'We showed fight' — Arne Slot praises his team despite Fulham draw

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has praised his side's spirited showing in fighting back to rescue a point despite the numerical disadvantage against Fulham. 

Andreas Pereira shocked the Reds with an early goal, and moments later, Liverpool's woes were compounded when Andrew Robertson received his marching orders. 

Fulham went in front again through Rodrigo Muniz, but Diogo Jota came off the bench, and his stunning strike ensured Liverpool left Anfield with at least a point.  

Speaking after the match, the Dutch tactician praised his team for rousing themselves and fighting back. 

"A great comeback is very positive,” Slot said, per the BBC. “It's disappointing having 10 men but we showed fight, kept trying to create chances. Could have been more but we take the point and move on.

"Stay calm. It's easier to say than do it. It was always going to be tough against them. We saw it last year and last week against Arsenal. We had to turn it around and keep fighting. We tried.

However, while he stressed that they did not lose because of poor refereeing decisions, he had some criticism for the referee, as he thought Tony Harrington did not manage the game well. 

"I had conversations with the players of Fulham and we felt like the referee was nervous. He couldn't properly communicate with Robertson, I felt. We can't put the blame on the referee. 

“We all speak about protecting the referee but I couldn't speak to him. It shouldn't be a big thing because he isn't why we dropped points.

"It is what it is. We take the points, recover quickly and be ready for the game on Wednesday."