Player ratings: Robertson red leaves Liverpool with huge task

Liverpool twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Fulham at Anfield on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League.

The Cottagers got themselves in front in the 11th minute when Andreas Pereira converted from Antonee Robinson‘s cross, with an effort that was helped into the goal by Andrew Robertson‘s block. The Scotland international featured heavily in the opening 17 minutes, but his involvement ended when he was sent off for a careless foul on Harry Wilson to deny a goal-scoring opportunity.

Liverpool maintained control of the game despite being down to 10 men, though they only created a single chance of any promise when Dominik Szoboszlai‘s instinctive cross found Luis Díaz, who couldn’t trouble the goalkeeper.

The Reds looked improved after the restart and didn’t take long to equalise as Mohamed Salah‘s cross found Cody Gakpo at the back post, with the Anfield crowd helping Arne Slot’s side maintain momentum. Fulham got back in front when Jarell Quansah should have been stronger against Robinson before he was allowed to cut the ball back to Rodrigo Muniz.

Slot responded by introducing Diogo Jota three minutes later, and it was the Portugal international who equalised with a well-placed finish past Bernd Leno. Nine minutes of added time provided a chance for a late winner, but Diaz couldn’t secure it by adding the finishing touch to a late promising attack, which was the last big moment of the game.

Positives

Liverpool showed determination after going down twice to get back level, and were the better team despite the numbers disadvantage. A performance that the Reds can take positives from.

Negatives

Chance creation in the first half had to be better, though the red card meant that Slot didn’t have time until the break to properly tweak his system.

Manager rating (1-10; 10 = best)

Arne Slot, 9 — Slot’s side never lost control of the game despite going down to 10, and there were clear signs of a gameplan in the second half as Liverpool began to create a regular flow of chances. Slot’s booking in the 58th minute means he will now serve a touchline ban for the next Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Player ratings

GK Alisson Becker 6 — Alert to the danger and commanded his area well. There was little Alisson could have done about either goal he conceded.

DF Andrew Robertson 1 — Seventeen minutes to forget for the Liverpool left-back saw him take a heavy challenge from Issa Diop early on, help Pereira’s effort past Alisson, and then get sent off for a foul on Harry Wilson as the last defender.

DF Virgil van Dijk 7 — Assured at the back and impressed with transitioning the ball into midfield areas to help Liverpool overcome the numbers advantage. Showed impressive awareness when defending counter-attacking phases to limit Fulham’s opportunities.

DF Joe Gomez 7 — A crucial block denied a dangerous Fulham chance with the 27-year-old getting across from left-back. Looked to support attacks by getting forward, but could have been better with his final ball when crossing into the box.

DF Trent Alexander-Arnold 7 — Forced to work hard with a lot of Fulham counter-attacks coming down his flank and consistently pressed the right angles to deny shooting opportunities. Deployed in a midfield role later on in the match and helped Liverpool maintain control following the introduction of Darwin Núñez saw the Reds change shape.

MF Ryan Gravenberch 7 — Deployed at centre-back when Liverpool went down to 10 and linked well with Van Dijk to help move past Fulham’s initial press. Moved back into midfield and progressed the ball impressively alongside Alexander-Arnold.

MF Curtis Jones 7 — Worked tirelessly in midfield alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and applied pressure to win back possession. Booked for an over-zealous challenge on Alex Iwobi.

MF Dominik Szoboszlai 8 — A standout for Liverpool on the day, impressing with both his work-rate to assist defensively and decision-making in the final third, where he utilised his pace to break into space before unlocking the game for the forward line.

FW Cody Gakpo 7 — Got Liverpool back on level terms by connecting with Mohamed Salah’s cross, and showed his intelligence during counter-attacks, holding up the ball to bring others into play and choosing the right moments to challenge defenders directly.

FW Luis Díaz 5 — Booked harshly for an innocuous overhead kick attempt, but faded out of the game when Liverpool went down to 10, outside of a chance with a header that he should have done better with. Struggled to make an impact on the game overall. Should have hit his effort first time in the 94th minute.

FW Mohamed Salah 7 — Consistently enjoyed the better of the duels against Robinson and was an out ball for Liverpool by keeping wide on the right-flank. Played a significant part in getting his side back on level terms with an excellent ball to assist Gakpo for the equaliser.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)

Darwin Núñez (Gakpo, 70″) 6 — Got into some positive central areas and pressed well from the front. Assisted Liverpool’s second equaliser with a ball to Jota.

Jarell Quansah (Jones, 70″) 3 — Allowed Robinson to get past him too easily eight minutes after coming on before Fulham’s second goal. A crucial error at the wrong time.

Harvey Elliott (Szoboszlai, 79″) N/R — Unlucky with a curling effort inside the box that narrowly went past the post.

Diogo Jota (Alexander-Arnold, 79″) N/R — Provided an instant spark to Liverpool’s attack and capped his performance with an excellent finish to level the scoring.