Fulham coach Marco Silva was left to rue the brilliance of Alisson Becker following Wednesday night’s unfortunate 1-0 Premier League defeat at Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
The Merseyside giants may have left it a little late to embark upon a Champions League charge. But after registering their fifth domestic win in a row at Anfield in midweek, they are certainly giving themselves a chance.
Mo Salah’s penalty late in the first half was enough to see off a Fulham side desperate to prove that they are not yet building sandcastles on the proverbial beach.
The Cottagers certainly felt hard done by at full-time; Silva highlighting an outstanding Alisson save to deny Carlos Vinicius an equaliser while lambasting what he felt was an ‘embarrassing’ decision to hand Liverpool their game-winning spot-kick.
Alisson and Salah shine as Liverpool beat Fulham
“The way they scored the goal, I have to say that it’s embarrassing,” Silva says, Darwin Nunez tumbling under minimal contact from Issa Diop.
“To give the penalty like that, and after the VAR didn’t (intervene), I cannot understand this. It’s difficult really to understand. It’s difficult, almost impossible to understand that penalty.
“I think we had two clear chances. Great save from Alisson in that one-v-one situation with Vinicius.”
The overworked Alisson has now made 100 saves in a Premier League season for the first time. This was just his 12th clean sheet, however; the inconsistency of Liverpool’s backline denying the former Roma ‘keeper a shot at the Golden Glove.
“Liverpool had their chances as well during the second half,” Silva adds. “But, looking overall for the game, I think we deserve much more.
“And to lose in that manner, as you said, is really difficult for us to understand. But we cannot control that situation. I prefer to focus on what I can control.”
Liverpool remain in fifth place. The gap between themselves and Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United stands at just four points, though the Red Devils still have two games in hand.
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