“It’s a Manchester derby,” seethed former United captain Gary Neville on Sky Sports after the dull goalless draw at Old Trafford. “It should have more blood, thunder, risk, and courage involved in playing the game.

“The congratulations and love-in I’m watching says both teams are happy with 0-0. It looks like it’s Sunday afternoon and they’re going to go for a roast dinner together now.”

United head coach Ruben Amorim has not been in England long but the former Sporting boss has worked a few things out.

“I understand everything,” he said. “Gary Neville is critical about everything. I understand that part.”

The problem for Silva is that this is not how Fulham have played all season. It is not even how Fulham have played all week.

This win was a tonic after a really poor eight days for the Cottagers. Last weekend, the atmosphere on the banks of the Thames was very different as Fulham were dumped out of the FA Cup in the quarter-finals by Crystal Palace. They were also beaten at Arsenal in midweek.

But the Gunners are now the only top-four side Fulham have not beaten in the league this season. Against this, they have dropped points at home to three of the current bottom four – losing 4-1 at Craven Cottage to Wolves, as well as drawing with Ipswich and Southampton.

Fulham’s past six league games have brought alternating wins and defeats – and it is that inconsistency which raises the biggest question as to how far Silva can take them.

“The reaction was great,” Silva told his post-match media conference, referencing recent bad results. “The energy was there, the high tempo. We picked the right moments to press, to play balls in behind; we showed great commitment and attitude from the first minute.

“This has been a week of big games for us, and in the first two, we did not get what we wanted. So to bounce back and give something back for the fans was important, because the atmosphere has been top level.”

For a decade and a half, that idyllic era seemed very far away for Fulham fans. But after a sun-soaked April day where they deservedly handed champions-elect Liverpool a first away league defeat of the season, they may start to believe those glory days may return.

Marco Silva’s class of 2025 have moved on to 48 points with the win over Liverpool, just five shy of the club’s record tally with seven league games still to play.

They sit eighth in the Premier League, firmly in the congested battle for Europe. Certainly Fulham are candidates for the Europa League – and potentially even more.

If this 3-2 win over Liverpool was the only Fulham game you saw this season, you would believe they could be a Champions League side. Silva’s men were good value for the win, and could have been further in front following a first half where – an Alexis Mac Allister wonder goal aside – they were rampant.

Fulham pressed Liverpool relentlessly, like few sides have this campaign. Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, so often like granite, cracked under the relentless work-rate of Rodrigo Muniz, whose status as feared Premier League front man will astonish those who witnessed a failed loan stint at Middlesbrough.

Konate was caught out after six minutes trying to turn on the ball in his own area, and Liverpool were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Caoimhin Kelleher looked to have fouled Muniz. He was subbed in the second half after a torrid afternoon.

For the third goal, Muniz beautifully pulled a ball from the sky and finished low through Kelleher as Van Dijk was left standing by the Brazilian.