Liverpool resumes their Premier League ventures with a crucial trip to London to lock horns against Fulham at the Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Meanwhile, The Cottagers are comfortably positioned in the mid-table 12th spot, having gathered seven points from their previous five league fixtures with two wins, two defeats, and a draw. Last week, they secured a notable victory by edging past local rivals West Ham United with a 2-0 triumph at London Stadium, where Andreas Pereira netted a brace.
Fulham vs Liverpool: Match Preview
European Setback for the Reds
Meanwhile, Liverpool was crashed out of Europe by Serie A club Atalanta this midweek, despite securing a 1-0 win in the second leg of their tie in Bergamo. This victory, however, wasn’t enough to overturn the 3-0 deficit from a frustrating first-leg defeat at home in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal.
Moreover, they have slipped to third place in the Premier League after an 11-week tenure at the top. The Reds suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in their previous league outing, which ended their 29-game unbeaten streak at Anfield. With just one victory in their last five league matches, Liverpool faces a challenging period with just six games left to play this season.
It will be a crucial clash for the visitors from Merseyside as they seek three points to stay in contention for the title race. Meanwhile, Fulham will be looking to take advantage of playing at home to secure a victory and continue climbing the table.
When and where?
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024.
Time: 16:30 HRS. BST
Venue: Craven Cottage
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Assistants: Marc Perry and Wade Smith.
Fourth official: Sam Allison.
VAR: Tony Harrington.
Assistant VAR: Richard West.
Team news
In contrast, The hosts will be at full strength, with no injuries or suspensions, after having rested their squad for a week. They are set to go all out against Klopp’s side.
On the other hand, the away team will be missing several key players due to long-term injuries, including Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, and Conor Bradley. However, the rest of the squad is available and ready for the upcoming match.
Pre-Match Tactical Analysis
Coming off a thrilling 2-0 victory over West Ham, Marco Silva will have a full squad at his disposal, but the Portuguese manager is unlikely to make significant changes to the lineup from their last outing. Fulham are set to continue with a 4-2-3-1 formation, aiming for their second successive league win.
The unchanged backline will feature Timothy Castagne, Tosin Adarabioyo, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson, with captain Bernd Leno in goal. The midfield pivot will consist of the Serbian-Portuguese duo, João Palhinha and Saša Lukić. Offensively, Alex Iwobi, last game’s hero Andreas Pereira, and Willian are expected to occupy the wide positions, while Rodrigo Muniz will lead the line with goal-scoring responsibilities as the striker.
After their exit from European competition, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool is fully focused on the Premier League, which remains their sole competition this season. The visitors are likely to deploy a 4-3-3 attacking formation, featuring some squad rotation to optimize their lineup.
Alisson Becker will be in goal, with the renowned back four of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Andy Robertson reclaiming their spots after the midweek game against the Italian opposition. In midfield, Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, and Alexis Mac Allister will take charge. The attacking trio is set to include Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez, and Diogo Jota, who will likely return to the starting lineup.
KEY PLAYERS
Darwin Núñez
The Uruguayan international, Darwin Núñez, has been a pivotal figure for Liverpool this season. Despite facing criticism for his finishing, the striker has managed to tally 18 goals across all competitions. At just 24 years old, he is the second-highest scorer for the Reds, trailing only behind Mohamed Salah. Jurgen Klopp will be counting on his star number nine to deliver goals at Craven Cottage, especially as the team intensifies their push in the Premier League.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Fulham’s predicted lineup vs. Liverpool: Leno; Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson; Palhinha, Lukic; Iwobi, Pereira, Willian; Muniz.
Liverpool’s predicted lineup vs. Fulham: Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander Arnold; Quansah; Virgil van Dijk; Andy Robertson; Endo; Mac Allister; Jones; Mo Salah; Darwin Nunez; Luis Diaz.