Fulham 2-2 Liverpool: Reds forget season starts but Nunez helps salvage point

Premier League
Saturday 06 August 2022 - 12:30 pm
Craven Cottage
Fulham2
2Liverpool
Show Match Events
Tete17'
⚽️ Mitrovic33'
51'↔️ Alcantara off, Elliott on
51'↔️ Firmino off, Núñez on
59'↔️ Fabinho off, Milner on
62'Núñez ⚽️
⚽️ Mitrovic71'
78'↔️ Diaz off, Carvalho on
81'Salah ⚽️
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First things first, away from home in the early kick off against a newly promoted team is a potential banana skin.

But it's a banana skin the reds have found themselves capable of avoiding in recent seasons.

Not today though.  Perhaps the curse of the Community Shield win gave the reds a sense of superiority but they were outbattled for large periods of their opening game of the season.

Afterwards Jurgen Klopp said the performance 'was a defeat' and the only victory was that the reds managed to escape with a point and their unbeaten 2022 league game record intact.

Klopp elected to start with Firmino, Diaz and Salah up front and DIaz had a number of chances in the game without converting (with one goal ruled out for offside correctly).  But it was Fulham who started more decisively and didn't allow the reds to settle.

Liverpool were sloppy, overhit passes plentiful in a first half that saw Fulham take a deserved lead through Mitrovic.

Klopp didn't wait too long in the second half before making his changes.  Thiago pulling up with a hamstring injury and Firmino replaced by Nunez.

And it was Nunez who effectively ensured the reds left with a point.

He scored the reds first league goal of the season with a neat flick before Fulham again took the lead.  VAR punishing Virgil van Dijk and awarding a penalty to Fulham that Mitrovic converted.

Nunez then turned provider - assisting Mo Salah to score in the opening game of the season for a record sixth time.

There was ten minutes left but in truth, Liverpool didn't deserve the glory of a late winner.

A slow start to the season but Fulham are likely to prove a handful for many teams, certainly at home, this season.

Klopp now has a nine day break to assess the injuries and illness in midfield and get it right before the reds open their Anfield campaign against Crystal Palace.  Already pressure is building to capture the three points.

MOTM: Darwin Nunez.

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