Player ratings: Fulham vs Liverpool 1/23 Fulham vs Liverpool Getty Images 2/23 Sergio Rico - 4 Must have felt he was doing OK when it was 1-1 with 10 minutes left before he spilled Salah’s shot at Mane’s feet and then pulled him over in the box. It was an obvious penalty and Rico had ruined all of his good work. Did at least stop it from getting worse with a save from Salah soon after. Getty Images 3/23 Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 5 Trusted by Scott Parker to come back into the side and he was a powerful tackler at right back. It was never easy with Robertson and Mane doubling up on him but that was not his fault and he could hardly have worked harder than he did. REUTERS 4/23 Calum Chambers - 5 Certainly an improvement on Maxime LeMarchand, he had a very difficult task here but handled it well. Never going to be quick but he is at least competent on the ball. Liverpool FC via Getty Images 5/23 Tim Ream - 6 Another player who looks lifted by the changed mood here, he threw himself into everything, blocking and tackling and trying to stem the tide of red shirts. Clearly still very popular with the crowd here too. Getty Images 6/23 Joe Bryan - 5 Had a slightly easier time than Fosu-Mensah on the opposite side, he was assiduous in his defensive duties, dealing with Salah and Alexander Arnold as well as he could. Pinned back, he barely managed to get up the pitch and attack as he likes to. REUTERS 7/23 Tom Cairney - 6 What a shame that Cairney was ignored by Claudio Ranieri for so long. The local favourite was restored in central midfield, providing those little touches and passes to keep Fulham ticking. Even if he did not see as much of the ball as he would hope. REUTERS 8/23 Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - 6 Playing holding midfield against Liverpool is a nightmare, an exertion of constant pressure, but here he held his own. He won the ball, used it cleverly, and nearly pulled off a dramatic equaliser from outside the box. AFP/Getty Images 9/23 Jean Michael Seri - 6 At times this season it has been impossible to see why he was so sought after last year, but not today. He was busy, ambitious, energetic, always trying to push forward even if things did not always work. Hooked for Ryan Sessegnon after an hour, however. PA 10/23 Floyd Ayite - 6 Brought in for his first league start of the season and it showed. Ayite had Robertson surging past him every time and he never looked like he could catch up. But in the second half he was part of Fulham’s fightback, even having a header disallowed for offside. Getty Images 11/23 Aleksandar Mitrovic - 5 He has been Fulham’s difference-maker for much of this season but here he was anonymous and powerless, winning nothing against Virgil van Dijk, unable to give his team the slightest presence in the game. PA 12/23 Ryan Babel - 8 Claimed before the game that he knew Van Dijk’s secret weakness, and who would argue with him now? Scored what could have been a huge goal in the season when he got in between Van Dijk and Allison, bundling in an equaliser which he refused to celebrate. While it was a surprise, it was also a reward for Fulham’s only attacking player who had been willing to take anyone on all afternoon. REUTERS 13/23 Alisson Becker - 5 This could have been a definitive moment of his Liverpool career had it not been for Milner’s late penalty. Slow coming off his line from Van Dijk’s header, he let Babel get in to, if only briefly, reduce Liverpool’s lead. PA 14/23 Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7 Such a graceful menace high up the right wing for Liverpool. He barely did any defending here but every time he got the ball he whipped it perfectly into the box, giving them a width and range to their attack that few other right-backs provide. AFP/Getty Images 15/23 Joel Matip - 6 Barely a day for defending but he did well against Mitrovic and Babel when he had to, and was free to set the tone on the ball, passing it forward briskly, getting things started. Liverpool FC via Getty Images 16/23 Virgil van Dijk - 5 The best defender in the world made the worst mistake of his life here, misjudging a header back to Allison, getting caught, and seeing Ryan Babel take advantage. Fortunately for Van Dijk, Milner saved the day at the other end soon after. Had Liverpool drawn it would have been agony for a man who has been so important to their success. Getty Images 17/23 Andrew Robertson - 8 Spent the whole game in Fulham’s half and was involved in every attack. With a bit more luck he would have scored and assisted plenty