Five things we learned from Fulham 1-3 Liverpool | OneFootball

Liverpool brushed off a frustrating fortnight to move up to second in the Premier League – level on points with Arsenal after a 3-1 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stunning free-kick put Liverpool on their way but Timothy Castagne hauled Fulham level on the stroke of half-time after an even first half.

Liverpool controlled the second half and goals from Ryan Gravenberch- his first in the Premier League for the Reds- and Diogo Jota capped off a fine afternoon for Jurgen Klopp’s side who keep in touching distance of league leaders Arsenal.

Here are the five things we learned from the game…

Trent’s timely return

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb free-kick was a gentle reminder of how much Liverpool have missed his services in recent weeks. For all his defensive deficiencies, there is not many better around than him from a dead-ball situation.

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Liverpool’s title hopes still hang by a thread despite victory over Fulham, but his return from injury will be a huge boost in the run-in.

Is Gravenberch about to win Liverpool fans over?

Liverpool’s £34 million acquisition of Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich in the summer was the final piece of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield reshuffle. After a promising start to life on Merseyside, the 21-year-old’s form has stagnated due to a combination of injuries and simply not being selected.

Against Fulham, Klopp rang the changes and it was an opportunity for Gravenberch to showcase his talents once more as he made the starting lineup. He seized the chance and scored a wonderful goal in the second half to put Liverpool ahead. He hasn’t quite convinced Liverpool fans just yet, but his age coupled with this performance will give encouragement that he can come good in seasons to come.

Liverpool stay in the hunt

With Arsenal winning against Wolves and City in control of the title race, anything but a win for Liverpool today would have surely resulted in the end of their pursuit of a second Premier League title under Klopp.

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Crashing out of Europe and that almighty setback against Crystal Palace put Liverpool on the ropes. However, they showed resilience against a strong Fulham side who always put on a performance at home. All they can do is keep winning their games and pray that there are some slip-ups above them.

Is Quansah the ideal partner for VVD?

A few weeks ago, Quansah’s mistake against Manchester United sparked the comeback for Erik ten Hag’s side and ultimately dented Liverpool’s title hopes. It’s unfair to criticise the 21-year-old given how little experience he has playing in the top flight, having spent a season on loan at Bristol Rovers last season.

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However, excluding that lapse in concentration at Old Trafford, Quansah has rapidly developed under Klopp this season and was once again superb alongside Virgil Van Dijk at Craven Cottage.

Could he be the man who partners Van Dijk next season?

Despite defeat, Fulham showed once again that they can mix it with the big boys. They have already beaten Arsenal at home this season and have now ran Liverpool close home and away. Life under Marco Silva is certainly looking promising, and the emergence of Rodrigo Muniz has added to the excitement.

Fulham do not have much else to play for other than pushing for a finish in the top half of the table, but there are signs of progression with Silva on board and Fulham fans have several reasons to be optimistic heading into next season.