THE NOTEBOOK: Trent Alexander-Arnold eyes swift return as Conor Bradley fills in, Darwin Nunez is already achieving cult status at Liverpool… and Joe Gomez’s runs are too left field
- Liverpool 2-1 Fulham: Reds score two in three minutes to earn lead in first leg
- The visitors had taken the lead in the first half when Willian shot the ball home
- Luis Suarez is FOURTH in Ian Ladyman’s top 5 Liverpool strikers… but who else is on the list? Listen to It all starts
Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo scored three minutes apart as Liverpool fought back from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final at a chilly Anfield on Wednesday.
Fulham threatened to hand the record nine-time League Cup winners their first home defeat in all competitions this season after Willian scored in the 19th minute. Capitalizing on Virgil van Dijk’s poor clearance, the Brazilian shot between the legs of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from the edge of the six-yard box.
Premier League leaders Liverpool dominated possession and eventually gained the upper hand against Fulham’s well-organised backline when Jones scored in the 68th minute, his shot from 25 yards taking a big deflection off the back of Tosin Adarabioyo.
Substitute Gakpo fired Liverpool into the lead in the 71st, tapping in Darwin Nunez’s cross at the near post.
Mail Sport’s Joe Bernstein looks at some of the things you might have missed.
Conor Bradley started at right-back against Fulham in just his fifth start for Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold takes a quick look back
Conor Bradley’s Liverpool first-team career may not be as extensive, with Trent Alexander-Arnold targeting the Premier League match against Chelsea on January 31 as his return date.
Jurgen Klopp played 20-year-old Bradley at right-back against Fulham, in only the Northern Ireland international’s fifth start for the club.
Alexander-Arnold, who has hyperextended his knee, will now sacrifice the opportunity to take a ‘break’ or participate in warm-weather training to report to the AXA Training Center for daily rehabilitation sessions.
The vice-captain will miss the league match against Bournemouth on January 21, as well as Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final, the second leg against Fulham and the FA Cup fourth round tie.
Nunez achieves cult status
Darwin Nunez is already achieving cult status at Liverpool.
Goalscorers Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo must have been surprised as they celebrated when they heard The Kop singing “Noo-nez, Noo-nez” instead of the assists.
Jurgen Klopp started the Uruguayan on the bench but brought him on after 56 minutes, with Liverpool trailing and the crowd making their views known.
Sub Darwin Nunez delighted The Kop by making an immediate impact in the win over Fulham
Willian finally gets a show on the road
Willian’s neat finish to put Fulham ahead after 19 minutes dispelled any notion that he is some sort of ‘home bird’ when it comes to scoring.
The 35-year-old winger’s previous eight goals have all come at Craven Cottage and you had to go back to October 2022 at Elland Road against Leeds for his last away goal.
Another quirk of the Brazilian is that he is already a serial winner compared to his latest club. Willian won the Premier League (twice), the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League during his trophy-laden spell at Chelsea.
However, Fulham are still waiting for the first major trophy in their history.
Tribute to Merseyside football legend
The local rivalry at Anfield was put aside following the sad passing of former Everton and Tranmere chairman Peter Johnson.
Johnson, who died on Wednesday aged 84, was in charge of Everton when they won the FA Cup in 1995, which remains their last major trophy.
He also had three spells at Tranmere, where his support for Liverpool great John Aldridge as manager led to their appearance in the 2000 League Cup Final.
Liverpool’s biggest ever win in domestic football also came against Fulham in the League Cup – a 10-0 battle at Anfield in 1986 when Steve McMahon scored four.
At the time, second round ties were played over two legs and when Kenny Dalglish’s side turned up for the return they were amused that the Fulham fixture included details of extra time and penalties being required if the overall scores were level!
Joe Gomez looked to replicate the runs of left-back regulars Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas
Gomez runs are too left field
Joe Gomez, making his 200th appearance at left-back, tried to copy the runs of regulars Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, but it’s fair to say he looks more comfortable in the tackle.
Gomez did try to take some advanced positions.
But when it arrived, the quality was lacking.
There were groans as he cut a cross or shot into the side netting.