The visitors took a surprise lead just 11 minutes in when Andreas Pereira volleyed in Antonee Robinson’s cross remarkable ease past Alisson.
Things went from bad to worse for the Reds as Andy Robertson was sent off for his foul denying former teammate Harry Wilson a goalscoring opportunity.
Cody Gakpo restored parity early in the second half by meeting Mohamed Salah’s delivery to the far post with a clinical header in front of The Kop.
The Cottagers restored their lead in the final quarter of an hour through Rodrigo Muniz’s flicked finish following a near-post cutback by Robinson.
But Diogo Jota salvaged a point late on courtesy of a cool finish to wrongfoot Bernd Leno after he had been sent clear by fellow substitute Darwin Nunez.
Arne Slot’s side now hold a five-point lead at the Premier League’s summit which could be cut to just two if Chelsea overcome Brentford on Sunday.
**Here were the key talking points from Anfield:**
Reds get creative in adversity
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If ever Liverpool needed a sign that Arne Slot is well-suited to the challenges of keeping them competing at the business end, this was conclusive proof.
Already trailing by Fulham’s opener, things risked spiralling out of control with Andy Robertson’s red card after his last-man challenge on Harry Wilson.
The Reds were already battling a defensive crisis before the Scotland captain’s dismissal, with injuries steadily accumulating in recent weeks.
Slot, however, found solutions in adversity by reshuffling his pack with several initially eyebrow-raising switches to cover Robertson’s premature departure.
Ryan Gravenberch was redeployed as a sweeper in a three-man central bank with Cody Gakpo covering the lefthand side as an auxiliary wing-back.
While the former’s versatility proved a triumph for at least one half of Slot’s experiment, the visitors swiftly exposed flaws behind the Gakpo element.
So Liverpool’s head coach mixed it up again, reverting to a back four with Joe Gomez on the left and Gravenberch partnering Virgil van Dijk at the heart.
It was not without its pitfalls, typified by Marco Silva’s side retaking the lead, yet there can be no denying Slot is adept at problem-solving under pressure.
Jota’s return delivers the spark
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For both good and ill, Liverpool’s attack has been in the spotlight of late.
Mohamed Salah continues to make a compelling case for the long-term contract he openly desires after racking up a 100th club assist in this game.
On the flip side, Slot spent parts of this week providing Darwin Nunez’s case for the defence following his profligate Champions League outing at Girona.
Amid that wild contrast, Diogo Jota’s long-awaited return to action lit a spark in not only the Premier League leaders’ title bid but also Anfield as a whole.
The famous old ground had rediscovered its voice after Gakpo’s equaliser early in the second half but the Portuguese’s introduction ramped it up again.
Within minutes of replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jota showcased what they have missed since his last outing two months ago with a tidy finish.
Maximum points may have eluded them but Liverpool’s no.20 has officially reignited the spark in their frontline, potentially at an opportune moment.
Slot channels his inner Klopp
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It wasn’t that long ago that a Liverpool manager wildly remonstrating with match officials was considered par for the course during home games.
Jurgen Klopp made it an art form in his eight-and-a-half years at the helm, so much so that **[one ex-referee took direct umbrage](http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/55238-david-coote-sacked-after-liverpool-video-rant-pgmol/)** to his touchline antics.
But it seems that Slot is also prone to similar outbursts after appearing highly animated while his side attempted to turn the tide against the Cottagers.
The often calm Dutchman channelled his inner Klopp by raging against Curtis Jones’ booking for a rash foul on Alex Iwobi that he also earned one himself.
Even a one-match touchline ban incurred by picking up that third caution of the season did little to stop Slot from continuing to vent his frustrations.
Liverpool’s head coach will now miss next weekend’s trip to Tottenham, where his predecessor infamously was embroiled in confrontation with Paul Tierney.
At least Slot won’t have to worry about being in direct conflict with whichever Premier League referee is appointed to oversee the clash in the capital.