Source: Telegraph
Liverpool 0 Fulham 0: match report
There was no Fernando Torres at Anfield and there will be no Champions League football at the venue next season as Liverpool's faint chances of finishing fourth were all but extinguished on an afternoon of bitter frustration. [LNB]Rafa Benitez's team carved out a string of chances but French striker David Ngog, making a rare start in place of Torres, failed to impress as the battle of England's last remaining European survivors ended in tedious stalemate. [LNB]Fulham v Chelsea previewIf this was a dress rehearsal for the Europe League final next month then it is to be hoped that these two teams conjure up more entertainment in Hamburg on May 12 than they produced on Merseyside. [LNB]It was ironic that the game was sponsored by the Spanish Tourist Board because both teams looked in desperate need of a holiday. [LNB]Having run themselves into the ground in order to reach of the semi-finals of the Europa League in midweek, Liverpool and Fulham cancelled one another out in a first half devoid of genuine entertainment. [LNB]Even without Torres, who was nursing a knee strain, Liverpool ought to have had enough firepower to have seen off a Fulham side that had gone 15 matches without an away win in the league. [LNB]Yet the scorer of 18 goals in 22 Premier League outings was missed more than Benitez hoped as David Ngog struggled to fill the void left by the Spanish striker. [LNB]It was no coincidence that the most crucial saves that Mark Schwarzer had to make were from Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel. [LNB]Fulham's keeper was forced to dive full stretch to beat away Mascherano's 32nd minute drive from long range while the Australian international was at his best when he kept out a powerful 63rd minute effort by Babel. [LNB]Liverpool will complain strongly that they should have been playing against 10 men for 55 minutes after Jonathan Greening's cynical challenge on Glen Johnson in front of the Kop in the 35th minute. [LNB]Greening had earlier been booked for a foul on Johnson, but to Benitez's obvious anger, referee Andre Marriner decided a stern lecture - not a second yellow - was appropriate on this occasion. [LNB]The truth is Liverpool were a shadow of the side that had swept aside Benfica three days earlier and lacked a cutting edge in the absence of Torres.[LNB]
