Liverpool v Fulham player ratings: Jones 8, Nunez 7; Willian 7, Jimenez 5

Liverpool fought back from a goal down to beat Fulham 2-1 at Anfield in the League Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield on Wednesday. Fulham had taken a first-half lead through Willian's composed finish and could have made it 2-0 after the break had Bobby De Cordova-Reid squared the ball to teammate Andreas Pereira instead of going for goal himself and seeing his shot saved. It was to prove a key moment in the game as Curtis Jones levelled for Liverpool in the 68th minute with a deflected strike. Darwin Nunez set-up fellow substitute Cody Gakpo to score what turned out to be the winner on the night three minutes later. Nunez was also denied three times by good saves from Fulham goalkeeper Bern Leno meaning Liverpool will only have a one-goal advantage when they head to Craven Cottage for the second leg on January 24. “[Curtis Jones] got a very important goal to get us back in the game and after that I felt we really dominated, not only with possession but creating chances and then the second so I was happy,” Gakpo told Sky Sports after the match. “It's the mentality in the group, in the club, in the city, everyone is like this mentality of just keep going and it doesn't matter what happens and we showed that again today. If you have that mentality a lot of things can happen. “I love playing with these guys. We showed good mentality and have to keep going as it's only the first leg of this game.” Jurgen Klopp's men have now fallen behind in 14 games this season, but have lost just three and needed their powers of recovery once more after a sluggish first half. Fulham could not have wished for a better start when Willian opened the scoring on 19 minutes. Virgil van Dijk was at fault as his weak header was pounced on by Andreas Pereira. Willian then got the break of the ball inside the penalty area before firing through Van Dijk's legs beyond Caoimhin Kelleher. The Liverpool captain was then lucky to escape a second yellow card before half time as Van Dijk trod on Pereira. Fulham were again left to curse their fortune after the break, but the visitors were architects of their own downfall for not taking the chance to extend their lead. Klopp left his midfield wide open as he threw on Gakpo and Nunez to form a front four alongside Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. But before the home side turned the game around, Fulham had multiple opportunities to pick them off on the counter-attack. De Cordova-Reid wasted the best of them when he forced Kelleher into a comfortable save with Pereira begging for a cross. Liverpool were struggling to make their numbers in attacking areas count until Jones' long-range effort deflected off the unfortunate Tosin Adarabioyo and beyond the helpless Bernd Leno. Moments later the record nine-time League Cup winners led. The substitutes combined as Nunez's low cross was turned home by Gakpo at the near post. But Leno then won his personal duel with Nunez three times in the final 20 minutes to keep Fulham in the tie. The German goalkeeper was stretched by a towering header and blast from a tight angle by the Uruguayan. Leno's best stop, though, came five minutes from time when the former Arsenal goalkeeper spread himself to block from a narrow angle. “You cannot concede another goal, you have to manage the game,” said Fulham manager Marco Silva. “A fast counter attack away from home, drawing in a competition where you have the second game at home, you cannot concede. “The reality is that they score in that moment. But OK, they are winning 2-1 at half time, we have a game to play at home and we are for sure going to fight for it. We are going to do our best to play in the final.”

Caoimhin Kelleher 7/10

Liverpool v Fulham player ratings: Jones 8, Nunez 7; Willian 7, Jimenez 5

Merseysiders beat Fulham 2-1 in League Cup semi-final first-leg at Anfield