Fulham ... 3 Liverpool ... 2: The sooner Liverpool are again playing to their usual strengths, the sooner will Anfield's 12-year-old quest for a 19th league title be resumed. For the moment a collective loss of confidence is exposing the weakness of their options, tactical as well as physical.
Liverpool's first Premiership defeat of the season, 1-0 at Middlesbrough, was swiftly followed by a second, 3-2 at Fulham on Saturday, with an unconvincing scoreless draw at home to Sunderland in between.
"You have in front of you a very disappointed manager," said Gerard Houllier, who had once more had in front of him a very disappointing team.
Not that Liverpool could be blamed for the exhilarating effect that Sean Davis's return from injury had on Fulham's football. During the five weeks he was laid up Jean Tigana's side took one point from five games, but on Saturday he and his bazooka of a right foot were back.
Davis's willingness to shoot from long range combined with the opportunism of Facundo Sava, their Argentinian striker, to bring Fulham their first league victory over Liverpool since 1966.
A major influence in Fulham reaching the Premiership, Davis nevertheless appeared slightly out of his depth there last season - but not now. He may be one-paced but on Saturday confirmed his ability still to be in the right areas at the right moments whether attacking or defending.
Tigana will have been as pleased with the way his side buckled down after Alain Goma had been sent off, for a second booking, as the way they set up the victory.
For the most part Liverpool merely buckled. Usually their best qualities run through the middle of the team but few of these are evident at present. On Saturday Jerzy Dudek was still regarding the ball much as Superman regards kryptonite.
And though Sami Hyypia remained an imposing figure, around him there was indecision again in the continued absence of Stephane Henchoz.
Dietmar Hamann kept Liverpool in the contest at 2-1 with a wonderful free-kick but by then the collective failure of the midfield to stop Davis shooting and keep track of Steed Malbranque had persuaded Houllier to bring Steven Gerrard off jankers simply to plug the gaps.
Michael Owen put his one chance over and when he is not finding the net Liverpool have few alternatives apart from Milan Baros, who briefly raised their hopes with a smartly taken goal.
The team's lack of natural width lets defences cramp Owen for space.
The importance of defending as a team, from front to back, used to be holy writ at Anfield and the way Fulham went ahead in the fifth minute would have had Bill Shankly bristling and Bob Paisley chuntering.
Liverpool gave the ball away twice before Davis was allowed time and space for a hard, low shot from 35 yards which Dudek could not hold. An alert Sava scored from the rebound.
For Liverpool worse was to follow. Malbranque was allowed to saunter, unchallenged, into a position from which he set up Davis for another thunderbolt, this one deflected past the goalkeeper off Sava's rump although Davis was credited with the goal.
Hamann's free-kick, just past the hour, offered Liverpool only brief relief. Six minutes later Djimi Traore headed Steve Marlet's cross straight to Sava, who drove in Fulham's third.
Baros set up Liverpool for an unlikely point but to the end they never looked convincing, even against 10 men.
FULHAM: Van der Sar, Finnan, Knight, Goma, Brevett, Goldbaek (Clark 89), Davis, Djetou, Malbranque, Marlet, Sava (Inamoto 74). Subs not used: Taylor, Wome, Stolcers. Sent Off: Goma (70). Booked: Goma. Goals: Sava 5, Davis 38, Sava 68.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Babbel (Baros 45), Traore, Diao (Gerrard 45), Murphy, Hamann, Riise, Owen, Heskey (Smicer 77). Subs not used: Kirkland, Cheyrou. Goals: Hamann 62, Baros 86.
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire)
