Salah Playing Way Out Of BalLon d’Or Contention | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Wobble at Craven Cottage Raises Late-Season Questions

Fulham Exploit a Faltering Defence

Liverpool’s commanding run of form hit a major roadblock at Craven Cottage, with a 3-2 defeat to Fulham that raised more than eyebrows—it raised concerns. This was their third loss in four matches across all competitions and arguably their poorest defensive display of the season. The champions-elect, who had gone 26 Premier League games unbeaten, looked nothing like title winners against Marco Silva’s side.

As The Telegraph reported, “The champions-elect are the best team in the land but they certainly did not look like it here, against an aggressive and organised Fulham, as their 26-game unbeaten league run came to an end.”

Familiar Faces Fading?

Questions are now emerging over the once-dependable core of Arne Slot’s Liverpool. “Some of the certainties of Liverpool’s season – an immaculate Virgil van Dijk, for example, or a decisive Mohamed Salah – are seemingly no longer guaranteed.” Van Dijk struggled mightily against Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, and Salah’s drought extended to seven club games without a goal from open play.

Photo: IMAGO

Alex Iwobi, full of invention and spark, “outshone here by Fulham’s Alex Iwobi,” added insult to injury for the Merseysiders.

First-Half Collapse Offers Warning

Liverpool’s early lead via a sublime individual strike from Alexis Mac Allister was a mere flash of hope. What followed was 14 minutes of defensive collapse. “Those 14 minutes were remarkable in their defensive incompetence, with Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson both at fault and Van Dijk totally beaten by Muniz.”

That tailspin stunned the visitors. While the second-half revival, capped by a goal from Luis Díaz, showed promise, the inconsistency was too much. As The Telegraph put it: “If they keep playing like they did in the first half, they might not win again this season.”

Fulham Deserve Their Flowers

Fulham’s attacking trio—Ryan Sessegnon, Iwobi, and Muniz—delivered both substance and style. Behind them, centre-back Calvin Bassey was immense. His second-half display matched the fervour of Craven Cottage, where “the home supporters could not help but match his energy.”

Marco Silva’s side, now pushing for European qualification, earned every inch of this result through structure, intensity, and belief.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

There’s no escaping it—this wasn’t a blip, it was a blueprint for how to beat Liverpool. Slot’s side looked fractured in the first half, not just defensively but in terms of mentality. That three-goal blitz wasn’t about bad luck; it was about a lack of composure and organisation. For Van Dijk to be so handily beaten by Muniz is unthinkable a few seasons ago. And Salah’s goalless streak? It’s turning into a serious issue at the worst possible time.

Yes, the league cushion remains healthy, but this is a momentum game. One slip becomes two, and suddenly it’s a title race again. If the first-half version of this team shows up again, fans will start to question whether Slot has instilled enough resilience. The second half was encouraging—but we’ve seen this pattern before. Fix the defending or face an anxious run-in.