Spectacular Strike Rocks Liverpool: Fulham Player Delivers Jaw-Dropping Goal of the Season Candidate Against Stunned Reds

Fulham demonstrated once more why they remain Liverpool's nemesis, securing a thrilling 2–2 stalemate against Arne Slot's squad in an electrifying clash at Craven Cottage on Sunday evening.

The excitement peaked during added time, with Liverpool momentarily seizing the advantage before Harrison Reed delivered a spectacular effort with the match's dying moments to secure a valuable point. This outcome prolonged Fulham's undefeated run against the Merseyside club to four encounters, building on triumphs in their last two confrontations.

For the Cottagers, this stalemate brings them nearer to the Premier League's upper echelon and represents an outstanding achievement against top-tier competition. For the Reds, though, it signifies missed opportunities and surrendered advantage in the title race, especially galling considering their territorial dominance throughout the evening.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Fulham (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings courtesy of FotMob*

GK: Alisson Becker—5.7: A challenging evening for the Brazilian shot-stopper, who was lucky to escape punishment when Harry Wilson exploited a fumbled catch in the closing stages. Beaten twice, although both came from quality finishes.

RB: Conor Bradley—7.5: Provided an excellent cross for Wirtz's leveller with a marauding forward run, but was caught sleeping defensively for Wilson's breakthrough goal.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—6.8: Produced a steady display in possession, demonstrating promising calmness after a challenging campaign in that regard. Nevertheless, he was overpowered aerially by Raúl Jiménez, which remains worrying.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—6.3: Subdued for extended spells, but found it difficult when tested. Also wayward with several diagonal passes, hampering Liverpool's counter-attacking opportunities.

LB: Milos Kerkez—6.7: Still struggling to establish himself after his summer transfer to Bournemouth. His crosses in attacking areas lacked precision, and he was frequently caught upfield when Fulham launched attacks.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.7: Saw plenty of the ball but failed to influence proceedings significantly. Outfought in midfield by Fulham's Saša Lukić.

CM: Curtis Jones—7.0: Appeared confident and accurate in the engine room, playing smart passes forward while also helping out defensively. Remains one of Liverpool's most overlooked talents.

RW: Dominik Szoboszlai—6.5: Invisible on the right wing, missing the speed to regularly threaten his opponent. Also surprisingly poor from dead-ball scenarios.

AM: Alexis Mac Allister—6.5: The South American appears a pale imitation of his previous campaign's form. Couldn't manufacture anything meaningful in attack and struck the woodwork with an unmarked header from a set piece.

LW: Florian Wirtz—7.5: Two strikes in three appearances indicate the German is beginning to settle into Liverpool's system.

ST: Cody Gakpo—7.8: Ought to have broken the deadlock in the opening period with an unchallenged header, but compensated later by eventually scoring in stoppage time—though it proved insufficient for victory. A respectable showing throughout, although Arne Slot will remain keen to welcome back Hugo Ekitiké at the earliest opportunity.

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Freddie Woodman (GK), Andy Robertson, Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha.

Fulham (3-4-2-1)

Starting XI: Bernd Leno; Jorge Cuenca, Joachim Andersen, Issa Diop; Timothy Castagne, Saša Lukić, Tom Cairney, Antonee Robinson; Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe; Raúl Jiménez.

Subs used: Sander Berge, Kevin, Adama Traoré, Jonah Kusi-Asare, Harrison Reed.

Player of the Match: Harry Wilson (Fulham)

Liverpool Player of the Match: Cody Gakpo

Fulham 2–2 Liverpool: How Events Transpired at Craven Cottage

Following a postponed start due to a medical incident in the crowd, Liverpool—undefeated in eight fixtures across all tournaments—established early control at Craven Cottage. Arne Slot's team commanded possession and dictated rhythm, yet their superiority seldom converted into clear-cut opportunities, with the unavailability of injured Hugo Ekitiké notably apparent in attack.

The Cottagers, winless against Liverpool in their preceding three encounters, capitalized on that bluntness in the 17th minute. Exploiting Liverpool's advanced defensive line, Raúl Jiménez delivered a perfectly timed through ball to former Liverpool player Harry Wilson, who hammered home a clinical left-footed strike beyond the keeper. Following an extended VAR review, the strike was validated.

The dynamics remained largely unchanged. Liverpool maintained ball control but stayed profligate, Cody Gakpo hitting the upright with a looping header before thirty minutes, while Curtis Jones witnessed a point-blank attempt blocked amid mounting exasperation.

Following the restart, Liverpool's intensity increased—and VAR once more became pivotal. Gakpo saw a strike disallowed for an offside position, before Florian Wirtz eventually restored parity shortly after. The German's second strike in three matches, fashioned by an outstanding surging run from Conor Bradley, was ultimately validated after another extended offside examination.

The excitement was nowhere near finished.

On 77 minutes, Wilson almost struck twice, striking the frame with an ambitious lobbed attempt after exploiting a dropped catch from Alisson—a signal Liverpool ignored. As the match entered injury time, Arne Slot utilized his substitutes, and replacement Jeremie Frimpong seemed to have provided the crucial intervention. The Dutch player raced down the flank and delivered a dangerous cross to the far post, where Cody Gakpo—following a frustrating performance—finally converted to give Liverpool the lead.

However, Craven Cottage had one more surprise in store.

Shortly afterward, Fulham's own impact replacement Harrison Reed—increasingly becoming a reliable late-game option under Marco Silva—created a moment of pure magic. Collecting possession from range, Reed fired a magnificent long-distance effort that curved and dropped beyond Alisson's grasp, stunning the visiting supporters and earning a well-deserved point for the home side.

The late leveller not only confirmed a dramatic 2–2 result, but also maintained Fulham's unbeaten sequence against Liverpool to four games—another indication of their increasing belief against the division's best teams.

Fulham vs. Liverpool Half-Time Stats

Fulham vs. Liverpool Full Time Stats