Fulham end Liverpool unbeaten league run to delay Premier League title party

LONDON – Liverpool slumped to just their second English Premier League defeat of the season as Fulham struck three times in 14 first-half minutes to boost their own European ambitions with a 3-2 win on April 6.

Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Everton on April 5 left Liverpool needing just 11 points from their final eight games to secure a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

Arne Slot’s men were unbeaten in 26 league games and looked set to take another step towards the title when Alexis Mac Allister’s stunning strike opened the scoring.

But poor defending allowed Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and Rodrigo Muniz to turn the game around for Fulham.

Said Fulham manager Marco Silva: “Great win for us. Our first half was very, very good, in all aspects of the game. A great goal from Mac Allister, we have to be stronger in that moment to start to be clever and make some tactical fouls.

“But the reaction was great. All the energy I asked for before the match, it was high-energy, high-tempo and, to be honest, our pressure was very good. Their two centre-backs were under pressure most of the time.”

Liverpool still enjoy an 11-point lead at the top with seven games remaining. Victory lifts Fulham to eighth and with a chance of making it to the top five, which is almost certain to be enough for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Despite a stellar first season under Slot, Liverpool have shown signs of slowing down in recent weeks and came off the rails in west London.

After a Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain and League Cup final defeat by Newcastle United, Liverpool edged out Everton 1-0 in a feisty Merseyside derby on April 2 to get back to winning ways.

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