Iwobi, Bassey miss Champions League chance as Silva laments Fulham loss at Liverpool

Fulham’s push for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League suffered a major setback after a 2–0 defeat away to Liverpool at Anfield, Soccernet.ng reports.

With the Premier League now guaranteed five Champions League spots for the 2026/27 campaign, the opportunity was clear. A win for Fulham would have taken them to 47 points, just five behind fifth-placed Liverpool, and firmly placed them in the race. Instead, they remain on 44 points and sit outside a crowded group of teams also chasing that final qualifying position.

Liverpool made the difference count early. Goals from Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah in the first half settled the contest, punishing a Fulham side that started slowly and never fully recovered from that early damage.

Manager Marco Silva did not hide his frustration after the match, pointing to a lack of aggression in the opening period as the key reason behind the defeat.

“Yes, it's true – the game was decided in five minutes,” Silva told the official club channels. “In my opinion it was decided in that first half, where our approach was not aggressive enough, on and off the ball.

“We gave Liverpool the chance to build up their attack too easily in some moments, not with the right aggressiveness off the ball. That was the reason why they had the chances and they were in command of the game most of the time during the first half.

“And the good example of that is the way they score the first goal – a long ball from the goalkeeper, the way they were able to win that ball in the air, lack of communication between two players, Salah’s first contact on the ball, the way they won the second ball before the great finishing of Rio.”

Silva’s words reflected a performance that left Fulham chasing shadows early on and ultimately chasing the game.

Nigerian trio show flashes, but Fulham fall short

After falling behind in the opening half, Fulham improved after the break, and several players, including their Nigerian internationals, tried to turn things around.

Alex Iwobi was one of Fulham’s more lively players in midfield. Operating in a central role, he worked hard to link play and was involved in some of their better attacking moments, including winning a free-kick in a dangerous area late in the match. However, his efforts could not unlock a disciplined Liverpool defence.

At the back, Calvin Bassey returned from injury and delivered a committed performance. He made key clearances and one important header to deny a dangerous aerial threat. Still, he and the Fulham defence were exposed during that decisive first-half spell and could not stop Liverpool’s clinical finishing.

Samuel Chukwueze, on loan from AC Milan, was introduced late on, coming off the bench in the 80th minute. In his short time on the pitch, he tried to add urgency to Fulham’s attack. He saw one effort blocked and also created a chance for Raúl Jiménez, but the impact came too late to change the result.

Silva acknowledged the improvement after the break but stressed that Fulham failed to take their chances when it mattered.

“Second half was completely different – our approach, our aggressiveness on and off the ball. I know that Liverpool was winning the game, but the way we won many balls in our offensive half, we were much more aggressive, we created much more chances as well.

“Of course, we were not ruthless enough, because with a goal we can create a different scenario in the stadium, in the opposition side as well. We got a big chance with Emile to score, and the game is going to be probably different [if it goes in].

“We tried to score the 2-1, but we were not ruthless. Liverpool when they had the chances, first half, they did it, and that made a big impact in the game.

“But our face and our image as a team is much more that second half than the first half. For us to win games and to be fighting for what we want to fight for, has to be much more in the way we played second half than we did first half.”

With just six matches left, Fulham now face a difficult path back into contention.

The Cottagers next face Brentford on Saturday, 18 April.