How the national media reacted to Liverpool's 2-0 win against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday evening
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match against Fulham at Anfield on April 11 2026
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match against Fulham at Anfield on April 11 2026(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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A step in the right direction. Liverpool rekindled hopes of Champions League qualification when they defeated Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday evening at Anfield.
Teenage winger Rio Ngumoha scored the opener and then had a hand in the second for Mohamed Salah as the Reds strengthened their grip on fifth place.
It made for an encouraging 90 minutes amid the gloom this season. And while the ECHO was in attendance and provided our usual level of coverage, here's how the national media viewed a positive result for Arne Slot's side.
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Paul Joyce, formerly of this parish, wrote in The Timesabout how the game showed times are a-changing for Liverpool.
"With every passing week a different legend, whether it is Mohamed Salah or Andrew Robertson, appears to be confirming the end of an era at Liverpool," he pens.
"The consolation here was that at least one member of the next generation stood up to offer promise for the future. A flurry of stepovers and the fearlessness of youth allowed Rio Ngumoha to pep the belief of those around him just when they needed it and inspire Liverpool to a first Premier League victory since late February.
"It meant that for the first time in what seemed an eternity, the only sense of grievance nursed by supporters related to proposed increases in ticket prices rather than the performance on the pitch."
Andy Hunter, another ex-ECHO operative, looked in The Guardian at the demonstration by supporters against the proposed ticket price increases.
"There were no flags on display on the Kop as part of protests against Liverpool’s decision to increase most ticket prices for the next three seasons by the rate of inflation," he says.
"The removal of imagery that the club and broadcasters love to promote, along with a flat atmosphere for the most part, were pointed demonstrations of what could happen to Anfield should Liverpool drive away their traditional fanbase in favour of the tourist economy.
"One banner reading ‘No to ticket prices increases’ was paraded along the front of the Kop in the 14th minute, followed by a chant that bluntly told Liverpool’s owners where to stick their price rises."
Richard Jolly of The Independent compared further the impact of the two goalscorers.
"Even as eras draw to a close, others can start," he scribes. "If it is the beginning of the end for Mohamed Salah, it might be the beginning of something wonderful for Rio Ngumoha. Liverpool’s scorers in defeating Fulham were 33 and 17, one almost double the age of the other, the older man soon to be the past, the younger boy looking very much the future.
"As the farewell to Salah grows nearer but the introduction to Ngumoha shows there should be life in the forward line after the legend. On Salah’s first appearance at Anfield since he announced his departure, he was serenaded almost from the off – Andy Robertson, another of Jurgen Klopp’s great team who is heading for the exit, was hailed first – and the Egyptian king earned a further rendition of his song with his 256th Liverpool goal. Ngumoha’s was just his second. There are 254 between them.
"But then there has never been a bigger age gap between Liverpool goalscorers in a league game; the previous largest was between Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister."
Finally, the tall man Paul Gorst observed in the ECHO that overall this was a sight of the future for Liverpool.
"The legendary figures were serenaded, Mohamed Salah scored and Anfield felt as though it'd been transported back to a happier, more harmonious period at times here," he opines. "But make no mistake, this 2-0 win over Fulham provided enough evidence to suggest that Liverpool are entering a brand new era later this year.
"If Salah registering his 256th goal in trademark style was a perfect way to mark his first Anfield appearance since announcing he will leave at the end of the season, there was also the hearty celebration of Andy Robertson, who too confirmed this week that these are his own final knockings.
"And with Alisson Becker and his creaking muscles resting up on the sideline, Giorgi Mamardashvili's appearance in goal was another nod to the future. The need for a new guard to emerge is inescapable as two of the greatest ever in Salah and Robertson prepare to say their emotional goodbyes."