Liverpool count cost of slow start but Henderson able to draw positives

Jordan Henderson was at a loss to explain Liverpool’s slow start against Fulham as the depleted Premier League champions dropped further points in their title defence.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid gave the hosts a deserved 25th-minute lead at Craven Cottage, with Liverpool fortunate not to concede again during a rocky start to proceedings.

Only Sheffield United and West Brom – who occupy the bottom two spots in the table – have given up more away goals in the English top flight this season than Liverpool, whose tally of 12 is already as many as they conceded in the entire 2018-19 campaign.

A clearly animated Jurgen Klopp was not pleased with what he saw for much of the first half, albeit his team did improve prior to the break.

The Reds went on to dominate after the interval but still needed a penalty for handball to draw level, Mohamed Salah firing home from the spot after Aboubakar Kamara had blocked Georginio Wijnaldum’s free-kick with an arm.

18 – After conceding only five times after 12 games in 2018-19, and just 10 at this stage last season, Liverpool have shipped 18 goals after this many Premier League games for the first time since 2014-15 (also 18); last conceding more back in 1992-93 (20). Worried? #FULLIV pic.twitter.com/5emMMoKbtC

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 13, 2020

Asked to explain the reason behind the sluggish beginning to proceedings, captain Henderson told Sky Sports: “I’m not sure, to be honest.

“It was everyone, not just a few of us. They started really well so give credit to them, but we will have to look it.

“That’s not like us, we need to move on quickly with another big game coming up. We can’t start like that going forward.”

Liverpool have now dropped 11 points after 12 games – in 2019-20 it took them until the 35th match, by which time a first league championship in 30 years was already sewn up, to reach that number.

Injuries have not helped this term. Diogo Jota became the latest casualty in the 1-1 Champions League draw with Midtjylland in midweek, a knee problem expected to keep him sidelined for at least six weeks, while Joel Matip was withdrawn at half-time against Fulham with a back issue.

Defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are long-term absentees, though there was some good news for Liverpool at Fulham with Alisson back in action. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, meanwhile, was an unused substitute having not featured at all yet in the season.

4 – None of Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City or Man Utd have won in the Premier League this weekend, the first time they’ve all played and failed to win in a weekend since 6-7 February 2016. Unusual.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 13, 2020

“Injuries are difficult as a player, I’ve suffered a few in my career,” Henderson said of Liverpool’s current situation. “When you see your team-mate getting injured, it isn’t nice.

“I look at Joe Gomez [who suffered a serious knee injury while training with the England squad] and the way it happened and it was hard to take. It’s tough, it’s tough for players, but it’s happened to a lot of other teams as well.

“It makes us stronger in the dressing room to keep fighting, keep going with whatever team, whatever 18 or squad, that play in a weekend or midweek, that they give everything to get three points.”

The draw in the capital means Tottenham – who were pegged back in a 1-1 result at Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday – remain on top of the table ahead of a midweek trip to Anfield.

Henderson has been impressed by what he has seen from Jose Mourinho’s Spurs so far, but promised Liverpool will be up for the challenge.

“Every game is big, but yes, Spurs are doing really well, great team, great manager,” Henderson said. “It will be another tough game, but we will recover, get ready and give it everything again.”