On the face of it, Fulham – who led twice – and played more than quarters of the game against ten men – would consider a draw against Liverpool a disappointing result. But after Diogo Jota buried a late equaliser and the visiting goal came under concerted pressure as the league leaders tried to complete an astonishing comeback, there was plenty of pride in the way the Whites refused to wilt and claimed another creditable point six days after holding Arsenal to a draw at Craven Cottage.

Marco Silva insisted his charges would travel to Merseyside confident that they could pose Arne Slot’s side problems having pushed the Reds all the way at Anfield in their previous meetings – and it didn’t take long for the Cottagers to prove their head coach’s prediction prescient. Issa Diop survived a VAR check for dangerous play a minute in but it was the visitors who passed the ball with precision and produced a flowing move to cut through the Liverpool rearguard.

Diop found Wilson wide on the right and the Welsh winger, who delivered another eye-catching display against his former employers, switched the ball superbly to Alex Iwobi on the opposite flank. The Nigerian played the ball into the path of the onrushing Antonee Robinson, whose lofted cross reached the far post where Andreas Pereira’s volley flew into the roof of the net via Andy Robertson’s outstretched leg.

The Scottish left back’s afternoon started badly – when he was caught by Diop’s high foot – ended early when he brought down Wilson as the Fulham forward seized on the Liverpool skipper’s sloppy touch to sprint towards goal. Tony Harrington tried to play advantage, with Raul Jimenez’s attempted finish cleared by Virgil van Dijk, but a long VAR check failed to find a reason to rescue Robertson. The Londoners were now in the box seat but poor decision making in the final third, plus a sublime saving challenge from Joe Gomez to deny Wilson, meant they failed to put the contest beyond a subdued Liverpool.

Slot opted not to sacrifice an attacker after Robertson’s red card – and the home side ended the first half on top. Luis Diaz spurned a glorious opportunity on the stroke of half time when he headed a devilish cross from Dominik Szoboszlai over the bar, but the hosts maintained their momentum after the interval. They made a frenetic start to the second period and were level within two minutes. Mo Salah, subdued before the break, whipped a ball to the back post that Cody Gakpo, who played a hybrid left wing-back/left wing role after Robinson’s dismissal, powered past Bernd Leno with a diving header. The goal survived a VAR check for a foul on Kenny Tete, who crumpled to the ground in front of Gakpo – and the roar of the Anfield crowd told you that they felt their heroes could go on and win an end-to-end contest.

Fulham were forced into a reorganisation at right back when Tete, already struggling with a shin complaint, was forced off after being caught late by a ferocious Gomez tackle. The visitors suddenly looked like the side with ten men as Liverpool amped up the pressure and Anfield found its voice. Leno grasped a Gakpo drive from distance after the winger had eased inside Timothy Castagne before Salah somehow failed to hit the target having been played in on goal by Szoboszlai after Liverpool had broken from a Fulham corner.

Salah wasted another decent opportunity as he failed to find the net in the league for the first time since early October. Fulham rode out the storm and came again but Robinson wasted good opportunities to find a team-mate with poor crosses from the left flank. The American international, acclaimed by Silva as one of the top flight’s best left backs, still looked like Fulham’s best source of a goal and so it proved with thirteen minutes to play. Robinson found Wilson and continued to rampage down the wing after releasing the ball, allowing Iwobi to play him into the penalty. The full back held off Jarell Quansah and squeezed out a cross for Rodrigo Muniz to flick the ball past Alisson after evading the attentions of Gomez only eight minutes after replacing Jimenez.

A second defeat of the season loomed for Liverpool, but their belief never wavered. Harvey Elliott came close to a stunning equaliser against the club where he learned his trade but the midfielder’s bending effort whistled just wide of Bernd Leno’s far post. It was the understanding between two of Slot’s other substitutes, Darwin Núñez and Jota, that delivered another leveller. Nunez dropped deep and played a perceptive pass for Jota, making his first appearance since October, who darted inside the hitherto commanding Jorge Cuenca and dispatched a deft finish past Bernd Leno. Liverpool pushed for a winner during nine minutes of added time with Jota, Nunez and Diaz all seeing shots blocked in a frenzied finale before Alisson palmed away an effort from Adama Traore after another Robinson-inspired Fulham breakaway before the absorbing action came to a close.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Jota 76), Robertson, Gomez, van Dijk; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai (Elliott 79), Jones (Quansah 70); Díaz, Salah, Gakpo (Núñez 70). Subs (not used): Keheller, Endo, Morton, Nyoni, Chiesa.

BOOKED: Díaz, Jones, Núñez.

SENT OFF: Robertson (17).

GOALS: Gakpo (47), Jota (86).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete (Castagne 55), A. Robinson, Cuenca, Diop; Berge, Lukic; Wilson (Traore 87), Iwobi, Pereira (Smith Rowe 69); Jimenez (Muniz 68). Subs (not used): Benda, R. Sessegnon, King, Godo, Vinicius.

BOOKED: Diop, Pereira, A. Robinson, Berge.

GOALS: Pereira (11), Muniz (76).

REFEREE: Tony Harrington (Teesside).

ATTENDANCE: 60,333.