Rocket from Reed enough to deny labouring Liverpool

Perhaps they underestimated Harrison Reed.

- Jacob Steinberg

Certainly there was little reaction when the ball came back to the Fulham substitute with 97 minutes gone. Liverpool simply stood off, almost daring Reed to shoot, and they rued their lack of urgency when one of Fulham’s more unfashionable players rescued a point for Marco Silva’s stubborn side by ripping a stunning shot into Alisson’s top corner.

It was a jawdropping moment - after all, it was only the scurrying 30-year-old midfielder’s fourth goal in six years in west London - and it spoke to some of Liverpool’s issues this season. The champions were vague in attack despite scoring twice and, where once there was the determination to force themselves over the line, here there was only defensive inertia when the task was to hold on after going 2-1 up through Cody Gakpo in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

The problem is this was no oneoff. Liverpool were similarly chaotic when leading against Tottenham’s 10 men last month and it is not lost on Arne Slot that his side’s inability to manage games has become a trend.