Liverpool are top of the Premiership, leapfrogging United by two points, and by all means, this season looks to go all the way to the wire.  
 
Ryan Babel found Steven Gerrard in the Fulham box,  and after a  ricochet off a Fulham defender, Yossi Benayoun was there to collect it, and with a thundering shot into the far post from an angle on the right, the ball went in for that priceless 1-0, and without a doubt, one of Liverpool’s most important goals of the campaign so far.
 
Liverpool dominated proceedings from the beginning, hitting the woodwork on four occasions in the first half alone.  In the first half, Liverpool had 14 attempts on goal, seven of them on target and four hitting the post, to Fulham’s zero attempts on the visitor’s goal.
 
Andrea Dossena struck the bar twice - each time with a header, Xabi Alonso volleyed against the bar and Fernando Torres dragged a shot against the post, in a spell of 45 minutes in which the hosts hardly crossed the centre line.

Kopites everywhere will wait in anticipation to see what will be United’s response on Sunday at Old Trafford against Aston Villa.
 
This is the third successive year that the Reds’ visit to Craven Cottage has occurred just before a Champions League clash with Chelsea. The massive European encounter next week, however, was not going to affect the concentration of Rafa Benitez’ troops however as the top position in the English premiership was up for grabs, at least for 24 hours, until United face Aston Villa on Sunday.

As the game went towards the last quarter of an hour, that Stoke City and Wigan feeling must have passed through the minds of Liverpool supporters as another frustrating afternoon was about to unfold, with many wasted opportunities and no goal.

Fulham did recover some ground in the second half and stood marginally better on the pitch, but it was really Liverpool dictating the proceedings throughout.

With injury time on and only a minute and a half left on the clock however,  Benayoun entered the fray, and the Israeli almost equalised without knowing much about it when he deflected a fierce cross from Gerrard inches wide. Less than 40 seconds later however, he was on target.
 
He popped up again on the right side of Fulham’s penalty area to fire an unstoppable shot past Schwarzer to give Liverpool what they deserved, a priceless goal and even immeasurable three points that keep Liverpool in check of Manchester United.
 
"We're gonna win the league," sang the travelling Spion Kop Army as the players left Craven Cottage. United's players and fans surely heard that on telly.

Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Dossena, Alonso, Leiva, Kuyt, Gerrard (captain), Torres. Subs - Benayoun, Babel, Riera, Ngog, Cavalieri, Mascherano, Agger
 
Fulham: Schwarzer, Konchesky, Hughes, Hangeland, Pantsill, Dempsey, Murphy (captain), Etuhu, Davies, Johnson, Zamora. Subs - Kamara, Nevland, Zuberbuhler, Dacourt, Gera, Kallio, Baird