but he had to make do with simply starting the move for Mane’s opener. REUTERS 18/23 Georginio Wijnaldum - 7 Did not have much destructive work to do – Fulham did not have enough of the ball – but he was dangerous going forward and had two opportunities to score. Kept Liverpool moving and on the front foot all afternoon. AP 19/23 Fabinho - 7 So important in games like this, sitting in front of the centre-backs, allowing both full-backs to push forwards and pin Fulham back. With and without the ball he was in complete control of everything he did. AFP/Getty Images 20/23 Adam Lallana - 6 Here to make sure that the Liverpool midfield does not lack dynamism, he was as busy as ever, darting around, putting Fulham under pressure, keeping the ball moving. After a long trouble with injuries he certainly gives this team more options. REUTERS 21/23 Mohamed Salah - 6 Maybe he is not on top of his game right now but he is still a scampering threat to any opposition. Fulham tired themselves out just trying to stop him and of course it was his opportunistic shot that Rico spilled to make the penalty to win it. Action Images via Reuters 22/23 Roberto Firmino - 6 It only takes him one little opening to make the difference. Here he was, running onto Mane’s pass, stepping over it, passing the ball back, to set up Liverpool’s opener. He did not do too much else but he did not need to. REUTERS 23/23 Sadio Mane - 8 Is Mane the most dangerous player in the world right now? Never let Fulham rest with his running, and scored his 11th in 11 games, with a move entirely of his own making. His powerful dribble, his lay-off to Firmino, his smooth finish. And of course he won the penalty that saved the game. Liverpool FC via Getty Images 1/23 Fulham vs Liverpool Getty Images 2/23 Sergio Rico - 4 Must have felt he was doing OK when it was 1-1 with 10 minutes left before he spilled Salah’s shot at Mane’s feet and then pulled him over in the box. It was an obvious penalty and Rico had ruined all of his good work. Did at least stop it from getting worse with a save from Salah soon after. Getty Images 3/23 Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 5 Trusted by Scott Parker to come back into the side and he was a powerful tackler at right back. It was never easy with Robertson and Mane doubling up on him but that was not his fault and he could hardly have worked harder than he did. REUTERS 4/23 Calum Chambers - 5 Certainly an improvement on Maxime LeMarchand, he had a very difficult task here but handled it well. Never going to be quick but he is at least competent on the ball. Liverpool FC via Getty Images 5/23 Tim Ream - 6 Another player who looks lifted by the changed mood here, he threw himself into everything, blocking and tackling and trying to stem the tide of red shirts. Clearly still very popular with the crowd here too. Getty Images 6/23 Joe Bryan - 5 Had a slightly easier time than Fosu-Mensah on the opposite side, he was assiduous in his defensive duties, dealing with Salah and Alexander Arnold as well as he could. Pinned back, he barely managed to get up the pitch and attack as he likes to. REUTERS 7/23 Tom Cairney - 6 What a shame that Cairney was ignored by Claudio Ranieri for so long. The local favourite was restored in central midfield, providing those little touches and passes to keep Fulham ticking. Even if he did not see as much of the ball as he would hope. REUTERS 8/23 Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - 6 Playing holding midfield against Liverpool is a nightmare, an exertion of constant pressure, but here he held his own. He won the ball, used it cleverly, and nearly pulled off a dramatic equaliser from outside the box. AFP/Getty Images 9/23 Jean Michael Seri - 6 At times this season it has been impossible to see why he was so sought after last year, but not today. He was busy, ambitious, energetic, always trying to push forward even if things did not always work. Hooked for Ryan Sessegnon after an hour, however. PA 10/23 Floyd Ayite - 6 Brought in for his first league start of the season and it showed. Ayite had Robertson surging past him every time and he never looked like he could catch up. But in the second half he was part of Fulham’s fightback, even having a header disallowed for offside. Getty Images 11/23 Aleksandar Mitrovic - 5 He has been Fulham’s difference-maker for much of this season but here he was anonymous and powerless, winning nothing against Virgil van Dijk, unable to give his team the slightest presence in the game. PA 12/23 Ryan Babel - 8 Claimed before the game that he knew Van