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Liverpool's woes in the 2021 Premier League continued, as they lost 0-1 to Fulham to suffer an unprecedented sixth successive league defeat at Anfield. Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the game in the last minute of the first half.
The former Southampton forward netted just before the break to give Fulham a well-deserved lead after Fulham made the most of shoddy Liverpool defending.
While the chances in the final third were few and far between in the second half, a resolute defensive performance helped Fulham record a memorable win against Liverpool. Joachim Anderson brilliantly stuck out his leg in injury-time to deny the hosts an equaliser at death. His intervention proved to be crucial as Sadio Mane was on hand for a simple finish.
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It was yet another disastrous display by the reigning champions. Liverpool were punished by the visitors, who took their chance well to open the scoring, and the Reds failed to find a way past Alphonse Areola despite getting in 16 shots.
Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota showed moments of brilliance but were off the mark against Fulham. Liverpool's latest home defeat means the defending champions are now 22 points behind leaders Manchester City.
On that note, let's take a look at the five major talking points from the game as Liverpool continue to drop points at Anfield amid growing doubts over Jurgen Klopp's future at the club.
#5 Liverpool lose again at Anfield
Liverpool's defensive woes at Anfield continued against Fulham as well. Lemina's first-half opener made it six games in a row that Liverpool conceded first in the Premier League at Anfield this season. That marked the first time in history that Liverpool have gone behind in six consecutive home games in the top flight.
Liverpool fielded a young defence that had an average age of 22. That showed in their performances against Fulham, as the reigning champions allowed the opposition lot of space in the final third, which was evident in seven shots hit by Fulham before their opener.
#4 Liverpool continue to be wasteful in the final third
Liverpool had 16 shots against Fulham, but only three of them were on target. They created a lot of chances going forward but struggled to finish them off. The league's top scorer Mohamed Salah had a dismal outing, and he also appeared isolated at times in the final third.
The reigning champions have scored just five times in their last seven league outings, with all these goals coming in just three games. Their recent record at Anfield is even worse, as Liverpool have scored just once in their last six games, with that lone goal coming from the penalty spot.
Liverpool have failed to score a single goal from open play in their last 116 attempts, which is the worst such run since Opta started collecting data from the 2006-07 season.
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#3 Liverpool could struggle to qualify for Europe next season
2021 has not been kind to Liverpool. They have just three wins in the Premier League this year, picking up just ten points - one at Anfield - from a possible 36.
Their loss against Fulham puts them 22 points behind leaders Manchester City, who also dropped points by losing against Manchester City. But with only ten games remaining in the current campaign, Liverpool's title defence is all but over.
In fact, they could struggle to qualify for Europe next season, considering their dismal recent form.
#2 Fulham grab a key win to keep their top-flight hopes alive
Fulham have just one loss in their last five outings, recording two wins during this period.
They have started to turn things around in recent games. After a key win over the reigning champions, Fulham will now hope to get out of the drop zone soon.
They are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League away games (W2, L6), which is their longest such streak in history.
Though there was no significant takeaway from their performance at Anfield, Fulham capitalised on a Liverpool's mistake, which proved to be the difference between the two sides on the night.
#1 Liverpool lose six games at home for the first time
Liverpool were on track to make it 70 games unbeaten at Anfield this year. After two draws in their first two home games of the season, their unbeaten streak was brought to a halt at 68 following a 1-0 loss to Burnley on 22 January.
Since that game, Liverpool have lost five more at home. It marked the first time Liverpool have lost six league games at home in a season. In fact, they haven't won a game at the venue since December 17, 2020, across all competitions.
During this period, Liverpool have lost three games against sides from the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Anfield had become a fortress for Liverpool last year, as the Reds went on to lift the league title. But currently, Liverpool just cannot seem to produce favourable results at home.
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