There is no doubt who is Liverpool’s main man right now. Sadio Mane scored his 11th goal in 11 games, nine in nine in the Premier League, and just as crucially earned the precious penalty to send Liverpool back to the top of the table ahead of the international break. They are two points clear of Manchester City having played one game more.
Beating relegation-doomed Fulham was expected but there was a dramatic twist as Liverpool’s former winger Ryan Babel scored, after a rare mistake by fellow Dutchman Virgil Van Dijk, to briefly draw them level.
For seven nerve-wracking minutes it looked like Liverpool were blowing the title race – before James Milner scored from the penalty spot after Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico had pulled back Mane.
We’re underway at Craven Cottage… 💪
Let’s go, Reds 👊👊— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 17, 2019
And, to think, there had been an assuredness to the way Liverpool had taken the lead. Little had happened in the first quarter of the game but there was no sense of anxiety.
There was a realisation, though, that Fulham were vulnerable down their right where Timothy Fosu-Mensah was making his first appearance in more than four months.
It looked like it and his cause was not helped by the fact that, in front of him, Floyd Ayite was making his first league start of the season.