Fulham initially surged ahead before halftime with Willian deftly maneuvering in the box to score. The visitors’ lead was a fitting reward for their formidable first-half display.
However, Liverpool turned the tide post-intermission, striking twice within minutes. A speculative shot from Curtis Jones at the 68-minute mark ricocheted off Tosin Adarabioyo, catching Fulham’s keeper Bernd Leno off guard for the equalizer.
Then, substitute Cody Gakpo seized a pass from Darwin Nunez and fired it home, triggering jubilation among the Liverpool faithful.
This marked the second occasion in just over a month that Fulham’s hopes of triumph at Anfield had been thwarted by Liverpool. During their last face-off on December 3rd in the Premier League, Marco Silva’s squad was ahead 3-2 with less than 10 minutes on the clock but ultimately faltered, losing 4-3.
The teams are set to clash again at Craven Cottage for the second leg on January 24th, where Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp’s guidance, will seek to maintain their position of advantage and pursue their ambition of clinching a historic 10th League Cup victory.
