Arne Slot’s Liverpool made the trip to Craven Cottage chasing a vital three points but found themselves needing a moment of brilliance after Fulham’s Harry Wilson struck first.
Florian Wirtz caught the eye with an impressive equaliser, yet one of the club’s summer arrivals endured a disappointing afternoon, prompting Liverpool supporters to deliver a brutal verdict on his display away from home.
Wilson, once part of Liverpool’s academy and currently enjoying excellent form, broke the deadlock in the 17th minute after timing his run perfectly to slip beyond Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. He finished calmly to give Fulham the lead at half-time.
Although the assistant initially raised the flag following Raúl Jiménez’s clever flick-on, the goal was eventually allowed to stand. Wirtz levelled proceedings just before the hour mark, continuing his strong performance, but the same praise could not be extended to one of his teammates, whose showing at Craven Cottage left fans unimpressed.
Liverpool Star Fails to Impress Against Fulham
Following a difficult start to their title defence, Slot and his staff have begun to steady the ship in recent weeks, despite record signing Alexander Isak still struggling to settle after his £125 million move from Newcastle United. Hugo Ekitike has looked the better acquisition, though neither forward was available for Sunday’s clash in west London.
With both Isak and Ekitike absent, Cody Gakpo was tasked with leading the attack but produced a sluggish performance, despite briefly appearing to score the winning goal. That effort was later overshadowed by Harrison Reed’s stunning strike, a goal worthy of season-long consideration. Once again, Liverpool dropped points unnecessarily, with Alexis Mac Allister’s performance in midfield coming under particular scrutiny.
Deployed centrally alongside Ryan Gravenberch, Mac Allister — whose £35 million move from Brighton was initially hailed as smart business — saw plenty of the ball, registering 89 touches. However, his influence was minimal. Only four of those touches came inside Fulham’s penalty area, and while he attempted 17 passes into the final third, too many failed to trouble the hosts, often leaving Gakpo and the wide players isolated.
Apart from hitting the crossbar with a header from a corner, Mac Allister offered little else, earning a 5/10 rating from GOAL, who described his display as below par. His underwhelming outing reinforced the view that a spell on the bench may be necessary, as Liverpool — particularly with top-four ambitions — require greater consistency and control in midfield than the Argentine is currently providing.
Alexis Mac Allister vs Fulham – Key Stats
Minutes: 90
Touches: 89
Touches in Opposition Box: 4
Shots: 1
Accurate Passes: 66/75 (88%)
Chances Created: 0
Passes into Final Third: 17
Ground Duels Won: 2/7 (29%)
Overall Rating: 6.5
Fans Turn on Mac Allister
Liverpool supporters did not hold back when reacting to Mac Allister’s performance. One bluntly stated: “Alexis Mac Allister is shocking,” while another added: “He’s completely lost his game — fallen off a cliff.”
Others grouped him with fellow underperformers, with one fan claiming: “Liverpool’s biggest issue is Gravenberch and Mac Allister — clueless and ineffective on the ball.” Another went further, criticising both players for being slow in possession, while also calling into question Slot’s management.
One supporter suggested that Mac Allister’s struggles stem from the rigid tactical setup, arguing that it has stripped risk and forward passing from his game.
Liverpool will aim to respond quickly as they return to London on Thursday to face league leaders Arsenal, before welcoming Barnsley in the FA Cup the following Monday. As things stand, the Reds sit fourth in the Premier League on 34 points.
