Jurgen Klopp and all his acolytes at Liverpool breathed a voluble sigh of relief and revelled in the speciality first pumps as the Reds emerged from Craven Cottage with three points and a (mostly) confident performance.

A thrilling campaign, promising so much in Klopp's final hour, dissipated into dust after successive blows against Manchester United at Old Trafford and bleak Anfield defeats against Atalanta and Crystal Palace, resulting in a surprise Europa League exit and Manchester City's ascent to pole position in the Premier League.

But against Fulham on Sunday, a much-shuffled Liverpool side secured a big win ahead of a pivotal week of top-flight action, with away trips to Everton in the Merseyside derby and West Ham United next weekend looming.

Winning against an organised Fulham side has taken Liverpool back into second place with five matches to play, though Klopp's team is behind Arsenal on goal difference and ahead of Manchester City having played a game extra, Pep Guardiola's squad on FA Cup duty last weekend.

Ryan Gravenberch's sublime strike after the break restored the lead after the break, while the clinical Diogo Jota scored to make it 3-1 yet again, but it was the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold to the starting line-up in the Premier League that set Liverpool on their way. He's back. And it is glorious.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance vs Crystal Palace

He has been out injured for much of 2024 but if ever Liverpool and English football needed a reminder of Alexander-Arnold's elite ball-striking ability it was his stunning free-kick after 32 minutes, his nonchalant shrugging celebration an illustration of his unwavering belief in his ability.

As per FBref, the England international ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, remarkable numbers really for a man allegedly playing in a defensive position. His role is anything but, however.

Indeed, his goal against Fulham has also taken his seasonal tally up to three goals and nine assists from just 24 appearances in all competitions, with pundit Jamie Carragher even remarking that "it's like having Kevin De Bruyne at right-back" during his post-match discussion with Sky Sports.

He's such a distinctive, near-unstoppable threat at his best, and while he didn't produce the perfect performance, occasionally caught out in defence, the Reds vice-captain's return is an ominous sign that Liverpool will fight with fire to snatch at any hiccups from title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal.

But Alexander-Arnold wasn't the most important cog against Marco Silva's disciplined outfit – nor were fellow goalscorers Jota and Gravenberch. Neither, in fact, was Harvey Elliott the star of the show, albeit the young and versatile playmaker put in another excellent showing.

Wataru Endo, while out of sorts recently, is now undroppable after showcasing his quality in golden light, proving his worth in the anchoring midfield role.

Why Wataru Endo is now undroppable

Endo has been one of the shrewdest signings of the Klopp era, joining from German club Stuttgart in a surprise £16m deal last August, Liverpool having bitterly lost out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.

Having established himself as a hard-working cog in the machine, he's soaked up the playing style and largely worked successfully to charge a resurgent side seeking title glory.

Minutes played

90'

Touches

86

Accurate passes

69/76 (91%)

Tackles

1

Interceptions

1

Clearances

2

Duels won

6/14

Dribble attempts

2/2

Possession lost

10x

Endo might have struggled to impress in recent weeks but then so too have the lion's share of the Liverpool squad, and this return to form came in no small part from the 31-year-old's revived constitution in the middle.

And against Fulham, he was so impressive as he fought with fervour and composure to maintain the Reds' control, completing 91% of his passes and taking more touches than both Elliott and Gravenberch – his starting central midfield peers.

While he lost possession ten times and only won six of his 14 contested duels, Endo has demonstrated once again the value of deploying a midfielder with the sole purpose of sweeping up possession and ensuring his teammates have a solid foundation from which they can build.

Alexis Mac Allister was rested for this one, likely with Klopp eyeing the key week to come, and while he is an immense and dynamic player who averages three tackles and 6.2 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, there is no question that his influential attributes are better placed higher up the pitch, where he has demonstrated his goalscoring and creative skills to emphatic effect in recent fixtures.

Liverpool Echo correspondent Ian Doyle was inclined to hand the Japanese a joint-match-high rating of 8/10, writing: 'Occasional issues keeping the ball in opening stages but always looked to get Liverpool on the attack, before really stepping up second half and key to fine showing. Won ball and moved it on quickly.'

He adds steel and security to the midfield operation and as Klopp's Liverpool enters its final few matches, this industrious No. 6 will be vital in doing the groundwork to allow those ahead of him to flourish in a more grabby, crowd-pleasing sense, striking and creating in the final third.

While Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones will be pushing for recalls at Goodison Park on Wednesday night – an encounter that will be fiery and furious – Endo must retain his starting berth.

His solvent-like quality at the base of the midfield opens up the success of his peers, and given the burning desire that is going to be on display from Sean Dyche's Toffees, his settling effect in the centre will surely be worth keeping him in the mix.

How quickly things can change in football. Liverpool have been pumped with a fresh wave of optimism and energy, though now the hard task lies in sustaining it.

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Jurgen Klopp provided the Reds rotation option with a rare chance to impress against Fulham.

ByDan Emery