Liverpool needed a late goal from Mohamed Salah to earn a point after Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Fulham a brilliant start to their Premier League campaign following promotion.
Fulham came racing out of the blocks upon their return to the top flight and deservedly took the lead in the 32nd minute when Mitrovic climbed highest to head in Kenny Tete’s cross.
Luis Diaz crashed a shot into the post, but the hosts were good value for their 1-0 lead at the break. It could have been 2-0 when Neeskens Kebano hammered a low effort into the base of the post from a tight angle.
But Jurgen Klopp’s double substitution paid off soon after when Nunez got a slice of luck to convert Mohamed Salah’s cross, thanks to a touch off Tosin Adarabioyo. Liverpool then ramped up the pressure, with Nunez at the centre of everything, but couldn't grab a second goal.
They were punished when Mitrovic's quick feet on the break drew a clumsy foul foul from Virgil van Dijk in the penalty area. The Serbian striker picked himself up and buried the penalty to take the wind out of Liverpool's sails and make it 2-1.
Unfortunately for the home fans, their team's hard work was undone eight minutes later when Mohamed Salah tucked in a loose ball to make it 2-2. The Reds hit the bar through Jordan Henderson's curling long-range effort in injury-time but couldn't force a winner.
Here are Mirror Football's five talking points from a brilliantly entertaining match at Craven Cottage.
Nunez trumps Firmino
"It's all fine. I am really happy – it's really cool,” Klopp said before kick-off when asked about summer signing Nunez being left on the bench. It was an immediate talking point for Liverpool fans, who debated the decision to field Roberto Firmino over the Uruguayan following his goal in the Community Shield win.
After 45 minutes it looked like a reasonable question to ask. Firmino showed a few glimpses of his trademark link-up play with his back to goal, but his one telling contribution was to give Andy Robertson the ball when he was offside.
The Brazilian was substituted in the 50th minute, with Klopp acting quickly. From that point onwards Nunez was involved in everything Liverpool did in the attacking third. He could have scored three goals within his first 15 minutes of Premier League football, and although his goal owed a lot to luck, it was reflective of a young striker who kept getting in danger positions.
It was Nunez's accidental touch which set up Salah's equaliser. It seems Nunez is happy to make his own luck in a Liverpool shirt - and Klopp may well give him the chance to do it from the start of their next match.
Pereira impressive
Andreas Pereira was a Manchester United player for eight years. During that time he scored four goals – equal to the number of loan spells he had away from the club. He finally left this summer with a feeling of unfulfilled potential. Now, aged just 26, it seems he will be given the opportunity to shine in the Premier League.
The Brazilian midfielder was positioned very closely to Mitrovic by Marco Silva and right from the off it looked like a promising partnership. The duo linked up well and Pereira was the Fulham player who led the press, harrying Liverpool’s defence to set the tone.
His set piece delivery was exceptional. In the 23rd minute he sent in an arcing free-kick followed by a corner with his right foot that had Liverpool in all sorts of trouble.
Mitrovic up to the task
Fulham have been bouncing between the Premier League and the Championship for five straight years. Mitrovic has been there throughout those rollercoaster years, but there remain question marks over whether he can do it in the top flight.
Early signs would suggest he can. The Serbian powerhouse scored a whopping 43 goals in the Championship last season and already has Premier League experience, having managed 11 back in 2018/19.
His physicality and finishing power was on show against Liverpool. He bullied Alexander-Arnold to the deep ball for the opening goal and was a constant menace to the Reds’ back line. He showed he's far more than just a battering ram with his run at Van Dijk to win the penalty.
Liverpool's midfield problems
It was a sight no Liverpool fan wanted to see. The second half had not been going long when Thiago went down with a grimace on his face. The midfielder appeared to suffering from a pulled hamstring – a nightmare scenario for Klopp on the first day of a new season.
Already his first-choice midfield three is untenable. Harvey Elliott was the man chosen to come on as a substitute ahead of James Milner. But a glance over the Liverpool bench told the story, with youngster Stefan Bajcetic the only other viable option, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones all unavailable.
Rare error from Van Dijk
It’s not often you see Van Dijk faced up by an opposition attacker, reversing inside his own penalty area. And it’s even more rare to see Van Dijk making a poor decision to concede a penalty.
Van Dijk had Alexander-Arnold with him as Mitrovic brought the ball forward and it looked like a foul he really didn’t have to make. Perhaps he was surprised by the Fulham striker’s nimble footwork, but it was a rare error from the Liverpool centre-back.
