Liverpool falls to Fulham

LONDON (AP) ― Liverpool’s hopes of taking a morale-boosting victory into the FA Cup final were dashed thanks to a 1-0 home loss to Fulham on Tuesday, improving Everton’s chances of finishing above its Merseyside rival in the Premier League for the first time since 2005.

Everton drew 1-1 with Stoke in the night’s other match, putting David Moyes’ team three points above Liverpool with two rounds remaining.

Martin Skrtel’s own goal in the fifth minute means Liverpool has won only five of 18 league matches at Anfield, a ground once seen as a fortress in the 18-time champions’ heyday.

With Saturday’s final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in mind, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish made nine changes to the team that beat Norwich 3-0 on Saturday and it showed as Fulham came away with a first topflight win at Anfield.

“The attitude and desire wasn’t there,” Dalglish said. “It wasn’t a good night for us, me included.”

A powerfully driven cross by John Arne Riise, a former Liverpool player, hit the standing leg of Skrtel and squirmed past goalkeeper Alexander Doni.

Liverpool has now picked up just one point from its past four home games, against Wigan, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham ― teams it would typically expect to beat.

Everton was denied victory at Britannia Stadium when striker Cameron Jerome scored in the 69th minute for Stoke, canceling out Peter Crouch’s own goal a minute before halftime ― the 1,000th goal in the Premier League this season.

Jeonbuk advances

GUANGZHOU, China (AP) ― Two stoppage-time goals by Lee Dong-gook gave Jeonbuk Motors a 3-1 win at China’s Guangzhou Evergrande, giving the South Korean team a place in the last 16 of the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.

Jeonbuk, runner-up last season, moved to the top of Group H with the dramatic victory while Guangzhou’s chances of progressing will go down to the final matchday when it is away to Thailand’s Buriram United.

Buriram lost 1-0 at Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol but can still progress to the last round if results go its way on the final day. After five games, Jeonbuk has nine points, Kashiwa and Guangzhou have seven each and Buriram six.