenails” get goals ruled out. The consequence was witnessed here.
There is an argument that such provisions just move the position for offside but keep the same problem, in that it still comes down to millimetres, except the fair defence from the Premier League would be that it means more of a player’s body is actually offside.
“We have to believe in it,” Silva said.
Liverpool, meanwhile, definitely have the same problems despite moving positions around.
This still does not look like a team comfortable in itself in terms of formation. It’s ill-fitting, and there were too many moments where moves were slowed down or just fell apart because the players weren’t fully attuned.
It’s just as well that Wirtz is starting to find his feet.
If some of this is a consequence of Liverpool missing over £200m worth of attackers, given how the absences of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak were compounded by a minor injury to Hugo Ekitike, the greater concern is the pattern. Maybe even the feel.
Liverpool seem to have a listlessness regardless of who plays right now or how. Here, for most of the game, they were too narrow and congested. With so much of the onus on the full-backs for width, it is no surprise that former Liverpool youth Harry Wilson opened the scoring from in behind Conor Bradley early on.
Cody Gakpo’s late goal duly came from Jeremie Frimpong’s introduction and a fine cross from out wide.
It is nevertheless as symbolic as it was significant that even a raucous 93rd-minute goal, that could and should have been the winner, ended up being levelled out. Liverpool can’t seem to generate any kind of momentum. Here, most of the energy only came in a 15-minute spell after Wirtz’s goal.
Slot said after the game that he “would love to create more”.
“My philosophy of football hasn’t changed from last season”, but he has to play the players he has available.
It’s just that, right now, few of his responses to any of that are working as they should.
Liverpool almost look like a team constantly playing catch-up with themselves, playing the last game, if not quite fighting the last battle.
That could be witnessed in the nature of Fulham’s equaliser.
When pressed on the space allowed to Reed, Slot explained that it was partly down to the team’s response to long throws and set-pieces. That has obviously been a distinctive problem in this campaign, to the point it actually brought change in Liverpool’s staff over the last week, with the departure of coach Aaron Briggs.
You could say that’s the club trying to get ahead of things, but they still look behind.
Expecting Fulham to launch the ball into the box, Liverpool instead offered up the space for Reed.
And sure, it was a sensationally perfect strike, that Slot himself came from the sort of xG position that almost never brings success, and all this from a player who was celebrating only his fourth Fulham goal.
But, put bluntly, he’s still a Premier League professional. If you give them that kind of time and space, they can put the ball where they want to.
“Total inspiration from himself in that moment,” Silva said afterwards. “If somebody deserves this kind of moment, it is him.”
Liverpool allowed it. Slot acknowledged he would have wanted one of his players to be quicker coming out to him, but even that could be linked to this lack of edge, sharpness, intensity… whatever you want to call it.
It actually sounds all the worse given what Silva said when asked about that. He pointed out how, mere minutes before Reed’s goal, Fulham had rolled a similar situation out to Sander Berge.
Liverpool had due warning, but didn’t heed it.
Fulham were ultimately smarter, which was how a team of lesser resources were able to look the equal of the champions.
Slot rightly remarked how they’re a good side, and Silva hailed a “fair result”.
The margin was closed.
And yet there Liverpool are in fourth, despite a multitude of problems. It may say a lot about this season, as Slot tries to find responses that work.
