For a few minutes at least, it looked like boyhood Liverpool fan Bobby De Cordova-Reid might have clinched a famous Fulham win at Anfield. The substitute’s far post header put Marco Silva’s spirited side, who had already produced two equalisers, ahead with ten minutes to play. But the brutal reality of life in the top flight hit hard as the Cottagers didn’t escape Merseyside with a share of the spoils. Two strikes in the space of two minutes from substitute Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold, added to earlier screamers from the England international and Alexis Mac Allister’s first goal for the Reds, meant Jurgen Klopp’s side somehow stretched their home winning run to eleven games.

Preventing Liverpool from playing, as Silva’s side had done for much of their meeting that the Reds edged here in May, was the order of the day. That might have been why the Fulham head coach opted to leave Tom Cairney out of the starting line-up as Joao Palhinha returned from suspension, although he could easily have had an eye on Wednesday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage. The teamsheet showed two other changes from the dramatic win over Wolves on Monday night with Harry Wilson replacing penalty hero Willian and Kenny Tete making his in two and a half months at right back.

Liverpool began brightly after a promising early saunter down the left wing from Alex Iwobi with Luis Diaz forcing an early save from Bernd Leno. Mo Salah thought he had brought him his double century of Liverpool goals when he followed off after the Fulham goalkeeper had spilled a shot from Dominic Szoboszlai, but the goal was ruled off as Diaz had run offside before clattering into Leno. The German received treatment for a head wound and played the reminder of the game with a bandage wrapped around his forehead.

The Whites were getting some joy on the counter attack but Liverpool went in front on 20 minutes when Alexander-Arnold bent a brilliant free kick off the underside of the bar from the right corner of the penalty area after Palhinha had felled Szoboszlai. Alexander-Arnold’s excellent corner might easily have gone in anyway but it bounced into the net off the unfortunate Leno. Fulham fashioned a fantastic response immediately when Iwobi found Antonee Robinson in an advanced position on the left flank and the American’s low cross was turned in at the near post by Wilson, who refused to celebrating scoring against his former employers.

Wilson almost had a second swiftly afterwards but was denied the chance to profit from a lovely one-two with Iwobi by the covering Joel Matip before Robinson, who had an excellent game, saw a shot deflected wide after another rampaging run along the left. It certainly wasn’t one way traffic as Liverpool enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball and had chances of their own with Wilson thwarting Virgil van Dijk from a corner and Robinson reading a fine ball from Darwin Nunez that looked to have set Salah free.

But Mac Allister rocketed in a remarkable first goal since his move from Brighton and Hove Albion after Fulham failed to fully clear their lines – swerving a superb effort beyond a helpless Leno from 25 yards after Raul Jimenez’s header fell sweetly for him. Deep into injury-time at the end of the first half, Fulham hauled themselves level again as Tete turned home Jimenez’s flick on from a Fulham corner and an errant offside flag was overturned by the video assistant referee. Tim Ream prodded in from another set-play from the visitors’ next attack, but the American veteran was clearly offside – as he turned in after Caoimhin Kelleher had superbly saved Palhinha’s header.

That gave Silva’s side something to hold onto but they remained adventurous in an end-to-end second period. Nunez cracked an effort against the crossbar after Salah had led a rapid Liverpool counter when a Fulham foray broke down and Robinson got a vital touch on an exquisite Alexander-Arnold ball that sought to set Salah clear. Andreas Pereira spurned a good chance to put the Whites in front when he nutmegged Alexander-Arnold but shot over, with the Brazilian replaced by Cairney shortly afterwards.

Nunez then skewed a shot when it looked simpler to score after he raced onto a Salah flick on and Fulham showed they remained a threat when substitutes Cairney and Willian combined to find Robinson, who sprinted fully 80 yards to reach the penalty area but couldn’t direct his shot on the stretch wide of Keheller. Liverpool didn’t heed the warning, however, as De Cordova-Reid popped up at the back post to head home Cairney’s lofted cross to send the travelling fans into ecstacy.

Salah somehow skied a straightforward finish after Leno had done magnificently to keep out Diaz’s downward header from a corner, but Fulham’s escape proved only fleeting. Endo bent a brilliant finish into the top corner from Salah’s cushioned lay-off before Alexander-Arnold lashed a low drive into the bottom corner after the Fulham goalkeeper had pushed away Cody Gakpo’s drive. The goal stood despite De Cordova-Reid appearing to fouled into the build-up and Fulham’s fabulous effort counted for nothing.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Keheller; Alexander-Arnold, Tsimikas, van Dijk, Matip (Konate 69); Gravenberch (Endo 83), Mac Allister (Gomez 65), Szoboszlai (Gakpo 64); Salah, Diaz, Nunez. Subs (not used): Adrian, Quansah, Jones, Elliott, Doak.

GOALS: Leno (o.g. 20), Mac Allister (38), Endo (87), Alexander-Arnold (88).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete (Castagne 75), A. Robinson, Bassey, Ream; Palhinha, Reed (Vinicius 90); Wilson (Willian 62), Iwobi (De Cordova-Reid 75), Pereira (62); Jimenez. Subs (not used): Rodak, Ballo-Toure, Adarabioyo, Lukic.

GOALS: Wilson (24), Tete (45+3), De Cordova-Reid (80).

REFEREE: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton).

ATTENDANCE: 50,154