Fulham defeated Liverpool 3-2 at Craven Cottage as the Reds suffered their second Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday.
Liverpool had the chance to move 14 points clear after Arsenal’s draw with Everton but conceded three times in a calamitous 14-minute spell after Alexis Mac Allister had struck a long-range opener as the Cottagers ended their 25-game unbeaten run.
The turnaround began when Ryan Sessegnon lashed home Fulham’s leveller after a cross bounced into his path off the thigh of makeshift Liverpool right-back Curtis Jones.
A costly error from Liverpool’s other full-back followed as Andrew Robertson’s woeful pass gifted Fulham possession and allowed Alex Iwobi to beat Caoimhin Kelleher via a deflection.
Liverpool were still reeling when Rodrigo Muniz added Fulham’s third goal with a cool finish past Kelleher after a brilliant piece of skill saw him skip away from Virgil van Dijk.
It was the first time since their 7-2 loss to Aston Villa in October 2020 that Liverpool had conceded three times in the first half of a Premier League game and they could not find a way back, despite Luis Diaz reducing the deficit from fellow substitute Conor Bradley’s pass.
Fulham move up to eighth, the win boosting their hopes of European qualification, while Liverpool remain 11 points ahead of Arsenal having missed the opportunity to take another step towards the title.
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Meanwhile, Southampton suffered the earliest relegation in Premier League history after a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham.
Brennan Johnson’s first-half double and Mathys Tel’s stoppage-time penalty, after Mateus Fernandes’ 90th-minute goal, saw Southampton relegated with seven games left to play – surpassing the previous record of six matches – for an immediate return to the Championship.
The south coast club’s nightmare season could get even worse with Ivan Juric’s 10-point side still a point from equalling the lowest-ever tally in a Premier League season, which is held by Derby County, who managed 11 in 2007/08.
Chelsea were also held to a 0-0 draw by their west London neighbours Brentford on Sunday, dealing a blow to the Blues in their hunt for a top-four finish that would guarantee them a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made five changes to the team that beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Thursday with strikers Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer, and Pedro Neto coming on as second-half substitutes.
Their introduction gave Chelsea a bit more bite in attack after a flat first 45 minutes but they failed to really test Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal.
Bryan Mbeumo and Sepp Van Den Berg came close for the hosts late on.
The draw kept Chelsea fourth in the table, two points ahead of Manchester City who were visiting Manchester United later on Sunday. Brentford stay in 12th position.
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