Liverpool 0-1 Fulham – Carabao Cup semi-final: Live score and updates as Willian pounces on Virgil van Dijk error to give Cottagers shock lead as Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott come in for Trent and Mo Salah

The veteran Dutch centre-back failed to deal with a bouncing ball whilst tustling with Fulham’s striker Raul Jimenez.

Consequently, Pereira manages to sneak in behind and play a ball to former Chelsea and Arsenal forward Willian.

Against Klopp’s young pups, it’s the veteran who has the edge. Much to the delight of the ‘Carling Cup’ crowd, I assume.

Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Liverpool dressing room as Klopp vents his fury. They’ve had full control of the match for almost the entire 45 minutes, but the scoreline says otherwise.

That being said, Fulham have been terrific at keeping Liverpool subdued and off pace, and both teams are all but level on xG.

Distressing scenes for Fulham as the players head down the tunnel – captain Reed is prone on the turf, and looks deeply distressed, after being clattered by Kelleher keen to get his goalkick away quickly.

Van Dijk concedes another freekick, which Leno steps up to take, hoofing the ball almost straight to Kelleher.

We’ll have three minutes of added time, for all of Pereira’s rolling on the Anfield turf.

Jurgen Klopp is apoplectic on the touchline after the referee pulls the side back for a Liverpool freekick on the halfway line, proverbial steam almost visible coming out of his ears.

He’s right to be frustrated – the Reds have had terrible trouble making their way through Fulham, and things are made worse by the visitors making good headway in the other direction.

From the top of the box, Pereira sends in a flyer, but it’s an easy save for Kelleher.

Fulham have to shoot back to defend when Liverpool end their attacking stint, but make it in good time to again frustrate Liverpool’s progress going forward.

Mac Allister ploughs the freekick straight into the wall, who barely had to jump, and Fulham seize the moment to set off for a quick counter.

Willian with the ball encounters Bradley, who stops him in his tracks but forces the ball out for a throw.

When it flies back into play, Decordova-Reid controls the ball down in the box but takes too long for the second touch – the ball is charged off for a corner, taken quickly with little pay-off.

Liverpool win a corner after Jones skillfully tangles with Castagne, and they take it short. Elliot passes off to Jones, but his ensuing shot is knocked off target for another corner.

This one Mac Allister sends swinging in, and Leno has to punch the effort away from danger. As Liverpool battle to win back the ball north of the box, Jimenez’s collison with Jota hands the hosts a freekick.

Fulham looked to get away again, but a run from Robinson was quickly thwarted before Liverpool went back to the business of threatening in the Cottagers’ half.

But they’re making slow progress of it… Liverpool haven’t had stand-out chances, for all of their energy.

Pereira is back on his feet and it’s fair to say he might be able to see out the remainder of the match.

Bradley looks to probe down the right as Liverpool go hunting for their leveller, but the Reds are repelled back to the halfway line by a fired-up Fulham side.

Pereira is down after being caught by Van Dijk’s arm, and he writhes and clutches his face with dare I say the lightest of theatrics.

Van Dijk picks up the first yellow, as his opponent is tended to on the pitch.

It does not appear, at first glance, to be the most significant challenge…

Well, that gives the hosts something to chew on, and immediately they look to respond, flooding into the Fulham box with Jota the sharp prong of their attack.

His eventual strike flies just over the bar, but the play is later flagged offside. But Liverpool are keen to get even, fast.

Entirely against the run of play, as Fulham have only just made their first foray in some time into the Liverpool half.

But a fumbling from Van Dijk sees the visitors pounce and Willian skitters through a cluttered box to fire at Kelleher and put the visitors ahead!

First class from the former Chelsea man!

Jota looks to set up Diaz at the far post, or even out-fox Leno himself with a sharply angled ball into the box bisects the six-yard box, but the Colombian can’t get hold of it and has to muddle the ball back into the centre of the visitors’ half to reset their attack.

Liverpool are turning things up a notch, and pay off doesn’t seem too far away.

It’s been one-way traffic into Fulham’s half for the last five minutes, and when the Cottagers do get their hands on the ball, they’re stuck in counter-pressing quicksand.

Respite comes in the form of a freekick on the right, which allows them to touch grass in their opposition’s half.

Willian gets the furthest on the left, but he screws his cross to a waiting Robinson and is quickly smothered by massing red-shirted defenders.

Gomez, on his 200th appearance for the Reds, sends a funky cross way over the crossbar, likely not its intended target.

But Fulham have to cut their mockery short when Leno slips getting his goalkick away, slapstick style.

Bradley shows some early feistiness as he sets up another Liverpool half-chance rounding the box to fire in a cross. He’s tracked well and can’t find his target, but the youngster already looks hungry.

Liverpool are looking more comfortable here, but play halts after Pereira is tumbled in his own half. The freekick goes Liverpool’s way, however.

Fulham look to set up a break through over the halfway line, but after Willian in acres of space is ignored by Jimenez, it’s Liverpool who pull off a more successful counter, scything through the visitors’ midfield.

