Emile Heskey, who scored twice in a 4-3 midweek League Cup win over Rovers, gave Liverpool a 17th-minute lead, while French striker Louis Saha levelled for Fulham just before the break.

But the match swung Liverpool's way in the last three minutes when their French substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle was first tripped by Zat Knight for the penalty and later brutally felled by Luis Boa Morte's knee-high challenge, earning the Portuguese forward a red card.

"We kept believing we could get a result and I'm pleased we managed to do it," said Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier.

As for promising Sinama-Pongolle, who turned 19 a fortnight ago, Houllier said: "He's not the finished article by far but he's quick and can score goals. If he hadn't been fouled, I'm sure he would have scored."

For Fulham boss Chris Coleman, whose men beat United at Old Trafford last week and who dominated Sunday's second half, the feelings were easily summed up.

"Disappointed," he told Sky Sports. "It looked liked we were going to get a point and I think that probably would have been a fair result, but that's football."

As for the red card, Coleman said: "It was a horrendous challenge by Luis Boa Morte.

"I back up my players every time but he deserved a red card and we were lucky their lad got up and got on with the game because it could have been a lot more serious."

The win moved Liverpool up to seventh place on 17 points, one place behind Fulham, who have 18.

In the other game, goals in the final quarter of an hour from Marcus Bent and Steve Howey enabled Leicester to leapfrog both Leeds and Blackburn with their second win of the season.

The visitors had enjoyed the better of the opening period during which Dwight Yorke squandered a glorious opportunity to put them ahead. Played in by strike partner Andy Cole, Yorke contrived to blast his shot from 12 yards over the bar.

Blackburn were made to pay for that miss 15 minutes from the end when Bent connected with a Muzzy Izzet free-kick to beat Brad Friedel.

Howey then spared the home supporters a nerve-wracking finale by scoring from close range after Jamie Scowcroft had headed the ball back across the area.