Liverpool, lacking since the 17th minute, continued to lose points by falling into the trap of a second draw in a row, and was facing its guest Fulham 2-2 on Saturday in the opening of the sixteenth round of the English Football Championship.
The league leaders escaped the trap of Fulham, which was on the verge of inflicting the second loss on its host at home this season, as it took the lead twice through Brazilians Andreas Pereira (11) and substitute Rodrigo Muniz (76), but Dutch coach Arne Slot’s men responded through Dutchman Cody Khakbo ( 47) and Portuguese international substitute Diogo Jota (86).
Liverpool, which played with ten players since the 17th minute after its Scottish international defender Andrew Robertson was sent off, was satisfied with one point for the second match in a row after drawing with its host Newcastle 3-3 in the last stage, raising its score to 36 points with a postponed match against its neighbor Everton.
Liverpool, which played the match in the absence of its Argentine international midfielder Alexis McAllister due to suspension, temporarily moved away by five points from its direct pursuer, Chelsea, which has a chance of reducing it to two points if it wins over its guest Brentford on Sunday.
Former Manchester United midfielder Pereira gave Fulham the lead in the 11th minute after receiving a ball from American defender Anthony Robinson.
Liverpool suffered a painful blow when Robertson was sent off for obstructing Welsh striker Harry Wilson on his way to go one-on-one with Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker (17), and Wilson took the free kick a few centimeters above the crossbar (21).
Khakpo almost equalized with a header from close range in the hands of German goalkeeper Bernd Leno (39), and Colombian international winger Luis Dias wasted a golden opportunity after receiving a cross from Hungarian international Dominik Soboszlai in front of the goal, so he sent it over the crossbar (41).
Liverpool succeeded in equalizing at the beginning of the second half when Egyptian international Mohamed Salah passed a cross in front of the goal, followed by Khakpo with a header from close range to the right of goalkeeper Leno (47).
It is Salah’s 100th assist with Liverpool and the thirteenth this season.
Khakpo almost gave Liverpool the lead with a strong, creeping shot from inside the area in Leno’s hands (50).
Defender Joe Gomez tried his luck with a creeping shot from outside the area into Leno’s hands (56).
Salah almost did it with a powerful shot from inside the area following a counterattack and a pass inside the area from Soboslai, but it passed near the right post (65).
Substitute Muniz restored Fulham’s lead following a counterattack, after which Nigerian international Alex Iwobi passed a ball behind Trent Alexander-Arnold inside the area to Robinson, who set it up for Muniz coming from behind, and he followed it into the empty goal despite Gomez’s attempt to push it away (76).
Liverpool continued its pressure and succeeded in equalizing through Jota after receiving a pass from the other substitute, the Uruguayan international Darwin Nunes. He manipulated Spanish defender Jorge Cuenca and shot it with his right into the goal (86).
Jota almost added his second and third personal goal for his team following a tackle in front of the goal, but his ball hit one of the defenders and turned into a corner that did not yield results (90+3).
Alisson saved his goal from a third goal by blocking a powerful shot by Spanish substitute Adama Traoré from inside the area (90+6).
Arsenal’s condition was not better than Liverpool, and in turn fell into the trap of a second draw in a row, losing to its guest, Everton, negatively.
Spanish coach Mikel Arteta’s men failed to snatch second place, even if temporarily, from their neighbor Chelsea, and remained behind it by one point.
Newcastle honored its guest, Leicester City, with a clean four, scored by Jacob Murphy (30 and 60), Brazilian Bruno Guimarães (47), and Swede Alexander Isak (50).
Wolverhampton suffered its fourth loss in a row and its eleventh this season when it fell to its guest, Ipswich, with a goal by Brazilian Matheus Cunha (72) versus two goals by Irishmen Matt Doherty (15 fouls in his team’s goal) and Jake Taylor (90 + 4).
Nottingham Forest will play later with Aston Villa.
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