Mohamed Salah found the net as Liverpool delivered a much-needed 2-0 victory against Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, granting under-pressure manager Arne Slot a moment of relief.
This marked Salah’s first goal since announcing his departure from the club this summer, coming shortly after teenager Rio Ngumoha had put the Reds on the board, securing three crucial Premier League points.
Following a run of only two wins in their last eight matches across all competitions and recent defeats to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, the Dutch manager is under significant scrutiny.
With a result that enhances the team’s hopes of finishing in the top five, Slot has earned some breathing space ahead of a challenging Champions League rematch against PSG on Tuesday.
The atmosphere at Anfield was somewhat muted, affected by the home team’s inconsistent performance and protests against rising ticket prices, leading to a lack of the usual flags and banners in the Kop section.
In the first half, Liverpool benefited from a sluggish Fulham side, who were playing their first match in three weeks and struggled to find their rhythm.
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Andy Robertson, appearing for the first time after announcing his exit, had a shot blocked, while Salah’s attempt was deflected for a corner. Cody Gakpo also missed an opportunity, with Ngumoha having a penalty shout denied after contact with Oscar Bobb.
It wasn’t until the 29th minute that Fulham threatened, with Alex Iwobi testing Giorgi Mamardashvili before Bobb had another shot saved soon after.
Former Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson attempted to score with a curling shot that went over, but Liverpool soon took control with goals from Ngumoha and Salah.
The 36th-minute opener came from a brilliant run by Florian Wirtz, who set up Ngumoha, allowing him to skillfully navigate past Timothy Castagne before curling a shot into the far corner.
This was the 17-year-old’s first goal after his thrilling late winner at Newcastle in August, a stark contrast to the current atmosphere at the club.
Ngumoha was instrumental again as Liverpool extended their lead four minutes later, setting up Gakpo, who tapped it off for Salah to finish from an angle.
After scoring 29 goals during last season’s title-winning campaign, this marked Salah’s sixth Premier League goal this term.
Fulham began the second half on the front foot, but Sasa Lukic had a goal disallowed for offside, while Rodrigo Muniz missed a clear header, and Emile Smith Rowe was off target.
At the other end, Gakpo squandered two chances to extend Liverpool’s lead, with substitute Alexis Mac Allister firing wide.
Raúl Jiménez nearly made things tense for Liverpool, but they managed to maintain their lead until the final whistle.