Liverpool got lucky as they maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Fulham on Sunday.
Goals from Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri gave them victory at Anfield, but not after a tough opening 40 minutes when they could easily have fallen behind.
Ryan Sessegnon, the highly regarded Fulham midfielder, missed a good chance to give the Londoners a shock lead midway through the first half.
A flick by Aleksander Mitrovic put him clear but the teenager pulled his shot wide.
Then came the double blow to Fulham, who felt not only that Mitrovic was just onside when he headed in after a short-corner routine but that the ball was moving when goalkeeper Alisson took a freekick quickly.
DUBIOUS GOAL: Mo Salah. Photo: PETER POWELL/EPA
That allowed right back Trent Alexander-Arnold to release Salah down the flank and score after less than 15 seconds had elapsed between the ball being in the Liverpool net.
Fulham had tried to play offside in vain and their defending was poor again when the unmarked Shaqiri scored with a precise sidefooted volley from Andy Robertson’s cross.
HARD LUCK: Alex Mitrovic. Photo: PETER POWELL/EPA
That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors and the only surprise was that Jurgen Klopp's Merseyside did not further improve their goal difference.
Reds left-back Robertson said afterwards: “We scored a lot of goals last season but this season we have been solid at the back as well.
“It was a difficult first half but in the second half I thought we controlled the game.”