Craven Cottage knows how a good striker should play. The fact that Fulham FC were able to make their debut in the Premier League this Saturday after a year in the second division was largely due to Alexander Mitrović, an exemplary classic striker who set a new goal record in the Championship last season: 43 times the Serb scored in 46 games. In the end, however, he had to put up with being denied his suitability for the Premier League. He is too slow, his type of player is no longer in demand and he would not score against the defense of the top clubs. Mitrović had to listen to such allegations. He answered accordingly.
The 27-year-old scored two goals on the first day of the game and was mainly responsible for Fulham FC’s successful return to the Premier League – and for Liverpool FC’s false start. The 2: 2 at the promoted on the Thames in London was not the start that Jürgen Klopp had hoped for. But at least he gave a first indication of where Liverpool’s strengths could lie this season and what is still missing.
For Klopp’s team, too, it was a game that was valuable in terms of football history. The departure of Sadio Mané meant the dissolution of the storm trio, which had shaped one of the most successful periods in the club’s history and with it a new era – which, however, began with some familiar things. Klopp started with Mané’s long-term partners Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, with Luis Diaz now joining them. Conversely, this in turn meant that access Darwin Núñez remained on the bench for the time being, as he did a few days ago in the 3-1 win against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
The game is top-class football and by no means one-sided. Fulham acts fearlessly, Klopp complains about his team’s attitude
In the first half, Liverpool tried the usual combination football against the well-organized defense of the Londoners. Before the game, Klopp pointed out that Marco Silva’s team had not been promoted with classic British second division football, but with a modern defensive and offensive game. In a way, Silva and teams like Fulham are the product of developments in English football that have been sparked by Klopp and Pep Guardiola in recent years.
You could see that: The game was top-class football and by no means one-sided. Fulham kept creating opportunities, even pushing Liverpool back into their own half at times and taking the lead with a Mitrović header in the 32nd minute. The first half was “almost perfect”, said Silva after the game: “We were well organized from start to finish.” On the other hand, Klopp wasn’t just disappointed in football: “Our attitude wasn’t right from the start.”
Aleksandar Mitrović scores the lead for Fulham with his head.
(Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP)
An attempt was therefore made to make a change after just fifteen minutes, but the real change came in the 51st minute when Núñez came on for Firmino. With the massive, fast striker in the center, the complete statics of the Liverpool game changed. While the Brazilian is involved in almost every attack, Núñez tends to be more at the end of combinations ready to finish. A quick look at the statistics is enough to show the differences: Firmino played 24 passes in the first half and did not have a shot on target. Núñez, on the other hand, made seven passes but had four shots on target – once with a back heel from a low cross to make it 1-1 in the 64th minute.
Without the usual flat pass combinations, Liverpool no longer seems as controlled in the front third – but more dangerous
At best, Benfica’s arrival will transform Liverpool’s game like it did in the 20 minutes following his substitution. With half-field crosses and interface passes, Liverpool abused the defensive of the promoted team, which found answers in the duels on the ground, but not in the air. Liverpool didn’t seem as controlled and precise in the front third without the flat pass combinations, but they were more dangerous. In the middle of the pressure phase, however, Mitrović was fouled by Virgil van Dijk in the penalty area and converted the justified penalty to make it 2-1, Liverpool had to come back again.
First game of the season for Liverpool, first goal: Darwin Núñez (left) scores the 1-1 draw at Fulham FC.
(Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP)
It took a wide cross from the right to reply: Núñez got the ball in the center and his acceptance provided an assist for Salah, who made it 2-2 (80th minute). In the final minutes, Jordan Henderson almost scored the winner with a long-range shot, but he only hit the crossbar. The performance was “massively in need of improvement,” was Klopp’s caustic conclusion. The draw was justified, “we didn’t deserve more. It feels like a defeat”.
How long will it take for Liverpool to find the right balance between ball control and attack?
So one takeaway from the first Premier League game is that Liverpool have gained new qualities with a classic striker in the centre. The question is how long it will take to find the right mix of ball control with Firmino and finishing qualities with Núñez. Klopp has the luxury of the two variants this season.
A luxury that not everyone needs. “Anyone who thinks Mitro is only worth their goals can forget it right away,” said Fulham coach Silva. As well as pacifying the critics, his striker’s stats were the best of the two worlds Liverpool oscillated between: Mitrović made 28 passes and had three shots on target.