Fulham 3-2 Liverpool: Arne Slot’s men suffer second Premier League defeat of the season as hosts net three goals in 14 minutes in the first half

With the sun in their eyes and a welcoming breeze from the River Thames to their left, the travelling Kop sang with a significant volume: ‘And now you’re gonna believe us, we’re gonna win the league’.

They will indeed win the Premier League. But based on watching most of what came after Alexis Mac Allister’s 14th-minute strike to put Liverpool ahead, it made it hard to believe just how they have stormed so far clear of the chasing pack.

Luckily for them, performances like this are a limited-edition rarity. But that does not change the fact that this was a stinking display that gives ammunition to any outside observers doubting their credentials as the cream of the crop in England.

Fulham became the first side since Nottingham Forest 204 days ago to beat Liverpool in the league, the first time Arne Slot has lost an away game in England. A happy traveller for much of his first year on these shores will have boarded the plane home with a face like thunder.

Goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and Rodrigo Muniz helped Marco Silva’s side to their biggest and best win of the season and made those in Craven Cottage start to genuinely believe booking a European tour – of some sorts at least – now is a realistic goal.

Fulham were excellent and Silva deserves a mountain of credit for taking four points from the champions-elect this season. But they were allowed to impose themselves on the game thanks to a lacklustre, sloppy and complacent display from Liverpool.

It all started so swimmingly for the away team. A thumping strike from Mac Allister put them ahead after 14 minutes and, at that point, it felt like they were set for a lovely Sunday riverside stroll with an easy three points at the end of the trail.

But Marco Silva’s Fulham have muscle memory for causing Liverpool problems over the last 18 months, with each of their meetings in the last two seasons being tight battles including a 2-2 draw at Anfield in December where the away side perhaps deserved more.

Liverpool escaped with only a few minor cuts and bruises back then but ended the first half scarred from the way they were picked apart by Fulham not once, not twice but three times in 15 minutes.

Arne Slot’s team were the architects of their own downfall. First, makeshift right back Curtis Jones failed to clear a cross – instead letting the ball bounce off his thigh into the path of Ryan Sessegnon. Take nothing away from the winger, who unleashed a fine half-volley to equalise.

If that was sloppy from Liverpool, the second was diabolical. Andy Robertson, who was sent off in the reverse fixture and at fault for a goal before, was again haunted by Fulham as the Scotland captain produced a comedy of errors.

Robertson played a hospital pass across the face of his own goal, which was picked out by Alex Iwobi. The former Evertonian saw one shot blocked but Robertson again failed to get rid and headed an attempted clearance straight back to him, then deflected Iwobi’s strike into the goal.

Five minutes later, it was 3-1. Again, a highly preventable goal. Virgil van Dijk was spun by the lanky No 9 Rodrigo Muniz and the striker calmly slotted between the legs of Caoimhin Kelleher, again deputising for Alisson who remains out 16 days on for a head injury on Brazil duty.

Slot talked on Friday about how the Carabao Cup final defeat might have been good in the long run for his team as it will have ‘woken them up’ a bit. For much of this game, they looked like they were half-asleep, with passes going astray and every player struggling.

But four substitutions later and around 25 minutes into the second half, they finally started to play the sort of football that has got them to this comfortable position atop the Premier League. Two of those introductions from the bench soon combined to pull one back.

Conor Bradley, who has missed the last six weeks, began his audition to be the long-term heir to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s throne at right back if the vice-captain leaves with a lovely run and pass for Luis Diaz, who finished in style.

Soon, it felt like Fulham were hanging on by a thread. Jones found himself in a scoring position but produced a weak header, Diaz wanted a penalty and former Craven Cottage schoolboy Harvey Elliott rattled the crossbar. Federico Chiesa and Elliott forced saves from Bernd Leno.

But no matter how hard they tried, they could not breach the brick wall of Fulham’s back four and goalkeeper.

Each and every player deserves credit for their display, with Timothy Castagne creating a noise that reverberated around the ground with a last-ditch crunching tackle on Chiesa in the final minutes.

As for Liverpool, they will not be judged on days like today as they have done the hard yards for the best part of a season in proving why they are the best team in England. But on this evidence, their walk to the title could be more of a stumble than an easy stroll.