Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson was shown a right red card by referee Tony Harrington in the 16th minute, five minutes after Andreas Pereira opened the scoring for the visitors.
The Scottish defender fouled Harry Wilson and was shown a straight red. There was a long wait as VAR confirmed whether Wilson was offside.
Liverpool held by Fulham
Arne Slot’s side were not in action last weekend after the Merseyside derby was postponed due to bad weather.
Their last Premier League clash was a frustrating 3-3 draw, and they were hoping to get back to winning ways, but the Cottagers were expected to be a tough nut to crack.
Andreas Pereira scored after a perfect cross from Antonee Robinson. Cody Gakpo equalised for the hosts early in the second half, per Sky Sports.
Rodrigo Muniz gave Marco Silva’s side the lead in the 76th minute bus substitute Diogo Jota scored an equaliser late in the game. However, the home side were unable to find a winner.
Liverpool remain top of the Premier League with 36 points after 15 games but Chelsea could cut their lead to two points on Sunday.
Why Robertson saw red
The defender failed to notice Wilson, who was lurking behind him, waiting for a long ball on the right-hand side.
Robertson thought he had more time, but when he took a first touch, Wilson robbed him of the ball, and the Scot fouled him.
The referee took his time and showed him a straight red card. However, the VAR took several minutes to confirm an offside call.
The Premier League match centre offered an explanation for the decision.
The Reds, who are aiming to solidify their spot on top of the Premier League, are starting to drop points despite a flawless start to the season.
Issa Diop escaped a red card early in the game after fouling Robertson, a decision Liverpool fans disagreed with.
Why Caicedo escaped red card
LEgit earlier reported that Moises Caicedo avoided a red card for a potentially dangerous tackle on Pape Matar Sarr.
The referee, Anthony Taylor, and the VAR team reviewed the incident and decided against issuing a red card, deeming the challenge unworthy of further punishment