Another midweek trip to a side chasing European football and another agonising defeat. For Villa Park last week, see Anfield this time around – although not really. Whereas Fulham struggled to put Aston Villa under a lot of pressure after conceding a cheap goal from a set piece, the Whites were far more adventurous against a Liverpool outfit that struggled to match the intensity of their recent four wins in a row and only succumbed to the softest of penalty awards.

It rankled with Marco Silva and the Fulham players because although Issa Diop dallied in possession and was put under pressure by Darwin Nunez, the home forward was already on his way down before the French defender’s leg came close to making any contact with the Uruguayan and the replays suggested any touch was negligible. Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot in a hurry and Stockley Park concurred with the referee’s decision, allowing Mo Salah to drill the spot-kick down the centre of Bernd Leno’s goal and give the hosts an advantage they scarcely merited.

Liverpool had created the clearer chances until that point and enjoyed the majority of possession, but Fulham were resolute, shrugging off the season-ending injuries suffered by centre back Tim Ream and number ten Andreas Pereira on Sunday. They were stubborn at the back but always offered a threat going forward. Carlos Vinicius followed his fine strike against Manchester City by leading the line intelligently and was only denied an equaliser by a brilliant save from Alisson after the Brazilian had used quick feet to fashion a shooting chance in the box following fine approach play from Willian. Harry Wilson failed to haunt his former employers in the first half by squaring when he should have shot and substitute Bobby Decordova-Reid shot over on the stretch at the very end after Dan James’ pace opened up the Liverpool defence.

This was another plucky defeat that shows just how far Fulham have come since Silva took over the reigns of a relegated and unhappy squad from Scott Parker twenty two months ago. There was a degree of rotation after the Whites had pushed City all the way only four days ago. Diop and Tom Cairney, who had an excellent game in Pereira’s position, came in for Ream and the former Manchester United man whilst Cedric Soares replaced Kenny Tete at right back, Sasa Lukic slotted into Harrison Reed’s roaming midfield role and Willian returned on the left wing.

Wilson was unselfish in looking to locate Vinicius in the six-yard box when he could quite easily have gone for goal himself after a lovely lofted ball from the back sent him clear in the inside right position and Virgil van Dijk was relieved to be able to clear the danger. After Trent Alexander-Arnold had tested Bernd Leno’s handling and sent another effort whistling wide, Fulham’s finest passing move of the match culminated in Vinicius rolling off van Dijk and hitting a curler towards the top corner only for Alisson to tip it over the bar. From the ensuing corner, Willian’s ambitious attempt floated harmlessly high and into the Kop.

A watchable and open first period delivered further opportunities at either end. Salah scampered away from the attentions of Diop but shot over and Cedric did brilliantly to deflect a a low drive from Luis Diaz off target. Joao Palhinha, powerful in the tackle as ever, had a couple of sights of goal in quick succession: his backheel from a clever Cedric cross briefly caused alarm in the Liverpool penalty area, although the Portuguese international was furious with himself after wasting a shooting chance by blazing over when space opened up 30 yards out.

The Whites were well in the game but Diop’s decision to dwell on the ball inside his own box just before the break proved incredibly costly. Nunez was alive to the chance to steal possession and a penalty and that is exactly what he got, despite replays showing that the contact was far less substantial than the forward’s fall made it appear. Salah coolly converted the penalty and a fuming Fulham went in a goal down at the interval.

The lead galvanised the hosts at the start of the second half, with Salah spurning a couple of good openings, but Fulham probed patiently – even if unlocking the home defence was proving problematic. Silva sent on Neeskens Kebano, Decordova-Reid and Harrison Reed but it was a move along the left involving three of the starters that nearly produced an equaliser. Former Everton trainee Antonee Robinson took a quick throw and Willian’s pace and trickery took him away from Alexander-Arnold. A low ball located Vinicius in the area and the striker’s fancy footwork befuddled Jordan Henderson before Alisson pulled off an excellent reaction save.

Vinicius berated himself by screaming into the air but such opprobrium was hardly merited. The chances were coming more quickly now as Fulham grew in confidence. A clever reverse ball from Kebano appeared to have released Decordova-Reid but Alisson was off his line quickly to get there first. The Jamaican international looked lively in the number ten role and burst onto a ball from Manor Solomon but van Dijk prevented his cutback from flashing across goal. It was Decordova-Reid who had the chance to earn a point right at the end of stoppage time after Solomon had sent James surging along the left but his shot on the stretch sailed into the Anfield Road end.

So near – and yet so far for Fulham.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas (Robertson 66), van Dijk, Konate; Fabinho, Henderson, Jones (Milner 84); Diaz (Gakpo 66), Salah (Elliott 84), Nunez (Jota 83). Subs (not used): Kelleher, Matip, Gomez, Carvalho.

GOAL: Salah (pen 39).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Cedric Soares, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Diop; Palhinha, Lukic (Reed 71); Wilson (Kebano 71), Willian (James 80), Cairney (Decordova-Reid 71); Vinicius (Solomon 80). Subs (not used): Rodak, Tete, Duffy, Harris.

REFEREE: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton).

ATTENDANCE: 52,602.