Dijk’s secret weakness, and who would argue with him now? Scored what could have been a huge goal in the season when he got in between Van Dijk and Allison, bundling in an equaliser which he refused to celebrate. While it was a surprise, it was also a reward for Fulham’s only attacking player who had been willing to take anyone on all afternoon. REUTERS 13/23 Alisson Becker - 5 This could have been a definitive moment of his Liverpool career had it not been for Milner’s late penalty. Slow coming off his line from Van Dijk’s header, he let Babel get in to, if only briefly, reduce Liverpool’s lead. PA 14/23 Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7 Such a graceful menace high up the right wing for Liverpool. He barely did any defending here but every time he got the ball he whipped it perfectly into the box, giving them a width and range to their attack that few other right-backs provide. AFP/Getty Images 15/23 Joel Matip - 6 Barely a day for defending but he did well against Mitrovic and Babel when he had to, and was free to set the tone on the ball, passing it forward briskly, getting things started. Liverpool FC via Getty Images 16/23 Virgil van Dijk - 5 The best defender in the world made the worst mistake of his life here, misjudging a header back to Allison, getting caught, and seeing Ryan Babel take advantage. Fortunately for Van Dijk, Milner saved the day at the other end soon after. Had Liverpool drawn it would have been agony for a man who has been so important to their success. Getty Images 17/23 Andrew Robertson - 8 Spent the whole game in Fulham’s half and was involved in every attack. With a bit more luck he would have scored and assisted plenty but he had to make do with simply starting the move for Mane’s opener. REUTERS 18/23 Georginio Wijnaldum - 7 Did not have much destructive work to do – Fulham did not have enough of the ball – but he was dangerous going forward and had two opportunities to score. Kept Liverpool moving and on the front foot all afternoon. AP 19/23 Fabinho - 7 So important in games like this, sitting in front of the centre-backs, allowing both full-backs to push forwards and pin Fulham back. With and without the ball he was in complete control of everything he did. AFP/Getty Images 20/23 Adam Lallana - 6 Here to make sure that the Liverpool midfield does not lack dynamism, he was as busy as ever, darting around, putting Fulham under pressure, keeping the ball moving. After a long trouble with injuries he certainly gives this team more options. REUTERS 21/23 Mohamed Salah - 6 Maybe he is not on top of his game right now but he is still a scampering threat to any opposition. Fulham tired themselves out just trying to stop him and of course it was his opportunistic shot that Rico spilled to make the penalty to win it. Action Images via Reuters 22/23 Roberto Firmino - 6 It only takes him one little opening to make the difference. Here he was, running onto Mane’s pass, stepping over it, passing the ball back, to set up Liverpool’s opener. He did not do too much else but he did not need to. REUTERS 23/23 Sadio Mane - 8 Is Mane the most dangerous player in the world right now? Never let Fulham rest with his running, and scored his 11th in 11 games, with a move entirely of his own making. His powerful dribble, his lay-off to Firmino, his smooth finish. And of course he won the penalty that saved the game. Liverpool FC via Getty Images

He insisted that despite the closeness of the title race, there would be no sly sideways looks cast at Manchester City. “I’m not even sure when their game in hand is,” he admitted. “Or what the situation with the table is. It’s important for us to just focus on ourselves. It’s a bit cliched, but that’s the main thing. Just try and be the best that we can be. And hopefully at the end of the season, we’ll come away with some silverware.”

This is the first time since 2009 that Liverpool have gone into the spring with genuine chances in both the Premier League and the Champions League. It’s their first real tilt at the title since Brendan Rodgers’s side fell short five years ago, and for all the tension and tightness to come, Alexander-Arnold maintained that it was still important to enjoy the experience.

“It’s nice to be involved in a title race,” he said. “You don’t get to say that many times in your career. Obviously, I was a fan during the 2013-14 season, when we came so close. It’s massive. It’s about trying to embrace it, soak it all up. It’s important for us to come back fit from the internationals, and then put our all into the final games.”