Liverpool needed a late James Milner penalty to beat relegation-threatened Fulham 2-1 and return to the top of the Premier League table this afternoon.
It looked as though the Reds would be on course for a routine victory when Sadio Mane continued his fine recent scoring form to give the title hopefuls the lead in the first half.
However, they failed to build on that, and a calamitous misunderstanding between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker - two pillars of their title challenge - gifted Fulham an equaliser 16 minutes from time as Ryan Babel stole in to score against his former club.
Liverpool responded within seven minutes as Fulham repaid the favour, though, with Sergio Rico conceding a penalty and Milner tucking it home from 12 yards to seal a crucial win which lifts Jurgen Klopp's side two points clear of Manchester City heading into the international break.
© Reuters
Fresh from sealing their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night, Liverpool quickly took control of the contest at Craven Cottage, although they found it difficult to break through a crowded Fulham defence for much of the first half.
Mohamed Salah snatched at an early opening before Joel Matip squandered the best scoring opportunity of the first 25 minutes when he glanced a header wide after being left completely unmarked from a corner.
It was the final ball which was lacking for Klopp's side, but they finally produced a moment of quality in the attacking third to break the deadlock shortly before the half-hour mark.
Mane collected the ball on the left before breaking into the box and exchanging passes with Roberto Firmino, sweeping the return cutback home for his 20th goal of the season and 11th in as many games.
© Reuters
Van Dijk has been the next most prolific scorer for Liverpool in recent weeks, and the defender showed his growing poacher's instinct again shortly after the goal when he almost capitalised on Rico spilling a long-range Salah effort.
The visitors were looking most dangerous down the flanks - in particular the left - and the marauding Andrew Robertson was the next to come close when he played a one-two with Adam Lallana before drawing a save from a tight angle.
Fulham's first-half forays forward were rare as Liverpool's defence limited them to off-target long-range efforts from Jean Michael Seri and Tom Cairney, but the hosts avoided any further damage at the other end to remain in the game at half time.
The Reds initially looked more dangerous at the start of the second half, though, and they should have given themselves a cushion within seven minutes of the restart when Georginio Wijnaldum nodded Robertson's cross over from close range when Salah was better positioned behind him.
© Reuters
Van Dijk was the next to come close moments later when he latched on to a deep cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold and nodded the ball back into a dangerous area, where Rico parried it straight out and was fortunate that Matip could not react in time to turn it home.
Fulham began to grow into the game after the hour mark, though, and Liverpool were given a warning as to how precarious a one-goal lead was when Floyd Ayite nodded the ball past Alisson, albeit from an offside position.
The hosts came flying forward again shortly afterwards as Robertson was left facing three Fulham attackers, but Babel could not do enough as Liverpool scrambled back and Alisson was eventually left with a fairly routine stop to deny Ayite's strike from range.
Liverpool squandered another chance to quell the growing Fulham fightback just a minute before the equaliser when Mane darted to the front post and flicked a corner against the crossbar, with Rico well beaten.
The leveller came out of nothing as Van Dijk failed to put enough on his header back to Alisson, who nevertheless should have collected the ball ahead of Babel but instead allowed it to sneak through his legs, leaving the former Liverpool winger with the simplest of tap-ins.
© Reuters
Babel had an almost guilty look on his face as he and the Liverpool fans realised how big a goal it could be for the club's title ambitions, but parity lasted just seven minutes before Fulham gifted Liverpool the winner with the type of defensive error which has plagued their season.
Salah - clearly frustrated at his recent goal drought throughout the game - fired a relatively tame effort straight at Rico, but he spilled it into a dangerous area and then instinctively dragged Mane to ground in an attempt to atone for his mistake, leaving referee Craig Pawson with no choice but to point to the spot.
Milner showed no signs of nerves as he stroked the penalty down the middle to ease Liverpool's concerns, and it was the visitors who looked most like adding to the scoring in the nine remaining minutes of normal time.
Wijnaldum came within a whisker with a curling strike from the edge of the box before Salah fired straight at the keeper when he should have done better having been set up by Mane.
One final wayward effort from Salah summed up his individual performance in the attacking third, but Liverpool scraped by with three crucial points which leaves them top of the table, although the title remains in Man City's hands as they have played a game fewer.
Things look increasingly bleak for Fulham, meanwhile, as they remain 13 points adrift of safety following a club-record run of seven Premier League defeats in a row - and a competition record of 11 consecutive matches in which they have conceded at least two goals.
FULHAM (4-3-3): Rico; Fosu-Mensah (Christie 73'), Chambers, Ream, Bryan; Cairney (Kebano 82'), Zambo Anguissa, Seri (Sessegnon 65'); Ayite, Mitrovic, Babel
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Lallana (Milner 72'); Salah (Sturridge 92'), Firmino (Origi 72'), Mane
Barney Corkhill
