Silva believed that the penalty should have been overturned by VAR, as he fails to understand how it stood.
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Fulham fell to a lone penalty in the first half against an in-form Liverpool side in the Premier League. The visitors gave good account for themselves by making life extremely difficult for the home side at Anfield. Fulham were resilient and did not allow Jurgen Klopp’s side to run away with the game. In the end, a first half penalty converted by Mohamed Salah proved to be the difference. Fulham manager Marco Silva was happy with his team’s performance but felt that they could have gotten more from the game.
In fact, Silva believed that the penalty should have been overturned by VAR, as he fails to understand how it stood. In his post-match press conference he was asked if it is ‘difficult to lose in that manner.’ Silva, quoted by their club’s website, said, “Let’s talk first about the whole game, and after I will give my thoughts on it. Clearly we deserved more from the game. For me it’s clear. We knew when we came here that Liverpool were in a very good run, unbeaten last six, four wins in a row.”
“We had some problems, and off the ball they created some problems for us. They play too many times inside our block and we planned to be a little bit more compact, we had some problems in certain areas, they arrive sometimes too easy in certain areas, that we didn’t like. But first 25 minutes, I have to say that we did well on the ball. Every time we took the ball from the press and we attacked them.”
Silva was also happy with the chances Fulham created despite Liverpool having more possession of the ball. “I think we created good moments and probably the chances could be even more clear if the last decision was different. Harry Wilson had two good moments – the first moment he should analyse that situation much better. Very good save from Alisson with that chance from Vinicius as well. Of course, Liverpool had their chances, and good chances, during the first half, always dangerous moments around our box, more possession than us,” he explained.
Fulham manager is at loss for words to describe how that penalty was given nor how VAR did not overturn that call. “But coming to half-time losing 1-0, the way they scored the goal, I have to say that it’s embarrassing. To give the penalty like that, and after the VAR didn’t [change] that penalty, I cannot understand this, it’s difficult really to understand. It’s difficult, almost impossible to understand that penalty,” he stated.
Silva was satisfied with their second half response and felt they deserved more from the game. “Second half [there was a] reaction from ourselves, and some good moments from Liverpool as well. Middle of the second half they started to lose many, many balls in some moments and we explored some good counter attacks as well,” he added.
“I think we had two clear chances – great save from Alisson in that one-v-one situation with Vinicius, a good counter attack from us, and last minute the chance for Bobby. Liverpool had their chances as well during the second half but, looking overall for the game, I think we deserve much more. And to lose in that manner, as you said, is really difficult for us to understand, but we cannot control that situation and I prefer to focus on what I can control.”
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