Liverpool's bid for this season's Barclays Premier League title has been thrown into further doubt with a 3-1 defeat at Fulham.
A half-strength Reds side suffered their fifth league defeat of the season and were reduced to nine men after Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher were dismissed in the final 15 minutes.
Due to a mini injury crisis at Anfield, Rafael Benitez's side travelled to the capital without several key players. Six key players were ruled out for the game, forcing the Spaniard to choose Sotirios Kyrgiakos as Carragher's defensive partner.
Degen was handed his first league start in place of the sidelined Glen Johnson whilst Andriy Voronin partnered Fernando Torres up front in the absence of captain Steven Gerrard.
The Ukrainian was handed a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the opening minutes of the match but failed to connect with Degen's cross deep in the Cottagers' area. Yossi Benayoun, the hero of last year's fixture at Craven Cottage, went closer when he crashed a half-volley against Mark Schwarzer's crossbar from inside the area.
Two minutes later Fulham were in front thanks to Bobby Zamora. The former West Ham man ghosted into the box virtually unnoticed and was given the simplest of finishes after meeting Damien Duff's low cross.
Despite falling behind, Liverpool saw more of the ball but failed to create chances. Three minutes from the break that dominance was rewarded when Torres fired home. The Spaniard netted his second goal in as many league games when he blasted a right-footed volley past Schwarzer after being laid off by Voronin.
Roy Hodgson sent on Zoltan Gera and Erik Nevland after half-time in a bid to gain momentum and it paid off on 73 minutes after Dirk Kuyt gave away possession when he tried to stop the ball running out of play. Paul Konchesky burst down the wing and angled across over to the far post which Gera nodded down into the path of Nevland to give the home side the lead again.
Having taken off Torres on the hour mark, Benitez opted for a more attacking approach and sent on Academy graduate Nathan Eccleston as Liverpool went on an all-out offensive.
Shortly after 18-year-old had taken to the field he was involved in the build-up to the Reds being reduced to ten men. A failed one-two with Degen saw the Swiss defender make a dangerous lunge at Clint Dempsey, leaving referee Lee Mason with no option but to brandish a red card. Jamie Carragher was giving his marching orders not long after Degen had walked when he pulled down Zamora as the last man in the visitors' defence and was also given a straight red.
Three minutes from time Fulham added a third with Dempsey allowed to burst through the Liverpool back line and slot home after Reina had punched the ball clear from a Konchesky corner.
Benitez reflected on the defeat and insisted that he would be appealing against both sendings off.
He said: "For me, the first one with Degen was a yellow card, and with the second one it was clear that Carra was kicking the ball and not Zamora. I watched the replay and it is clear.
"We will try to appeal against both red cards because for me it's very clear that Carra was kicking the ball and the other one Degen was not kicking the player.
"It was difficult to take but it was a good response from the nine players who worked hard, but always it's very difficult to come back against 11 players.
"We now have a difficult game against Lyon. My concern now is we have too many injuries and we have to analyse which players will be available for Wednesday.
"All the managers want to win games and when you are not winning you have to analyse why, and we are doing this.
"Everyone saw the game against United and you saw we have confidence and we can do it.
"It's a question of taking your chances when you create them and don't make massive mistakes like today and give a lift to the other team.
"We have to be calm, keep working hard and find solutions."
Final score: Fulham 3-1 Liverpool
Fulham: Schwarzer, Konchesky, Hangeland, Hughes, Pantsil, Dempsey, Baird, Greening (Etuhu), Duff (Nevland), Kamara (Gera), Zamora. Subs not used: Kelly, Riise, Smalling, Zuberbuhler
Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Degen, Benayoun (Eccleston), Leiva, Mascherano, Kuyt (Ayala), Torres (Babel), Voronin. Subs not used: Dossena, Gulacsi, Plessis, Spearing
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