Fulham will host Liverpool at Craven Cottage on Sunday, looking to dent the away side’s title hopes with a positive result at home.
Fulham have struggled against Liverpool in recent years, and they will look to set the record straight with a positive performance at home. The Reds have been quite vulnerable in their last few matches, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly.
Liverpool are coming into this game on the back of a defeat against Crystal Palace last week, and they were held to a draw against Manchester United prior to that. The Premier League title is slowly slipping away from their grip, and Liverpool must win this match to keep their hopes alive.
Meanwhile, Fulham have had a mediocre campaign, and they will want to finish strongly. Marco Silva will want to pile further misery on the Reds here, and it remains to be seen whether Fulham can pull off a morale-boosting win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
The home team do not have any injury problems, and Marco Silva should be able to select his strongest lineup for this game. Fulham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal.
In the back four, Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch, especially during counter-attacking situations. Tosin Adarabioyo, who has been linked with Liverpool, and Calvin Bassey will start as the central defenders.
In the midfield, Sasa Lukic will start alongside Joao Palhinha. The duo will look at physicality to the side. and they will also look to break up opposition attacks and protect the central defenders.
Andreas Pereira will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Alex Iwobi and Willian will feature in the wide areas. They will look to add flair and penetration from the flanks. Finally, Rodrigo Muniz will lead the line for the home team.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson; Palhinha, Lukic; Iwobi, Pereira, Willian; Muniz
Liverpool
Joel Matip misses out with a knee injury, while Thiago Alcantara has a hamstring issue, and Stefan Bajcetic is still working his way back to full fitness from his muscle injury. Conor Bradley has an ankle problem, and he will return to action in May.
Liverpool will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will start in the full-back areas, and they will look to help out in the attack and keep things compact defensively. Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
Wataru Endo will look to break down opposition attacks and protect the Liverpool defence. Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones will add creativity to the side. Finally, Darwin Nunez will lead the line for Liverpool against Fulham, with Mohamed Salah on his right and Luis Diaz on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Key Stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 12 of their last 17 visits to Craven Cottage.
- Fulham have won just one of their previous four Premier League games.
- Fulham have drawn their last three home matches against Liverpool in all competitions. Meanwhile, Liverpool are undefeated in 12 of their last 13 matches against Fulham in all competitions
- Liverpool have won five of their previous seven away games in all competitions. The Reds have also scored in 19 consecutive top-flight away fixtures
- Jurgen Klopp’s side have won only six of their last 18 Premier League matches in London.
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian international has not been at his best since his return from injury. Although he has managed to score against the likes of Manchester United and Atalanta in recent weeks, he will hope to bounce back strongly and make a considerable impact in the final third.
Liverpool will need SAlah to step up if they wants to grind out all three points here. The Reds’ talisman is our key player to watch out for, and he could take advantage of Fulham’s vulnerabilities.
Prediction
Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
Both teams will be desperate to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Neither side has been particularly good defensively, and an open contest is on the card here. 18 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams, and this one is likely to be a high scoring contest as well.
