Liverpool rescue a point at Fulham, but could be left playing catch-up

LONDON — Fulham showed they don’t want to be in the Premier League just to make up the numbers again as they came close to beating Liverpool at Craven Cottage, with the game finishing as a 2-2 draw..

– Report: Fulham 1-0 Liverpool | Premier League table | Next Prem fixtures

Aleksandar Mitrovic, who scored 43 goals in the Championship last season, showed that at the age of 27 he might finally be ready for the Premier League. After heading home the first goal, he then won and converted a penalty to make sure the home side collected a point.

Liverpool had to rely on the old and the new, as Darwin Nunez scored their first equaliser and Mohamed Salah netted the second — and they assisted each other’s goals.

Liverpool will consider a draw at Fulham to be two points dropped. Julian Finney/Getty Images

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid Reaction

Liverpool risk losing early ground

It feels almost absurd to suggest this on the opening day of the season, but such are the standards Liverpool and Manchester City have set in recent times that dropping two points at Fulham represents an early blow in the title race.

Jurgen Klopp’s side lost only two games in the league last season and were twice behind at Craven Cottage, showing admirable tenacity to fight back.

City have a tough-looking opener at West Ham United on Sunday, but they now have a chance to establish an early advantage over their closest rivals. Liverpool spent so much of last season chasing City — the last thing they want is that same feeling early in the new campaign.

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Nunez cameo excites … but injury problems deepen

Nunez marked his Premier League debut with a goal and an assist to salvage a point and lift a Liverpool display that was badly lacking inspiration prior to his 59th-minute introduction.

Both were fortuitous: His goal, just 13 minutes after coming on, came as he tried an improvised flick, only for Tosin Adarabioyo to turn the ball onto Nunez with the ricochet flying past Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak. The 23-year-old’s assist for Salah’s equaliser came as he tried to collect Trent Alexander-Arnold’s forward pass only to touch the ball into the Egyptian’s path for a tap-in. But both moments were products of his movement and energy. It can only be a matter of time before he starts.

Klopp was concerned about Liverpool’s injury problems before kick-off — Caoimhin Kelleher, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones are all unavailable — and Thiago Alcantara may now be added to that list. The midfielder limped off six minutes into the second half with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez showed good early combination play. JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

Alexander-Arnold caught out again

There is no doubting Alexander-Arnold is one of the best full-backs in the world with the ball at his feet, but those nagging doubts about his defensive ability will persist after being caught out for Fulham’s opening goal.

Kenny Tete’s cross was superb, but Alexander-Arnold was not alive to the danger at the back post as Mitrovic squeezed a header past Alisson.

Liverpool finished last season by losing the Champions League final to a Real Madrid goal which owed plenty to another lapse in concentration from Alexander-Arnold. It is a lesson he needs to learn, otherwise further damage will be inflicted.

Player ratings

Fulham: Rodak 7, Tete 8, Adarabioyo 7, Tim Ream 8, Antonee Robinson 7, Harrison Reed 8, Joao Palhinha 7, Bobby Decordova-Reid 7, Andreas Pereira 8, Neeskens Kebano 8, Mitrovic 9.Subs: Manor Solomon 6, Tom Cairney 6, Duffy 6.

Liverpool: Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 6, Joel Matip 6, Virgil van Dijk 6, Andrew Robertson 7, Jordan Henderson 6, Fabinho 6, Thiago 6, Salah 7, Roberto Firmino 5, Luis Diaz 6.Subs: Harvey Elliott 7, Nunez 8, James Milner 6, Fabio Carvalho 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Aleksandar Mitrovic — Can he finally do it in the Premier League? On this evidence, absolutely. All-action display: superb header for the opening goal and made Virgil van Dijk look ordinary to win a penalty for the second.

WORST: Roberto Firmino — His place in the Liverpool side is under threat from Nunez and there was little from the Brazilian here to suggest he should keep it. Liverpool were much more threatening when he went off just before the hour mark.

Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates his first goal against Liverpool. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Highlights and notable moments

New season, same old Mo Salah …

After the match: What the managers, players said

“You can’t always hug the boys — we do that usually when they deserve it,” Klopp told broadcaster BT Sport. “You start the game in a specific way which was the opposite to how we wanted to start — really, completely opposite.

“We got a point for a really bad game by my side, and now it’s a question of how did it happen. I said it to my colleagues, the attitude was not right in the beginning, then we wanted to fight back but you don’t find it easy anymore.

“We never had the momentum and yeah, we could have won the game because we had then the bigger chances obviously, but that would have been probably a bit too much today.”

Key Stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

This is the only the second time that Liverpool has started a Premier League season with a draw against a newly promoted side. The other was in 2006-07 when Liverpool drew 1-1 at Sheffield United and finished third.

Darwin Nunez has now scored in both of his first two games since signing from Liverpool from Benfica this summer. He is the first Liverpool player aged 23 years or younger to score in a Premier League season opener since Philippe Coutinho in 2015.

Up next

Fulham: The Cottagers will be on the road next Saturday when they head north to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers, then it’s the big local derby against Brentford at Craven Cottage on Saturday, Aug. 20.

Liverpool: There’s a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday against Aston Villa, with Liverpool next in competitive action on consecutive Mondays, against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Monday, Aug. 15 and a trip to Manchester United on Aug. 22.