A solid defensive display, coupled with the brilliant opportunism of two strikers was enough to give Liverpool all three points at Craven Cottage. This was a huge win from the Reds and the reactions of the lucky few that secured tickets showed this, but there was no pleasing the 606 brigade. With Craven Cottage being demolished in the summer, this was almost certainly the last time Liverpool would play a league game at a stadium that isn't all seated. Add this to the fact that Saturday away games in London are rare and we are in with a shout of the title, there was always going to be huge demand for the meagre 1644 tickets that were allocated to Reds fans.
This meant a virtual obliteration of day trippers, but the bouncing atmosphere I expected failed to materialise, even amongst those on the small terrace. At a guess, only about 4-500 fans were stood up, with only half of these being vocal. There was just as much atmosphere in sections of the stand, which cost only £4 more than the part uncovered terrace and seemed a preferred option to many who have grown used to more comfort in the last decade. Some people towards the back of the stand never sat down throughout the game, which is surreal when you consider standing tickets were available for once.
Craven Cottage is without doubt a football ground, no way is it a stadium. It's main stand on Stevenage Road was designed by Archibald Leitch at the beginning of the 20th century and is wooden and supported by as many stanchions as at Goodison, with a sloping roof that makes it quite dark at the back. It is in a third of this stand where away fans are accommodated and stewards were literally begging people to stop smoking, not because it causes discomfort to others, but because they feared the thing could burn down.
Behind one goal is an open terrace and the other a part covered one, with some hastily built executive boxes at the back. Despite home fans occupying the standing areas behind both goals, they were decidedly quiet, surprising when you consider how noisy terraces could be. The problem is that a few years ago Fulham were playing in front of crowds of less than 5,000 and they have now been taken over by the new breed of football fan too. Those who stand on the terraces do so out of absolute necessity, not because they want to and have no ideas how to generate anything resembling an atmosphere.
Fulham's defeat at Arsenal meant that their mantle of having the best defensive record in the Premiership had now been passed over to the Reds. Having just lost two successive league games for the first time this season, they were determined not to extend this run, while Liverpool were looking for a fourth successive away win.
Liverpool's caretaker boss Phil Thompson made a number of changes to the team that had drawn in Istanbul. Stephen Wright was recalled to replace the suspended Jamie Carragher at left back, Jerzy Dudek returned from injury to play in goal while Michael Owen was rested, allowing Nicolas Anelka another opportunity to push for a permanent move. Steven Gerrards's injury meant Danny Murphy retained his place in central midfield, with Vladimir Smicer operating on the right. Two things could be read into this. One, that Liverpool were going to be very attack minded in the game, or two, that Gary McAllister's Indian Summer is finally over and he can no longer do a 90 minute job at our level.
The first opportunity of the game came after three minutes when Fulham were awarded a free kick, but Dudek easily saved from Luis Boa Morte. Liverpool seemed quite happy to absorb the pressure and when the first corner of the game was awarded to Fulham on nine minutes, Dudek again dealt with the threat with little effort, collecting the ball unhindered.
The Reds fans were in good voice early on and once again The Fields of Anfield Road was well sung. After thirteen minutes they had more to sing about when Liverpool's first real attack of the game was rewarded with a goal. Nicolas Anelka tried his luck from outside the area only for his shot to be well blocked. But as Fulham's defenders argued amongst themselves as to who should clear the ball, Anelka raced into the box and curled a sweet left footer past the diving Van Der Sar's right hand into the corner of the goal.
Anelka's shot had hardly any power, but it is a testament to the sheer skill of the man that he was able to guide the ball home with precision and accuracy, he had no need to hit and hope.
Fulham rallied after this and three minutes later Louis Saha hit the bar from the edge of the area. Stephane Henchoz then made a brilliant tackle on Marlet when he was clean through in the box with only Dudek to beat before the Big Pole made a good save at the feet of Boa Morte. After this ten minute rally, Fulham ran out of ideas a little and the Reds defence soaked up whatever was thrown at them with ease and were happy to try and hit the home side on the break.
