Nine-man Reds crash to defeat

Liverpool suffered their fifth defeat in the Premeir League, going down 3-1 at Fulham.

While the hosts made the most of their opportunties, Liverpool did not help themselves and Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, is sure to be quizzed at length over why he subsituted Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun before their vital Champions League game away to Lyons next week.
 
Bobby Zamora netted his third league goal of the season to put Fulham in front midway through the first half. Liverpool equalised though Fernando Torres just before half-time, but their cause was not helped when afte rthe break Benitez controversially pulled Fernando Torres from the field, replacing him with Ryan Babel.
 
Fulham regained the lead midway through the second half when Erik Nevland nudged home from close range.
 
Zamora went very close to extending Fulham's lead a few minutes later but his shot went wide after good work from Zoltan Gera. Benitez then took off another first-team regular, Benayoun, and replaced him with 18-year-old Nathan Eccleston.
 
Things went from bad to worse for Liverpool when Philipp Degen was controversially red-carded in the 79th minute for diving into a tackle with Clint Dempsey.
 
Just when it couldn't get any worse for Liverpool it did with Jamie Carragher was also sent from the field for holding Zamora back when he was through on goal.
 
Fulham rubbed salt into Liverpool's wound taking a 3-1 lead in the 87th minute after Clinton Dempsey latched on to a square ball from Erik Nevland.
 
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