London: Liverpool bounced back from their Tuesday’s Champions League disappointment with a comfortable 2-0 win over struggling Fulham at Anfield, Sunday.
Goals in each half from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri secured all three points and moved Jurgen Klopp’s side back to the top of the Premier League table, at least temporarily.
Liverpool were held by Arsenal in their last league outing before a 0-2 loss to Red Star Belgrade this week, and they looked some way short of their best in a first half in which Fulham had the best chances.
However, the game turned within the space of 14 first half seconds, when Salah struck after Aleksandar Mitrovic had a header ruled out for offside, and Shaqiri’s fine finish made the win secure against a Fulham side who have now lost seven games in a row and remain bottom.
Liverpool’s early dominance of the ball led to a personal duel between Salah and Sergio Rico, the Fulham goalkeeper twice making good saves to deny forward.
The half swung Liverpool’s way in dramatic fashion four minutes before the break. Mitrovic headed in Tom Cairney’s cross only to be contentiously ruled offside, Alisson took a quick free-kick and Trent Alexander-Arnold sent Salah clean through to slot past Rico.
It was a heavy blow to Fulham and the game was effectively beyond them eight minutes after the restart, when the unmarked Shaqiri expertly volleyed home a pinpoint cross from Andy Robertson.
Robertson was denied a third by a good Rico save, but Liverpool had few problems seeing out a ninth league win of the season, while concerns for Slavisa Jokanovic look to be building.