Fulham wins 1-0 at Liverpool in Premier League

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Martin Skrtel's own goal condemned Liverpool to a 1-0 loss to Fulham on Tuesday, maintaining the team's dreadful home form in the Premier League this season.

The Slovakia defender turned a fiercely struck cross from former Liverpool player John Arne Riise into his own net in the fifth minute, inflicting a third loss on Kenny Dalglish's side in its past four matches at Anfield.

The 18-time champions have won just five of 18 home matches in the league and are likely to finish below Merseyside rival Everton, which is three points ahead in seventh place after a 1-1 draw at Stoke on Tuesday.

Dalglish made nine changes to the team that beat Norwich 3-0 on Saturday, giving fringe players a chance to stake a claim ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea. Liverpool will be seeking a second trophy this season, having already won the League Cup.

Without Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Pepe Reina, the hosts were short of star quality, although Fulham needed to defend stoutly to clinch its first topflight win at Liverpool.

"I am culpable as well as I changed a lot of players to try to give everyone an opportunity to get in the frame for Saturday," Dalglish said.

"I suppose by doing that it was a contributory factor to what happened, but you can only be fair. I tried to be fair and give everyone an opportunity — maybe I was wrong."

Liverpool pressed hard for an equalizer, with Brede Hangeland clearing off the line following a shot from Jonjo Shelvey late in the first half, while striker Andy Carroll also spurned chances and Dirk Kuyt volleyed just wide from 20 yards (meters).

Karim Frei nearly made it 2-0 when he hit the post in the second half for Fulham, which drew level on points with eighth-place Liverpool with two matches remaining.

Manager Martin Jol wasn't there to see it, the Dutchman missing a second straight match because of a chest infection.

"Hopefully I'll have a better conversation with him than I did after the game on Saturday, and that performance will cheer him up a bit," said first-team coach Billy McKinlay, who also stood in for Jol after the 4-0 loss at Everton on Saturday.