Fulham captain Tom Cairney has expressed his frustration at the decision to award Liverpool the match-winning penalty.
Issa Diop was adjudged to have fouled Reds striker Darwin Nunez in the penalty area which subsequently handed Mohamed Salah the opportunity to score his ninth goal in his last eight games at Anfield. The Egyptian rifled his spot-kick home past the despairing Bernd Leno.
It proved to be the only goal of the game for the Reds in a win where they were forced to weather pressure from the Cottagers. The triumph takes Jurgen Klopp's side to within four points of Manchester United, who currently occupy the fourth and final Champions League place.
PLAYER RATINGS: Trent Alexander-Arnold and three more excellent in Fulham win
IAN DOYLE: Darwin Nunez has just summed up his Liverpool career in one moment
PAUL GORST: What Liverpool fans did during Fulham win spoke volumes as Jurgen Klopp plea gets perfect answer
For last season's Championship winners, the defeat keeps them firmly in mid-table and five points off Brentford as they failed to narrow the gulf with their London rivals.
Cairney vented his dismay at the decision from Stuart Atwell to award Liverpool a penalty in the first-half further expressing his disappointment in VAR's failure to address the decision.
"I asked [the referee] on the pitch to check it," said the 32-year-old. "He said they checked it. It's frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision.
"He said they checked it, but he said second half to one of our players that it wasn’t a penalty, so it’s frustrating because it goes to other people to make the correct decision. Issa Diop hasn’t touched him, Nunez has taken another step and then gone over, and then you lose to something like that at Anfield which is frustrating when we’re trying to climb as high as we can.”
READ NEXT:
- Liverpool Champions League route clear as Fulham win increases Manchester United pressure
- Rate the Liverpool players after 1-0 win over Fulham
- Liverpool fans send blunt message to Premier League over national anthem decision
- Steve McManaman offers Man City midfielder as Liverpool signing after Jude Bellingham decision
