Liverpool manager Arne Slot was disappointed with his side’s first half showing after they lost 3-2 to Fulham on Sunday afternoon, ending their 26-game unbeaten streak in the league.
The Reds had hoped to extend their gap at the top of the standings to 14 points after second-placed Arsenal drew at Everton on Saturday.
Despite taking the lead through an Alexis Mac Allister stunner in the 14th minute, they conceded three goals in a period of 14 minutes in a lackluster first half showing.
Ryan Sessegnon pulled one back for the hosts after an error by makeshift right-back Curtis Jones, before Alex Iwobi put them ahead moments later after another error by Andy Robertson.
“That was a difficult spell of 14 minutes. Apart from quality and finishing, it was mostly to do with our errors”, Slot said after the match.
“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.”
Rodrigo Muniz produced a brilliant flick to evade Reds skipper Virgil Van Dijk before slotting in calmly past Caoimhin Kelleher in goal, to put Fulham 3-1 up at halftime.
Liverpool were much better in the second half and got a deserved goal through substitute Luis Diaz, before Harvey Elliott struck the crossbar later on.
“There’s no reason for us to be complacent, we are not No 1 at the moment because we win every match by three or four goals. It takes us so much hard work to win the games, and everyone can see that.
We are fully aware of the fact we have to compete for seven more games. We showed on Wednesday. That was a close call and today was, too. We were on the right side of that then, and the wrong side today”, Arne Slot added.
The defeat saw the Premier League leaders lose for the first time in the league since a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in September.
It was also the first time since a 7-2 thrashing at the hands of Aston Villa in October 2020, that Liverpool have conceded three times in the first half of a league match.
Liverpool remain 11 points ahead of the Gunners and have the chance to move closer to clinching the title, when they host West Ham United next Sunday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
