Rio Ngumoha Becomes Youngest Anfield Scorer as Liverpool Defeat Fulham 2-0

Liverpool ended a three-match losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, April 11, 2026, as 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha scored the opening goal in the 36th minute to become the club's youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer at Anfield at 17 years and 225 days. Mohamed Salah doubled the lead four minutes later with his 256th goal for the club, a first-time finish curled into the far corner. The win lifted Liverpool to fifth in the table on 52 points, four ahead of sixth-place Chelsea, with five Champions League places available next season. Head coach Arne Slot had faced mounting pressure following a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final and a 2-0 first-leg loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals. The result provided the club its first league win since late February.

Ngumoha dazzles Castagne, breaks Raheem Sterling's record Ngumoha, making only his second Premier League start, broke a 14-year record that had previously belonged to Raheem Sterling, according to The Guardian. The teenager received a pass from Florian Wirtz on the left flank, dazzled Fulham right-back Timothy Castagne with a series of step-overs, and curled a precise finish around Joachim Andersen into the far corner. Slot drew a direct comparison between the teenager's technique and that of his more experienced teammate. „He has such a special quality you don't see very often in football anymore, dominating the one-v-one situations. That's what he did when he scored his goal, making the ball free by twisting and turning and then hitting it in like a Mo Salah finish.” — Arne Slot via The Independent Andy Robertson, who is himself expected to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, praised the youngster after the match. „He just keeps learning and listening, he's such a good kid. He's got a big future ahead of him, but here and now is pretty good as well.” — Andy Robertson via Reuters Slot confirmed after the game that Ngumoha could be in contention to start Tuesday's Champions League second leg against PSG at Anfield, when Liverpool must overturn a two-goal deficit.

Ngumoha's goal at Anfield was his second for Liverpool overall, his first having come as a 16-year-old in a dramatic late winner at Newcastle in August 2025, which made him the club's youngest scorer at that time. According to The Independent, the age gap between Ngumoha and Salah as goalscorers in Saturday's match was the largest between two Liverpool scorers in a league game, surpassing a previous record set by Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister. Salah, who announced his departure from Anfield at the end of the current season after nine years at the club, now has 108 Premier League goals at Anfield, second only to Thierry Henry's 114 at Highbury in the competition's history, according to Reuters.

Salah's farewell season milestone, Robertson also heading for exit Salah's goal was only his sixth in the Premier League this season, a sharp contrast to the 29 he scored in last season's title-winning campaign, according to RTE. After netting, the 33-year-old tapped a hand to his Liverpool shirt crest and waved to the crowd in what Reuters described as a poignant gesture given his impending departure. Robertson, another of the club's long-serving players set to leave at the end of the season, made his first appearance since announcing his own exit and was loudly saluted by the Anfield crowd. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno had little chance of stopping either goal, with both finishes curled into the far corner. Midfielder Curtis Jones was forced off during the match with a groin injury and Slot confirmed he was doubtful for the PSG second leg. 256 (goals) — Mohamed Salah's total goals for Liverpool Fulham, who sit 11th in the table on 44 points, rallied in the second half but could not convert, with Emile Smith Rowe's effort flying just wide and a Sasa Lukic goal ruled out for offside.

Fan protest strips Kop of its flags over ticket price hike The match took place against a backdrop of supporter protests directed at Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, over a decision to increase most ticket prices for the next three seasons by the rate of inflation. Fans on the Kop withheld their customary flags and banners, and a call to buy and consume all food and drink outside the ground was widely observed, according to The Guardian. One banner reading "No to ticket prices increases" was paraded along the front of the Kop in the 14th minute, accompanied by chants directed at the club's ownership. The Guardian noted that the removal of imagery the club and broadcasters rely on was a pointed demonstration of what could happen to Anfield's atmosphere should the club's traditional fanbase be priced out. Despite the subdued atmosphere, the crowd responded warmly to both Ngumoha's breakthrough and Salah's strike. Slot acknowledged before the match that he felt support from the club's owners and insisted he also felt backing from the fans, though the New York Times reported that a section of supporters remained unconvinced about his long-term suitability as manager.

Liverpool, Fulham