If we can point to one Liverpool attribute that is earning the Reds points when perhaps they should have been lost, it must be ‘resiliency‘.
Liverpool drew 2-2 with Fulham at Anfield in a Premier League match last Saturday, December 14. The Reds came back from behind twice in the match to secure a valuable point despite playing the majority of it with 10 men.
Arne Slot’s men refused to give up even after Andrew Robertson was shown a red card for a reckless challenge in the first half. Fulham were probably the more dominant team on the day, but Liverpool managed to up the ante each time the visitors took the lead.
One Liverpool Attribute That Saved the Day
The Reds switched to a 4-2-3 in the absence of Robertson, with Joe Gomez shifting to the left side of the defence and Ryan Gravenberch playing as a centre-back. As Gomez kept shifting to the midfield while the Reds were in possession, the formation became a 3-3-3 for them. The Reds also drove their defensive line forward at times to make the pitch smaller and thereby tried to compensate for the one-man disadvantage they had.
Still, they kept lacking a player who could cross from the left flank – a Liverpool attribute that has saved them several times this season. Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz kept cutting in from the left flank in tandem, but it was not enough for the Reds.
By that time, Andreas Pereira’s volley had meant that Fulham had taken a 1-0 lead. Liverpool were relying a lot on Mohamed Salah as usual, but Alex Iwobi and Antonee Robinson made merry for Fulham down the same flank, as Salah did not track back often enough. The Egyptian winger, however, did his bit yet again offensively, as his measured cross from the right flank with his left foot led to Liverpool’s first equalizer.
This meant that there was a lot of pressure on Trent Alexander-Arnold defensively, with Iwobi and Robinson combining effectively through the left repeatedly. The fact that both of Fulham’s goals were scored from balls played from the left goes on to show Alexander-Arnold’s predicaments on the day.
Liverpool looked down and out when Fulham scored their second goal with around 15 minutes to go in the stipulated time. However, Slot showed that his Liverpool did not concede defeat that easily. He went for a double- change with Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliott and Liverpool looked a rejuvenated side.
Elliott provided the much-needed attacking impetus in the midfield and Jota showed his scoring prowess by pouncing on an opportunity to equalize for the home side once again. The Reds threw caution to the wind after Fulham had scored for the second time and managed to get the equalizer.
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Liverpool have three key matches remaining in the month:
The Reds will face Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and West Ham United this month itself in the Premier League. They have 36 points in 15 matches, which means that they have a six-point lead over Arsenal, with the latter having played a game more.
Their lead over rejuvenated Chelsea is also quite significant, but is not insurmountable by any means. For all their excellence, the Reds have now dropped a couple of points each in two successive matches in the Premier League.
This means that they cannot afford to be complacent or take things for granted. Still, Slot’s men remain the firm favorites to win the 20th league title for the club this season. Their failure to do so should come as a major surprise.