Liverpool's worst half so far as Fulham stun Slot's men

Who saw this coming? The 27,000 at Craven Cottage certainly didn’t, such was the state of utter stupefaction in the stands on a spring afternoon to remember in southwest London.

- KIERAN JACKSON

Fulham were both dazzling and dogged and, indisputably, deserved winners. For Premier League champions-in-waiting Liverpool, though, it was simply a day to forget. One to write off. By extension for their defence, the opening period saw an utter implosion from all corners.

But here’s the thing: it should not matter. Liverpool’s terrific league season so far has given them a huge margin for error. Their 11-point buffer to Arsenal in second with seven matches to go is still a near-insurmountable advantage and it’s extremely feasible that they could still win their second league title in 35 years by the end of the month. But their pride took a hell of a kicking here on the shores of the Thames.

Their 26-game unbeaten run in the Premier League? Gone. Slot’s undefeated away league record since taking charge? Wiped out. Ultimately, in a defence still without the injured and seemingly Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold, it might have given Slot a lesson, a reminder, of where reinforcements are needed in the summer window. For Andy Robertson, it may well be an error-strewn display versus a team he was sent off against in December, which forces the Reds to act in the transfer market.