Fulham briefly threatened to push Liverpool all the way for a fourth time this season, but Jurgen Klopp’s side ruthlessly punished defensive mistakes in the second half to keep their title challenge alive with a vital victory at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

There was a feisty defiance to the way in which Marco Silva’s men went in half time level despite Trent Alexander-Arnold making his Premier League return with an unstoppable free-kick as Timothy Castagne crashed home his first Fulham goal in added time, but the Whites were the architects of their own downfall as they sought to live with the visitors in the second half. The hosts were hanging in there as Liverpool knocked at the door after the resumption until an ill-judged crossfield ball from Alex Iwobi was intercepted by Harvey Elliott. The former Fulham youngster fed Ryan Gravenberch and the Dutch midfielder curled a fine finish beyond the grasp of Bernd Leno and in off the far post.

Klopp was then able to introduce the likes of Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez as a late substitutes from a position of strength. Gravenberch, revelling in a key role that has largely eluded him since he moved from Ajax, measured a masterful pass to Cody Gakpo, who breezed past Tosin Adarabioyo and teed up Diogo Jota, who shot unerringly past Leno to put the game beyond Fulham on his first start since February. The Liverpool manager lauded his side’s ‘complete’ second half, with Silva left to rue the sort of defensive mistakes that undermined a battling performance.

Fulham tried to operate on the break as effectively as they had done at West Ham a week ago but found it a much taller order against a title chasing outfit stung in action by a damaging home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace and elimination from the Europa League. Jota should have headed them ahead inside three minutes but missed the target from Alexander-Arnold’s devilish delivery and, although the hosts grew into the contest after that, neither Antonee Robinson or Adarabioyo could test Alisson from free-kicks.

Joao Palhinha held his head having placed a shot straight at the Liverpool goalkeeper from 20 yards after Andreas Pereira and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, included in place of the injured Willian, had worked an opening. The Portuguese midfielder then had cause to rage at referee Craig Pawson when he was penalised just outside the area for a challenge on Jota. Elliott wasted the free-kick by shooting low into the wall to the delight of the Hammersmith End, but Alexander-Arnold soon showed him to finish from the opposite side of the box. The England full-back found the top corner of the net after Palhinha had been booked for bringing down Gakpo.

Leno made a magnificent stop to prevent Gakpo from doubling Liverpool’s lead with a venomous drive that threatened the top left corner again – and that gave Fulham belief. Palhinha pinched possession back high up the field, worked a one-two with Iwobi and found Rodrigo Muniz in the area but the Brazilian couldn’t squeeze a shot between Alisson and the near post. Pereira was then incandescent when his whipped free-kick was tipped over the bar by the Liverpool goalkeeper, only for Pawson to point for a goal kick.

The home fans were furious when Muniz appeared to bundled over in the box but the Brazilian’s header hit Jarrell Quansah and broke kindly for Castagne to fire through a forest of legs and into the bottom corner. Fulham’s joy was fleeting as Liverpool hit their stride after the break. Gravenberch’s finish was as special as Iwobi’s pass proved perplexing and the hosts were indebted to Leno for making another excellent stop to prevent Gakpo from making it 3-1.

The German international couldn’t deny Jota shortly afterwards – and the former Wolves’ winger’s finish gave Liverpool a commanding advantage they never really looked like relinquishing. Muniz attempted a repeat of his Sheffield United acrobatics but his finish cannoned against Adarabioyo before Sasa Lukic sent the follow-up flying over the bar. Tom Cairney drew a stretching save from Alisson and, although Muniz reached the rebound first, he found the angle too acute to set up a grandstand finish.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhinha (Cairney 71), Lukic; Iwobi (Traore 85), De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 71), Pereira; Muniz. Subs (not used): Rodak, Tete, Ream, Reed, Jimenez, Broja.

BOOKED: Palhinha, Adarabioyo, Castagne.

GOAL: Castagne (45+1).

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Gomez 80), Robertson, van Dijk, Quansah; Endo, Gravenberch (MacAllister 74), Elliott; Jota (Nunez 74), Diaz (Salah 74), Gakpo (Szoboszlai 84). Subs (not used): Keheller, Konate, Tsimikas, Jones.

GOALS: Alexander-Arnold (32), Gravenberch (52), Jota (72).

REFEREE: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).