Fulham v Liverpool: Premier League – live!

86 min Not even the most rabid Liverpool-hater would deny that they deserve to win this match. There have been periods of sloppiness, sure, but they have controlled the game throughout.

85 min Wijnaldum almost seals the match, rattling a fine, wobbling shot just wide from 20 yards.

84 min “No, Rob, the howler was Allison’s, not Van Dyke’s,” says Ric. “The goalie needed to come forward, didn’t, and even then did not try to clear it with any conviction.”

Thanks Ric. Keep it up.

83 min It was a double mistake from Rico, because he should have held Salah’s shot in the first place. Then he panicked and pulled Mane back.

Milner scores, clipping the penalty straight down the middle as Rico dives to his right.

81 min Rico drops Salah’s shot and then puts hands on Mane, who was first on the scene. A clear penalty.

79 min You’d still fancy Liverpool to get a winner, and they surely need one. This would be a dreadful result.

77 min Salah wriggles away from Bryan and hits a deflected cross from a very tight angle that dribbles through to Rico.

76 min Van Dijk and Alisson were both at fault for that goal. Van Dijk’s header was a bit short, while Alisson’s part was particularly egregious, because he should have just picked the ball up and taken the hit from Babel.

75 min Just before the goal, Cyrus Christie came on for Fosu-Mensah.

Oh my. Rico’s goalkick was headed forward and shanked back towards his own goal by Milner. Van Dijk headed it back towards Alisson, who feebly pushed the ball straight into the onrushing Babel. From there it bounced towards the empty net, and Babel was able to walk it in before putting both hands up in an apologetic celebration.

Ryan Babel equalises after a howler from Virgil van Dijk!

73 min: Mane hits the bar! Alexander-Arnold curled a corner towards the near post, where the unmarked Mane flashed a header across goal and onto the top of the bar. That was an excellent effort.

72 min A double change for Liverpool: James Milner and Divock Origi replacing Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana.

71 min Babel slides an inviting through ball towards Mitrovic, who galumphs through treacle and is beaten to the ball in the D by the sweeper-keeping Alisson.

70 min Another beautiful curling cross from Alexander-Arnold flashes across the six-yard box. His delivery is the closest I’ve seen to David Beckham.

69 min “I thought with T-Ream in the side that things could only get better for Fulham,” says Ronan Heffernan, “but it doesn’t seem to be the case.”

Evidently not.

68 min “The Bayern lead was the only one we controlled in a game this season,” says Ian Copestake. “It is what Klopp is aiming for but we have never done that in a Premiership game. Not even the Burnley lead last time was under control.”

What about Brighton away?

67 min This is much better from Fulham. First they break three on three from a Liverpool corner, but Babel takes too long to decide what to do. Eventually Ayite’s shot is blocked, and then Anguissa’s crisp hit from 20 yards is held to his right by the diving Alisson.

66 min Liverpool appeal for a penalty when Wijnaldum goes over after an aerial challenge with Fosu-Mensah. Nah.

66 min Anguissa is booked for kicking Mane up the trousers. He was going for the ball and didn’t see Mane come round on the blindside.

65 min Fulham make their first change, with Ryan Sessegnon replacing Seri.

64 min: Ayite has a goal disallowed for offside. It was a decent attack from Fulham, their best of the game, but Ayite was miles offside when he headed Anguissa’s deflected shot past Alisson.

63 min It’s pouring down at Craven Cottage. The primal weather, however, has not yet been much of a leveller.

62 min … Liverpool break four on three, but Salah tries to go it alone and is tackled on the edge of the area.

61 min Fulham cross the halfway line, and even win a corner through Ayite. From which…

60 min “Nothing wrong with a bit of sterile domination, as long as you’re ahead!” says Matt Dony. “I’ll happily take a minimum-of-fuss, well-controlled victory. It would finish off a reasonably satisfactory weekend of sport…”

I had no idea you were a Valtteri Bottas fan.

59 min Fulham cannot get out at all. I can’t remember the last time Mitrovic touched the ball.

57 min “Phil Podolsky’s upping of the Milner needs to be accompanied by an asterisk,” says Ian Copestake, “indicating that he only provides ‘urgency and purpose’ when not stymied by the presence of Henderson in midfield.”

56 min Liverpool are attacking constantly, but with greater speed and purpose than in the first half. A corner is played short to Fabinho, whose deep cross is headed back across goal by van Dijk. Rico plunges to his left to make a very good save.

55 min “Grrrr,” says Duncan Edwards. “Liverpool maybe have learned something from City: aim for twice as much possession as your opponents but also commit more fouls – specifically the early high-press fouls which look innocuous. Meanwhile Fulham’s ‘let’s stand around and watch the other lot play’ approach may be verging on giving Liverpool too much respect. I say this as a completely neutral Manchester United supporter praying for wind or a towering Babel header.”

I haven’t really seen that in this game, though I agree it is something that often goes unnoticed. Fernandinho is so good at it, if ‘good’ is the right word.

54 min Alexander-Arnold’s inswinging corner beats everyone, including Rico, and flies away for a goalkick.

53 min Fabinho hammers a brilliant crossfield pass to Alexander-Arnold, whose deep cross towards Lallana is headed behind for a corner.

52 min … And it almost came a moment ago, when Robertson’s superb dinked cross was headed over from six yards by the stretching Wijnaldum.

51 min Firmino’s 20-yard shot is blocked by the outrushing Chambers. A second goal is coming…

49 min Nothing much to report. There’s another match going on, the FA Cup quarter-final between Millwall and Brighton. You won’t believe the score!

48 min “Storm Gareth wiped out my antenna so I have no telly until this Thursday,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “Thank God for MBM reports. Speaking of Liverpool and your club, were you, like me, disappointed we ended up on the same side of the draw? Dear Lord, a Liverpool – United Champions League Final would have the feel of The Rock v. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania – two legends meeting for the title on the grandest stage of them all. Damn that would have been brilliant.”

I couldn’t really care any more, in truth. But I still quiver at the thought of the semi-final that wasn’t in the 2001-02 Champions League, given the hold Liverpool had over United at the time.

47 min Wijnaldum’s driven cross-shot is flicked behind his standing leg towards goal by Firmino, but Anguissa’s block takes all the pace off his effort.

47 min “Is it just me or Liverpool have more urgency and purpose about them when Milner is playing?” says Phil Podolsky. “The same Milner who gave more assists in a single Champions League season than any of Messi, Zidane, Iniesta, Ronaldo, Kaka, Xavi, Figo, Deco, Seedorf, Modric, Neymar, Giggs and Nedved, which tells you all you need to know about either stats or Milner.”

Peep peep! Liverpool lead through Sadio Mane’s excellent goal. They have been in complete control of the match, even if much of their domination has been sterile. It’s hard to see Fulham getting back in the game. We’ll find out soon enough; see you in 10 minutes for the second half.

43 min “Hello Rob,” says Kári Tulinius. “I believe Tristan da Cunha has the full range of televisual football offerings, however I have been led to believe that St. Kitts & Nevis and North Korea have no televised football on offer, and one is probably a more restful place to visit.”

Not where I’m going, Kári. Where I’m going there is no television, no internet and no nothing.

41 min The crowd want a second yellow card when Fabinho is penalised for a lunge at Seri. It was a foul; it wasn’t a yellow card.

40 min Liverpool have been slightly sloppy in the last few minutes, with the occasional bit of showboating. You can understand why, because the game has been so easy for them.

37 min Good play from Babel, who skins Alexander-Arnold down the left and tees up Cairney 25 yards from goal. He curls high over the bar.