'I saw Liverpool prove Arne Slot right with Rio Ngumoha reality now clear'

Arne Slot has desperately needed a routine 2-0 win for some time, and Liverpool delivered one against Fulham in the Premier League thanks to Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah's goals

Rio Ngumoha helped inject fresh energy for Liverpool against Fulham.(Image: ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images)

It was a day for Rio Ngumoha. It was a day when Mohamed Salah looked revived. But perhaps most importantly, it was a day when Arne Slot’s moves paid off.

Against PSG at the Parc des Princes a few days ago, the Reds changed to a back five and looked passive. They didn’t get hammered and had a tiny hope of turning things around on Tuesday, but that was much more by luck than judgment.

In contrast here, there were positive signs. Liverpool looked more confident and it looked like it wanted to prove a point. It was clearly a group of players behind the cause, and it is quite simple: if Slot is blamed for defeats, he should be praised for the victories.

On this occasion, he found a winning formula. Too often this season, Liverpool has been passive in the first period, drifting along before being caught out later on. But not here.

"The onus is on us to perform for you," Slot wrote in the matchday program, and his players did. "This has been easier said than done so far this season of course, but hopefully today we can do what is required before moving on to the next challenge."

You can argue, correctly, that the second half wasn’t as good — Fulham had enough chances to score, for sure — but the context is key: this time, Liverpool had earned an advantage to hold onto.

Rio Ngumoha celebrates scoring Liverpool's opening goal against Fulham in the Premier League.(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Rio Ngumoha led the way, but Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah impressed too. Suddenly, they were coming to life alongside a Jeremie Frimpong who looked sharp and an Andy Robertson who was determined to leave a mark.

Liverpool had multiple players capable of injecting some life into its attack — a stark contrast to when Hugo Ekitike was so isolated midweek and Wirtz was given the impossible task of taking on PSG on his own.

Ngumoha wasn't perfect, by any stretch — he still has a lot to learn defensively, for instance — but he took his goal brilliantly and was a magnet for the ball.

"Coming to Anfield and getting three points, it's a great feeling," he told Sky Sports. "The atmosphere was great again, so it's a positive day."

Salah, meanwhile, scored his 256th for Liverpool with a trademark finish. The Egyptian had more touches than any attacking player on the pitch and had an extra pep to his step.

There was a renewed energy to Liverpool — something you wouldn’t expect after a grueling week — and that freshness was clearly welcome.

And whether for their head coach or for themselves, Liverpool’s players need a strong finish to the season to get back into the Champions League.

Liverpool was not perfect against Fulham, but it was a performance that offered some hope — and maybe even a blueprint for the future. After such a bruising week, no one could have realistically asked for anything more than that.