Liverpool scored two goals in the final minutes to beat Fulham 4-3 in round 14 of the Premier League, and maintain their winning streak at Anfield this season.
After winning all 10 matches at Anfield, Liverpool faced a big risk of losing the streak when Fulham took a 3-2 lead in the 80th minute. However, Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold scored from long range in less than two minutes, helping the home team keep all three points.
Midfielder Wataru Endo celebrates scoring Liverpool's equalizer in a 3-3 draw against Fulham at Anfield, round 14 of the Premier League on December 3, 2023. Photo: Reuters
After referee Stuart Attwell blew the final whistle, Arnold put his index finger to his lips in a silent gesture and smiled at the stands. There, the Anfield crowd exploded after witnessing a feast of goals and an exciting score chase. Fulham were not bad for a mid-table club, being the first team to score more than once at Anfield this season. But Liverpool were still better, with all four goals being considered masterpieces.
Arnold was the inspiration for Liverpool in this match, with the first goal being largely his. In the 20th minute, the 25-year-old defender took a right-footed free kick from about 25 meters out, sending the ball over the wall and hitting the bottom of the post. Goalkeeper Bernd Leno couldn't reach it, but the ball bounced right off his back and into the net. Therefore, Liverpool's opening goal was considered an own goal by Leno, but that didn't stop Arnold from sharing the joy with the audience.
The first half played out in a routine, with Liverpool scoring a goal and Fulham equalising from a sloppy start. In the 24th minute, left-back Antonee Robinson crossed for midfielder Harry Wilson to shoot from less than 10 metres out, hitting goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher's foot into the net to score against his former team. Kelleher was drafted in this match because number one goalkeeper Alisson suffered a hamstring injury.
Coach Jurgen Klopp shares joy with Arnold after the match. Photo: EPA
Liverpool took a 2-1 lead from midfielder Alexis Mac Allister's long-range strike in the 39th minute. After recovering the ball from about 30 metres out, the 2022 World Cup winner fired a high shot into the far corner, forcing Leno to make room for a superb strike. However, Kelleher made another mistake late in the first half, allowing defender Kenny Tete to tap the rebound through his legs, allowing the visitors to equalise.
The highlight of the first half belonged to striker Darwin Nunez, when he hit the crossbar once and missed another shot from a one-on-one situation. Both of his chances were created by Mohamed Salah, but the Uruguayan striker wasted them.
Fulham had the better chance to create a surprise at Anfield in the 80th minute. From a counter-attack, midfielder Tom Cairney crossed the ball to the second post for Bobby De Cordova-Reid to jump and head into an empty net in front of defender Konstantinos Tsimikas. Coach Marco Silva shouted and ran around the technical area to celebrate this goal, while Jurgen Klopp quickly brought on midfielder Endo to replace Ryan Gravenberch.
Bobby Reid's header made it 3-2 for Fulham. Photo: Reuters
Endo equalized for Liverpool in the 87th minute, scoring his first goal in the Premier League. Receiving a pass from Salah from about 20 meters away, the Japanese midfielder curled the ball into the top corner and close to the post, defeating Leno. Anfield stadium exploded again, as the audience cheered.
The crowd was again treated to a goal just over a minute later, when Arnold recovered the ball from outside the box and fired a right-footed shot into the near post to seal a 4-3 victory. Leno is considered the tournament's best goalkeeper with the best reflexes, but had almost no chance of all four goals conceded.
Arnold was considered a hero, helping Liverpool climb to second place in the table, two points behind Arsenal. In the next round on the evening of December 6, Klopp and his team will visit the bottom team Sheffield United.
Xuan Binh
Source link
Comment (0)