Liverpool's only other effort before half time was a weak effort from John Arne Riise, while Boa Morte wasted a free kick on 36 minutes when he hit the ball high and wide.
Early in the second half Fulham again came out firing on all cylinders, but the first noteworthy incident was an unsavoury one, when Boa Morte dived after claiming to be pushed in the area by his compatriot Abel Xavier. He was deservedly booked for this, but four minutes afterwards Fulham came close to scoring when Stephane Henchoz bravely headed away Lee Clark's fierce goalbound shot for a corner.
Liverpool still looked dangerous on the break however and Murphy brought out a good save from Van Der Sar with a long range curling shot on 55 minutes. Two minutes after this Dudek made the save of the match when he somehow got down to push away Goma's header, which was on it's way to the bottom corner. Liverpool again responded with an attack, but Anelka's shot after good work by Murphy was weak.
Saha, who had a reasonably quiet game, did show one piece of magic after 61 minutes when he cut through the Reds defence and shot at goal. The ball deflected off Hencoz's head but Dudek was alert enough to change direction and make a save. The game was now swinging from one end to the other and Murphy again tried his luck from distance, but his attempted lob over Van Der Sar went wide.
Both sides made changes, Fulham replacing Boa Morte with Barry Hayles and Nick Barmby making a long awaited return from injury, coming on for Smicer. Hayles was Fulham's leading scorer but he did nothing to increase their attacking options and their fans hardly got behind them, being more interested in booing Riise every time he got the ball because he chose to join Liverpool over them.
Barmby's introduction showed that Liverpool were not going to sit and hope to hang on to 1-0 and after 76 minutes Anelka did some good work down the right flank and got in a good cross to Emile Heskey, who did well to beat Fulham defenders to the ball but saw his volley go wide.
This was the impressive Anelka's last contribution of the afternoon as he made way for Jari Litmanen three minutes later. His initial contribution would have to be in defence however as Fulham, after a quiet spell, started to pound the Liverpool goal in search of an equaliser.
Dudek failed to meet a cross and Xavier cleared after 85 minutes, then a minute later came a heart stopping moment when Marlet broke into the box and looked certain to score. However he went for placement rather than power and his left foot shot went just wide of the post.
With Fulham becoming more and more desperate, Van Der Sar decided to join the attack himself, but after initially threatening to enter Liverpool's area at one stage, he retreated back to just inside his own half. When Xavier cleared, Fulham's keeper hesitated when he was way out of his area, allowing Litmanen to head the ball away from him and break free. The angle was still tight but the Finn brilliantly steered the ball into an unguarded net and with the game now deep in injury time, the points were sealed.
The second goal was the cue for a mass exodus from the home terracing and utter delirium in the away end. The singing of YNWA had started a full five minutes before the end, which I had found was tempting fate too much. Remember Alaves last minute equaliser in Dortmund?
There was no holding anyone back now and 'Allez Allez' was sung with huge gusto, accompanied by jumping about and the swirling of scarves around in the air. It was a huge win against a side that has lost only seven games all season, play neat football and are difficult to break down. It took the Reds into second place, albeit only for a few hours.
Only Manchester United and Arsenal have won at Craven Cottage this season but when 606 started at the late time of 7.30 due to the Newcastle-Arsenal game, those ringing in still werenŽt satisfied. The first calls were from Liverpool 'fans' who said we lacked invention and ideas. Excuse me for making a point, but Liverpool had played a tough game in Turkey on Tuedsay and have another huge one coming up this Wednesday against Newcastle. Sorry we didn't entertain you boys and sat back a little, but if the title is going to come to Anfield this season, these are the sort of performances that will win it.
Henchoz was a rock in defence, Murphy was creative in midfield and Anelka outstanding up front. We had four shots on target and two of them ended up in the back of the net. With nine games to come and six at home, all we need is to regain confidence at Anfield, but with fans like thoseÊ.
TEAM: Jerzy Dudek; Abel Xavier, Stephane Henchoz, Sami Hyypia, Stephen Wright; Vladimir Smicer (Nick Barmby), Danny Murphy, Didi Hamann, John Arne Riise; Nicolas Anelka (Jari Litmanen), Emile Heskey:
