Liverpool vs Fulham: Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri secure comfortable win for hosts
Re-live all the action from Anfield
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Your support makes all the difference.A marginal offside decision piled further pressure on Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic as Liverpool's mood was lifted by a 2-0 win at Anfield.
Aleksandar Mitrovic thought he had given the visitors a crucial breakthrough just before half-time only to be ruled out by the tightest of calls from assistant referee Adrian Holmes.
To add insult to injury, Liverpool scored 12 seconds later through Mohamed Salah's 34th goal in his last 36 home appearances with Xherdan Shaqiri justifying his return to the starting line-up with their second just after the break.
In his programme notes Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, sensing the deflation which accompanied their midweek Champions League defeat to Red Star Belgrade, called for a performance which was "joyful and spirited".
It was not quite that, but victory transformed a run of three wins in nine matches into four in six as they equalled their highest Premier League points tally (30) after 12 games, while also conceding their lowest number (five) at the same stage.
Despite these statistics they will still require rivals to take points off defending champions Manchester City, whom they briefly supplanted at the top of the table just a couple of hours before their derby encounter at the Etihad.
Re-live the action below:
Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
The match gets underway with Fulham attacking down the right. The ball goes out for a goal kick and Liverpool get the chance to control the game.
3 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Alexander-Arnold picks out Firmino in the Fulham box, he can't control the ball but it falls to Mane. Mane puts his foot through it and sends it wide.
6 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Shaqiri gets the ball off Mane and runs it into the box, he slots it to Alexander-Arnold on the right hand side and he hits the ball over the bar.
9 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Fulham win a corner and it's delivered by Schurrle. It doesn't beat the first man and Liverpool have the ball back. If Fulham are going to get something out of this game they'll need to do better on the set pieces.
12 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Firmino switches the play by feeding the ball to Shaqiri, he moves the ball onto his left foot and takes a shot but Rico taps it past the post.
15 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Good pressure from Fulham to drive Liverpool back towards their own half but Liverpool keep coming. Shaqiri gives the ball to Salah who combines with Firmino in the box with a one-two to get into space. Salah tries to feed the ball past Rico but the goalkeeper gets a hand to the ball and keeps it out.
18 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Fulham are content with clearing their lines but that allows Liverpool to launch wave after wave at their defence. How long they can hold out is anyone's guess but it just feels like a matter of time until Liverpool open the scoring.
21 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Salah gets in down the right hand side of the box. He drills a shot at goal and a strong right hand from Rico denies him again.
24 mins: Liverpool 0 - 0 Fulham
Oh no! What a chance! Mitrovic helps the ball on and into the path of Sessegnon. He beats Gomez to put him one one one with Alisson. He takes his shot early but pulls it wide to the left, that was Fulham's best chance of the half and should have been a goal.
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