Liverpool’s woeful form continued as the champions slumped to their sixth home defeat on the bounce after losing 1-0 to struggling Fulham on Sunday.
With the Reds needing to win the game to avoid slipping even further down the table and losing more ground in the race for the top four, they registered yet another toothless performance and failed to find the net for the third consecutive match at Anfield.
In a game of few chances, throughout the entire 90 minutes, Liverpool managed just three shots on goal, and in the end a strike from Mario Lemina was enough to earn a priceless three points for Fulham who remain in the bottom three despite getting the win.
The sad state of affairs at Anfield was exemplified by the fact this was one of Scott Parker’s team’s easiest wins of the campaign. Last season Anfield was an impenetrable fortress and until Burnley took three points in January, no team had won here in over 60 games. Now a defeat for Liverpool at home feels like par for the course, which is such an alarming fall from grace it’s practically unprecedented in top tier football.
Liverpool will dust themselves off – or at least they’ll try to dust themselves off – and go again on Tuesday in Budapest, as they try and defend a two goal lead in the last 16 of the Champions League against RB Leipzig.
Manager Jürgen Klopp’s team selection suggested he was resting one or two players ahead of that game, but a repeat performance of the one against Fulham will see his side out of the competition and facing a real uphill battle to qualify next season.
The financial implications of missing out for a side reliant on qualification for Europe’s premier competition could be huge, so Tuesday is another massive game for a team who presently don’t look up to the task.