Goal of the Season Contender Stuns Reds

Fulham once again proved to be Liverpool’s bogey team, holding Arne Slot’s men to a 2–2 draw in a pulsating encounter at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.

The drama came in injury time, with Liverpool briefly taking the lead before Harrison Reed unleashed a stunning strike with the game’s final kick to snatch a point. The result extended Fulham’s unbeaten streak against the Reds to four matches, following victories in their previous two meetings.

For Fulham, the draw moves them closer to the Premier League’s top half and will be viewed as a superb result against elite opposition. For Liverpool, however, it represents dropped points and lost ground on the league’s leading pack, particularly frustrating given their dominance in possession throughout the night.

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson Becker—5.7: A difficult night for the Brazilian, who was fortunate not to be punished when Harry Wilson capitalised on a spilled claim late on. Conceded twice, though both were from excellent strikes.

RB: Conor Bradley—7.5: Supplied a superb assist for Wirtz’s equaliser with a surging run, but was caught napping defensively for Wilson’s opener.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—6.8: Delivered a solid performance on the ball, showing encouraging composure after a tricky season in that department. However, he was outmuscled in the air by Raúl Jiménez, which will be a concern.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—6.3: Quiet for long periods, but struggled to cope when called into action. Also misfired on a number of long balls, limiting Liverpool’s transition play.

LB: Milos Kerkez—6.7: Continues to fail to make his mark following his summer move to Bournemouth. His delivery in the final third lacked quality, and he was too often caught out of position when Fulham broke forward.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.7: Got plenty of touches but made a limited impact. Outworked in the middle by Fulham’s Saša Lukić.

CM: Curtis Jones—7.0: Looked assured and precise in the middle of the park, distributing intelligently forward while also contributing defensively. Still one of Liverpool’s most underrated stars.

RW: Dominik Szoboszlai—6.5: Absent out on the right flank, lacking the pace to consistently trouble his marker. Also uncharacteristically wasteful from set-piece situations.

AM: Alexis Mac Allister—6.5: The Argentine looks a shadow of the player he was last season. Failed to create anything of note in the final third and hit the bar with a free header from a corner.

LW: Florian Wirtz—7.5: Two goals in three games suggest the German is finally finding his feet in Liverpool colours.

ST: Cody Gakpo—7.8: Should have opened the scoring in the first half with a free header, but made amends late on by finally finding the net in injury time—even if it ultimately wasn’t the winner. A solid display overall, though Arne Slot will still be eager to have Hugo Ekitiké back as soon as possible.

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Freddie Woodman (GK), Andy Robertson, Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha.

Fulham (3-4-2-1)

Starting XI: Bernd Leno; Jorge Cuenca, Joachim Andersen, Issa Diop; Timothy Castagne, Saša Lukić, Tom Cairney, Antonee Robinson; Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe; Raúl Jiménez.

Subs used: Sander Berge, Kevin, Adama Traoré, Jonah Kusi-Asare, Harrison Reed.

Player of the Match: Harry Wilson (Fulham)

Liverpool Player of the Match: Cody Gakpo

After a delayed kick-off due to a medical emergency in the stands, Liverpool—unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions—asserted themselves early at Craven Cottage. Arne Slot’s side dominated possession and controlled the tempo, but their superiority rarely translated into genuine threat, with the absence of the injured Hugo Ekitiké keenly felt in the final third.

Fulham, unbeaten against Liverpool in their previous three meetings, punished that lack of incision in the 17th minute. Catching Liverpool’s high line cold, Raúl Jiménez threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to former Red Harry Wilson, who smashed a precise left-footed finish past the goalkeeper. After a lengthy VAR check, the goal stood.

The pattern barely shifted. Liverpool continued to monopolise the ball but remained wasteful, Cody Gakpo striking the post with a looping header before the half-hour, while Curtis Jones saw a close-range effort blocked amid growing frustration.

After the interval, Liverpool’s pressure intensified—and VAR again took centre stage. Gakpo had a goal ruled out for offside, before Florian Wirtz finally hauled the visitors level moments later. The German’s second goal in three games, created by a superb driving run from Conor Bradley, was eventually confirmed following another prolonged offside check.

The drama was far from over.

On 77 minutes, Wilson nearly struck again, rattling the crossbar with an audacious chipped effort after capitalising on a spilled claim from Alisson—a warning Liverpool failed to heed. As the game drifted into stoppage time, Arne Slot turned to his bench, and substitute Jeremie Frimpong appeared to have delivered the decisive moment. The Dutchman burst down the right and whipped a teasing cross to the back post, where Cody Gakpo—after a frustrating evening—finally applied the finish to put Liverpool ahead.

But Craven Cottage had one final twist.

Moments later, Fulham’s own impact substitute Harrison Reed—now something of a trusted late-game weapon under Marco Silva—produced a moment of sheer brilliance. Picking up the ball from distance, Reed unleashed a stunning long-range strike that swerved and dipped beyond Alisson’s reach, silencing the away end and snatching a deserved point for the hosts.

The late equaliser not only sealed a dramatic 2–2 draw, but also extended Fulham’s unbeaten run against Liverpool to four matches—another reminder of their growing confidence against the league’s elite.

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