Liverpool 2 Fulham 0 - Where does this leave Slot? Ngumoha to face PSG? Salah's latest landmark?

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsHave Chelsea Improved Under Rosenior?Kinsky's Tottenham ReturnMan Utd's UCL HopesPL Returns Rio Ngumoha celebrates the opener for Liverpool Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) Share full article1There’s nothing like the wonder of a young player showing what he can do to lift the moodb, and Rio Ngumoha did just that with a brilliant finish in Liverpool’s win over Fulham. It has been a tough time of late for Arne Slot and Liverpool, but the sight of the 17-year-old Ngumoha bending the ball in from just inside the area and then Mohamad Salah — who has had his own troubles recently — doubling the lead will have brought some much-needed positivity. Anfield itself was facing protests against ticket pricing, with no flags being displayed and fans chanting about greed. The result leaves Liverpool fifth on 52 points, four points ahead of Chelsea, who play on Sunday. Gregg Evans discusses the talking points from Anfield. An important and relatively convincing victory will temporarily take away some of the heat on Slot. Liverpool’s position in the table looks a little healthier and now puts the pressure on Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester United in the battle to finish in the top five and qualify for next season’s Champions League when they all play tomorrow. At the very least, Liverpool have to grind out the results to finish with a flourish and guarantee a place among Europe’s elite in 2026-27. Yet that still won’t be enough to change the feeling amongst some of the doubters in the stands. In isolation, this result is simply one step in the right direction, but after 16 defeats in all competitions, it’s going to take a big swing to get a section of the supporters back onside. If Tuesday night goes badly against PSG, the feeling of dissatisfaction with be back in full force, and then where do Liverpool turn? Owners Fenway Sports Group are behind the head coach and Slot continues to say he feels the support from those in charge. Before this game, he also insisted he felt the support from the fans, but the truth is a section are questioning whether he’s the right man to take the team on. Slot’s biggest strength when he arrived was his ability to win football games. If he continues to do that in the weeks ahead, somehow finding a way to remain in the Champions League, and take momentum into next season, there’s a chance he can turn things around. Just when Anfield needed a moment of star quality, up popped 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha with the answer. The atmosphere was so flat that even the away supporters were mocking the lack of noise with chants of “sssshhhh”, but all that changed on 36 minutes when the teenager stepped up to shine. Cutting inside from the left wing, he weaved inside and out, leaving Timothy Castagne in a daze, and then curling home the opener in stunning fashion. His trickery early into the game had put Fulham on the back foot, but until the goal, he struggled to find an end product. Yet it was his desire to keep on pushing in the hope of finding the magic to change the game that made the difference. The balance and the poise, alongside his quick feet, made both Castagne and Joachim Anderson back off, and he punished them in ruthless style. The goal meant that at 17 years and 225 days, Ngumoha became Liverpool’s youngest-ever league goalscorer at Anfield, taking the honour away from Raheem Sterling. You wonder whether his youthful exuberance will be needed on Tuesday against PSG in the Champions League. After a performance like this, starting him again should not be out of the question. This was Salah’s first Premier League goal at Anfield since November 1 and that alone tells the story of his difficult campaign. The Egyptian, who departs on a free this summer after agreeing to end his contract early, has been miles off the standard he set in the previous eight seasons. Not only have his goals dried up, he’s struggled to create, and in big European nights, he’s started on the bench, which shows the deteriorating faith Slot and his coaching team have in the 33-year-old. Yet while his time is coming to an end, there’s still clearly plenty of quality left in his feet and if he gets the opportunities in front of goal in the weeks ahead, Salah could still be a difference-maker. He smiled and lapped up the praise when he curled home Liverpool’s second to become only the fifth player in Premier League history to score or assist 250-plus non-penalty goals and assists in the Premier League: in what must have also been a relief as his days playing in front of these supporters are now rapidly coming to a close. The big question, perhaps, is whether he starts against PSG after sitting out of the away clash, and whether after so many glorious moments, there will be one last dance between now and the end of the campaign. The first wave of protests over ticket prices were seen both inside and outside the stadium. A handful of organisers from Liverpool FC Supporters’ Union, Spirit of Shankly (SOS) handed out leaflets encouraging action after owners Fenway Sports Group announced the decision to increase prices across the next three years, following a rise in their operational costs. As a result, the Spion Kop 1906 withdrew flags from The Kop and those inside Anfield were encouraged to reduce their spending inside the stadium, in a pledge known as “Not a Pound in the Ground”. SOS also asked fans to sign an open letter to owners FSG, asking the owners to reconsider their increases. Although this was only the start of the action, many supporters got behind it. Lower Main Stand 10 mins before the game ✊ pic.twitter.com/cjerARrUL6 — Spirit of Shankly (@spiritofshankly) April 11, 2026 It didn’t take long for those in the stands to voice their anger. “Shove your prices up your ass,” was the first chant from The Kop, followed by “you greedy b******s, enough is enough.” A banner was also passed along the stand, reading “No to ticket price increases.” The plan is to “grow and escalate” protests both home and away if needed. We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference. Tuesday, April 14: Paris Saint-Germain (Home), Champions League quarter-final second leg (0-2 agg), 8pm UK, 3pm ET Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Gregg Evans is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Liverpool. Previously he reported on Aston Villa and spent over a decade at the Birmingham Mail covering West Midlands football. His time with Villa included the drop into the Championship and then an incredible return to European football. He also covers golf. Follow Gregg on Twitter @greggevans40