Fulham 0 Liverpool 2
Fulham assistant manager, Christian Damiano, describes Liverpool as 'a very modern
side', but there was something thoroughly old-fashioned in the way they eked out
this win. An early poached goal stubbornly defended, the victory then sealed in
injury time, was vintage Reds from the 1970's.
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Louis Saha hit the bar with a blockbuster |
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Fulham, seeking to get up to date themselves, were game enough but were shown
how far they still have to go. Nicolas Anelka gave Liverpool a lead against the
run of play, before Jari Litmanen secured it against the run of play. In between,
the visitors repelled all that could be thrown at them to make it eight Premiership
games without a defeat and maintain their title challenge. For the task, for which
they were again without the injured Steven Gerrard, they rested Michael Owen,
starting with Anelka.
It was a selection that paid early dividends. Fulham had looked lively early on,
passing and moving sharply going forward, but Liverpool soon found their back
door ajar. Danny Murphy's ball forward picked out Anelka and after his right-foot
shot had been blocked, and with Rufus Brevett and Alain Goma hesitating, he collected
the rebound before striding on into the penalty area and curling in a left-footer
that Edwin Van Der Sar could only touch into the net.
Fulham quickly summoned a rousing response, clearly following their manager Jean
Tigana's philosophy of believing in their approach, no matter the circumstances
of the game. They very nearly had an instant equaliser, indeed, from a flowing
one-touch move. Sean Davis chipped the ball up to Steve Marlet and from his header
down, Steed Malbranque laid the ball off to Louis Saha whose instant volley from
20 yards hit the Liverpool crossbar.
Soon after, Luis Boa Morte put Marlet through, and it took a brave tackle from
Stephane Henchoz, who sustained a gashed shin for his trouble, to halt him.
Marlet then found Boa Morte with a raking pass inside the Liverpool left-back,
Stephen Wright, and forced Jerzy Dudek, returning after injury, into a good
save.
Liverpool weathered the squall, however - helped by losing Davis from their midfield
to an injury - and the game settled into a familiar pattern, Fulham probing for
an opening, Liverpool keeping their settled shape and waiting for an opportunity
to pounce, having dragged the opposition forward. It was not hard to see how their
reputation for being a counter-attacking team had grown.
Boa Morte and Malbranque switched wings at the start of the second half to
try and pose Liverpool and new problem, but Liverpool did not seem unduly disturbed,
when Boa Morte did get round his fellow Portuguese Abel Xavier and stumbled,
he was booked for diving. Other attacks frequently foundered on Stephane Henchoz,
oft maligned but a rock at the heart of defence yesterday. And when Henchoz
did cause danger for his side, inadvertently deflecting Saha's cross goalwards,
Liverpool always had the agile Dudek, who also saved well Goma's header, to
rescue the situation.
| Match
Stats |
Fulham |
Liverpool |
| Goal
attempts |
11 |
10 |
| On
Target |
5 |
4 |
| Hit
woodwork |
1 |
0 |
| Fouls |
13 |
14 |
| Offsides |
0 |
3 |
| Corners |
9 |
3 |
| Yellows |
3 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source:
www.sports.com |
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At the other end, meanwhile, though their raids were sporadic, Liverpool always
carried a threat, particularly through Anelka's pace. Murphy forced Van Der
Sar into a flying, one-handed save with a curling shot, then supplied Anelka
with a pass that the Frenchman shot wide. Emile Heskey also looked likely to
score from Anelka's low cross but scooped the ball wide.
Finally the second came when Fulham discovered how how dangerous are Liverpool
when the opposition is on the attack. Xavier's hoofed clearance caught Van Der
Sar out of his goal and Jari Litmanen nipped in ahead of him, squeezing the
ball home from a narrow angle.
A second earlier than it came would have eased any anxiety for Liverpool, but
even at only one up, they rarely looked uncomfortable, save for John Arne Riise,
that is, who was jeered all afternoon for having chosen Liverpool in preference
to a transfer to Fulham last summer, and save for a late moment when Marlet
shot across goal with only Dudek to beat. They could even afford to bring on
Nicky Barmby for the last 20 minutes, his first appearance since damaging ankle
ligaments last October.
Fulham:
Van der Sar, Finnan, Goma, Ouaddou, Brevett, Legwinski, Malbranque, Davis
(Clark 25), Saha, Marlet, Boa Morte (Hayles 66), Clark (Collins 76).
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Melville.
Booked: Legwinski,(F, 42) Brevett(F, 45), Boa Morte(UB, 48).
Liverpool:
Dudek, Xavier, Hyypia, Henchoz, Wright, Smicer (Barmby 71), Hamann, Murphy,
Riise, Anelka (Litmanen 80), Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Kirkland, McAllister, Owen.
Booked: Wright, Hyypia.
Goals: Anelka 13, Litmanen 90.
Att: 21,103 Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).