Fulham's European dreams fade

With Fulham's 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool crowning a hattrick of consecutive defeats, Jean Tigana's side are finding it increasingly hard to remember that their likely midtable finish would have been thought a great achievement before this season began.

After all Liverpool scarcely set the world on fire on this match.

Their defence may be statistically the most miserly in the Premiership, but Fulham had plenty of chances and failed to convert any.

Liverpool's fourth successive away victory must finally have doused any glimmering embers of European qualifying hope for the west Londoners.

Goals from Nicolas Anelka and Jari Litmanen kept Liverpool in title contention.

Fulham never gave up, but yet again all their relentless endeavour came to nothing. Even Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson acknowledged that "things aren't going Fulham's way".

And Tigana's assistant Christian Damiano said: "We are not lucky. For most of the match it felt like we could get a draw at least. Instead we lost 2-0.

"But it has been the same story all season for us. Every time we get the minimum return for what we have done in the match."