Liverpool lose again at home as Fulham get vital win

Jurgen Klopp's side are four points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, who can extend that lead to seven if they beat Everton on Monday. That would leave Liverpool with a tough task to qualify for next season's Champions League via a top four finish.

They could still make it by winning the Champions League, but glory in Europe's elite club competition is hard to envisage given Liverpool's steep decline.

In a sign of how far they have fallen, even third-bottom Fulham easily out-played Liverpool to secure three points at Anfield for the first time in nine years.

Without an Anfield victory since before Christmas, Liverpool are a pale shadow of the team that romped to their first English title for 30 years last season. They have been destabilised by horrific injury problems in defence, but it was still jarring to see the toothless Reds surrender so tamely once again.