Liverpool slumped to just their second Premier League defeat of the season as Fulham struck three times in 14 first-half minutes to boost their own European ambitions with a 3-2 win on Sunday.

Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday left Liverpool needing just 11 points from their final eight games to secure a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

Arne Slot’s men were unbeaten in 26 league games and looked set to take another step towards the title when Alexis Mac Allister’s stunning strike opened the scoring.

But poor defending allowed Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and Rodrigo Muniz to turn the game around for Fulham. Liverpool still enjoy an 11-point lead at the top with seven games remaining.

Victory lifts Fulham to eighth and within three points of the top five, which is almost certain to be enough for a place in next season’s Champions League.

Despite a stellar first season under Slot, Liverpool have shown signs of slowing down in recent weeks and came off the rails in west London. After a Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain and League Cup final defeat to Newcastle, Liverpool edged out Everton 1-0 in a feisty Merseyside derby on Wednesday to get back to winning ways.

But the Reds appear to be running out of steam after challenging in four competitions for most of the season.

Mac Allister’s blistering long range strike into the top corner after 14 minutes gave Liverpool the dream start.

The Reds wilted in the Craven Cottage sunshine, with a series of individual errors leading to Fulham’s three quickfire goals.

Curtis Jones, deputising out of position at right-back, failed to control Andreas Pereira’s cross and the ball fell kindly for Sessegnon to fire home his third goal in five games.

Andy Robertson then had a nightmare for Fulham’s second.

The Scotland captain gave away possession deep in Liverpool territory, then could only head an attempted clearance into the path of Iwobi, whose shot deflected in off Robertson.

The normally unflappable Virgil van Dijk was at fault for the third as Muniz outmuscled the Dutchman and produced a brilliant low finish under Caoimhin Kelleher.

Diogo Jota was denied by Bernd Leno early in the second half with a big chance to reduce Liverpool’s deficit.

It was not until Slot turned to his bench to introduce Luis Diaz, Connor Bradley and Harvey Elliott that the visitors sparked into life.

Mohamed Salah has not scored in his last four league games and wasted a big chance to break that drought when he turned Diaz’s inviting cross over.

Bradley teed up Diaz to find the bottom corner and set up a grandstand finish 18 minutes from time.

Elliott hit the bar against his former club as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser.

Fulham, though, stayed strong to see out six minutes of added time and delay Liverpool’s title celebrations.

Southampton relegated from EPL in record time

Southampton were relegated from the Premier League in record-setting time after a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday ended their brief stay in the top-flight.

Brennan Johnson struck twice in the first half and Mateus Fernandes’s late reply was too late to stop bottom of the table Southampton crashing back to the Championship.

Southampton are the first Premier League team to be relegated with seven matches still to play.

No top-four finish for Chelsea

Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw by their west London neighbours Brentford on Sunday, dealing a blow to the Blues in their hunt for a top-four finish that would guarantee them a spot in next season’s Champions League.