Jones tries from distance and it’s a simple save for Leno, but the travellers looked momentarily exposed with relative ease from the hosts.

Elliott receives a hearty round of boos from the travelling support, still sore from their abandonment in 2019.

Liverpool have hold of the ball now, and the forward tries to loft a ball to his waiting team-mates just north of the box, but it’s blocked back by a rigid Fulham defence.

Fulham keep possession early but barely have a chance to get out of their half by a buzzy Liverpool side.

It’s stop-start in the early moments, as Fulham look for a route down the right and the ball keeps on bobbing out of play.

It’s the visitors who start us off – let the second first-leg tie begin!

Roared out by a spirited Anfield crowd. The crooning of You’ll Never Walk Alone begins… we’re moments from kick-off!

Good player. Do we have an alternative, by the way?

He’s a top boy. Pre-season, before he got injured, was really impressive. we always knew we wanted to use him when he was fit, now he’s fit and the others are not.

What kind of test is a trip to Liverpool at home? ‘The most difficult or one of the most difficult in this country. Everyone knows what it means to play here.

‘But we are aware of everything.’

On whether it’s the right time to meet Liverpool in light of their absences: ‘I don’t lose time looking at it. Last month we played against them in their top form, and you know what kind of game we played.

‘We have have to play at our best level, and we have to get a result that means we can finish the job at home.’

Jimenez getting off on the right foot, quite literally.

Pre-injury Raul Jimenez was a very, very good player and a forward who always looked dangerous. He’s taken time to get back but now it seems like he has found the right fit. Right place, right manager and he is getting back that self belief.

The former Wolves forward has looked excellent this mid-winter, scoring four in his last four appearances, including the equaliser that helped Fulham kick on to victory against Arsenal in their last league run-out.

A line-up of Liverpool’s absentee players has sent a jolt of shock through fans on social media.

Due to injuries, the Africa Cup of Nations, and the Asia Cup, Liverpool will be without some of the world’s best players and other seasoned first-teamers.

You’d be forgiven for feeling a mix of optimism and despair if you were a Liverpool fan…

Bradley has made just five appearances for Liverpool this season, but more than held his own against Arsenal during his last run-out under Klopp.

The 20-year-old first joined the club’s academy from Northern Ireland youth side Dungannon Swifts in 2019, making his senior team debut in this competition in 2021.

After spending last season on loan at Bolton, Bradley is no doubt hungry for minutes, and Alexander-Arnold’s loss could be his gain if he helps his side keep a foothold in the tournament after the first-leg.

I mean, from the start of the competion, we’ve taken it very seriously. We’ve been up against some good opponents. And I feel like we’ve put in a lot of good performances in this competition.

So to be so close to the final rewards our hard work and it gives us something to fight for.

Hopefully the Liverpool manager has not looked up the result for that particulary tie…

… that was a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane – but the Reds bagged two in the reverse fixture to progress all the same, and win the trophy a month later.

Fulham will hope the other side of the draw hasn’t set a precedent: travel north from west London and collapse completely.

Chelsea were outclassed by Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening, and have a lot to do if they have a hope of meeting either of tonight’s opponents at Wembley in February.

Read Mail Sport’s Craig Hope’s assesment below.

Liverpool’s weakened side is still an impressive force, but Klopp has had his arm twisted into making five changes from the side who faced Arsenal in their weekend FA Cup victory.

But having Virgil van Dijk back in the side is an obviously plus, and he slots back in to the starting XI with Kelleher, Jota, Gravenberch, and up-and-comer Conor Bradley, making just his second start of the season as he steps into Alexander-Arnold’s boots.

Fulham are more conservative with two changes from their side who faced Arsenal in the league, as Pereira, Reed, and Diop come back in for Bassey, Cairney, and Iwobi.

Liverpool are the tournament’s most successful side, having won the trophy – under a variety of different sponsorship names that do a good job of marking a football fan’s vintage – a mammoth nine times.

No doubt Jurgen Klopp will have eyes on making it a round number this year.

No January incoming signings yet, but one outgoing, as the Portugal international heads down a division for a six-month spell away from Merseyside.

You can read Mail Sport’s transfer expert Simon Jones’ report for more information, below

A particularly resplendent view of tonight’s venue, as Fulham look to become the first team to swipe victory at Anfield in 2024.

Only one team managed it in 2023: Real Madrid.

If Liverpool can successfully navigate this tricky period, then they might just realise their dreams this season…

It’s been just over a month since the two top-flight sides met at Anfield, and Jurgen Klopp will hope things go slightly more smoothly in the cup competition than they did in the league.

Liverpool snuck the win that day, but needed an 88th-minute winner to snare all three points from a feisty Fulham side that will have felt more than a little aggrieved at letting the tie slip through their fingers.

You can refresh your memory with Lewis Steele’s report from the day below.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the week’s second Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie as Fulham travel north to Anfield to face Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Last night’s Chelsea collapse at Middlesbrough has whetted the appetite for upsets: are Fulham capable of reaching their first-ever league cup final?

Stick around as we bring you all the build-up, team news, and more ahead of kick-off at 8pm.