Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Fulham at Anfield, where first-half goals from Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah lifted Arne Slot's side back into the Champions League places. After a miserable recent run, the home side found the response they badly needed.
The result arrived at a tense moment for Liverpool. Slot and his players had come under heavier scrutiny after an FA Cup quarter-final thrashing by Manchester City and a timid Champions League defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, while protests against FSG's proposed ticket-price increases formed part of the backdrop before and during the match.
Changes and pressure shaped the afternoon
Slot responded to recent setbacks by making five changes before Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against PSG, and the altered side looked sharper for it. Salah, dropped in Paris, returned to the starting line-up, and teenager Ngumoha was also given the chance to start.