Jota's equaliser rescues point for 10-man Liverpool against Fulham 

It had looked as though a second Fulham goal, through substitute Diogo Muniz on 76 minutes, was about to inflict just a second defeat of the season on the league leaders as their veteran Andy Roberston endured a catastrophic start to the game.

But with the clock ticking down, fellow sub Darwin Nunez found Jota, back after a two-month injury layoff, and his dummy beat defender Jorge Cuenca and allowed him to complete an emphatic 85th minute finish.

Having lost Robertson to an early red card, the ten men of Liverpool had earlier equalised through Cody Gakpo and looked well capable of producing a winner, protecting a home record that has seen only Nottingham Forest take points from Anfield this season, handing the Reds their only defeat in the process.

But on 76 minutes, and for the second time on the day, Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson delivered a killer assist, with a low cross which substitute Muniz managed to skilfully force over the line despite the attention of Joe Gomez and Alisson.

Liverpool had suffered from an opening 16 minutes which Robertson will not wish to relive, as he sustained a painful injury, deflected an opening goal into his net and was then shown a straight red card.

It was a disastrous sequence that begged the question whether the Scotland star should have come off in the opening minute after requiring lengthy treatment following a painful foul by Issa Diop which earned the Fulham man a booking.

Robertson played on, however, and actually gave away the ball in the build-up to Fulham’s goal on 11 minutes which came after Alex Iwobi sent full-back Robinson away down the left.

He skipped past Trent Alexander-Arnold easily before delivering a far-post cross which Andreas Pereira met impressively at full-stretch, turning the ball into the roof of the net via a deflection off Robertson.

And worse was to follow for the veteran on 16 minutes after he miscontrolled a routine through ball and gifted it to Harry Wilson, instantly tripping the Fulham man and denying him a goalscoring opportunity.

There was a lengthy VAR check, although only to decide whether Wilson had been offside, before Roberston’s fate was sealed and a miserable start - and end to his day - confirmed.

It was a worrying start to proceedings for the league leaders, still smarting from the criticisms handed out by manager Arne Slot after an unconvincing midweek win in Girona.

And it was not until the 39th minute that Slot’s ten men created the closest thing to a chance, with a tame Gakpo header which was directed straight at Bernd Leno.

A minute later, Luis Diaz should have equalised, heading over, unmarked from close range, following Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross.

But Slot’s half-time team talk clearly had the desired effect and, within two minutes of the restart, the league leaders were level through Gakpo.

Predictably, it came from a Mo Salah assist, despite the striker having endured a quiet first half, with his excellent cross finding the head of Gakpo for a clever, glancing headed finish past Leno.

Gakpo and Joe Gomez both tested the Fulham keeper in the minutes that followed, with routine low shots that Leno smothered comfortably enough.

But as they had in the first half, even when against 11 men, Fulham looked a threat on the break with Robinson’s marauding run on the hour ending with a cross which Wilson bundled narrowly wide.

And Slot’s frustrations had got the better of him a couple of minutes earlier when he was booked for protesting a yellow card handed out to his midfielder Curtis Jones.

Liverpool were certainly struggling with the one-man disadvantage they had in midfield although they, too, showed the danger they posed on the break when Salah launched an attack on the edge of his own area, received Szoboszlai’s return pass, and shot wide.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 5 (Jota 79, 7), Gomez 5, van Dijk 6, Robertson 4; Jones 6 (Quansah 70, 6), Gravenberch 7, Szoboszlai 7 (Elliott 79, 7); Salah 6, Diaz 5, Gakpo 8 (Nunez 70, 7). Substitutes (not used) Chiesa, Endo, Kelleher, Morton, Nyoni.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno 7; Tete 6 (Castagne 55, 5), Diop 6, Cuenca 7, Robinson 9; Berge 6, Lukic 6; Wilson 7 (Traore 87), Pereira 7 (Smith Rowe 68, 5), Iwobi 6; Jimenez 7 (Muniz 68, 7). Substitutes (not used) Vinicius, Benda, Godo, King, Sessegnon.

Referee: T. Harrington 6