Liverpool staged an impressive comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Anfield in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
The Cottagers took the lead with Willian’s first-half strike, but Curtis Jones’ deflected shot in the second period brought the Reds level.
The turnaround was complete when Cody Gakpo fired home in front of the Kop after a well-executed play by fellow substitute Darwin Nunez.
While Nunez came close to adding a third goal, Jurgen Klopp’s side will carry a slender advantage into the second leg, scheduled to take place at Craven Cottage on January 24.
For a detailed analysis of Liverpool’s exceptional performance, Neil Andrew (@bleedinglfcred) provides an insightful breakdown.
What a game! Liverpool head into the second leg with a 2-1 advantage.
Neil Andrew: Yes, it took a lot of effort to dig deep and grind out another victory. We were quite poor in the last 25 minutes of the first half which I guess wasn’t too much of a surprise with the players that were missing.
The substitutions made a huge difference however and after riding our luck on the counter, we looked more like our old selves in the last half hour and could have added to our lead late on.
Which players impressed you the most?
Neil Andrew: Conor Bradley was very impressive second half when the team settled down and showed he is a real option at right back.
Curtis Jones once again proved how important he is to the team and his influence seems to grow with every game. There were also some very good cameos from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.
Liverpool will next be in action on January 21. A well-deserved break for Jurgen Klopp and his charges?
Neil Andrew: Yes, very much so, and it is much needed with so many players missing. Let’s hope some of the injured contingent return during this period and bolster the squad ahead of the second leg.
What would you want Klopp to change when the Reds return from the break?
Neil Andrew: Not much. We are well-placed in all competitions and had started to play with real fluidity and dominance until the squad became really threadbare for the last two games. It’s more of the same needed in my opinion as the mentality has been superb so far.
Read More Liverpool Coverage:
- Liverpool 4-2 Newcastle United: Salah, Jones & Gakpo Fire Reds Three Points Clear
- Burnley 0-2 Liverpool: Nunez & Jota Send Reds Top On Boxing Day
- Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal: Salah Scores As Reds Drop Points To Gunners
- Liverpool 5-1 West Ham United: Reds Soar Into EFL Cup Semi-Final
- Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United: Reds Miss Chance To Top The Pile With Anfield Stalemate