Fulham have run Liverpool close on three seperate occasions this season, so can the Cottagers all but end the Reds title dreams by the River Thames?
It’s been a pretty miserable fortnight for Liverpool supporters, so can their team bounce back, or will they suffer another hammer blow?
In the Premier League, Jürgen Klopp’s team have slipped down to third, two points below leaders Manchester City, having failed to win either of their last two.
The Reds first only managed a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, despite having 28 shots to Man United’s nine, before last Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace, that had an apocalyptical feel to it.
In-between, their hopes of winning this season’s Europa League have gone up in flames too, smashed 3-0 by Atalanta at home, thereby rendering Thursday’s 1-0 win in Bergamo a mere footnote.
So, as they seek to add to the EFL Cup hoisted aloft in February, the Premier League is the only competition left on the agenda, as Klopp’s farewell tour continues not to go as planned.
It’s now known that he will take charge of exactly 491 matches before departing, with the Reds’ remaining fixtures, after this one, Everton (A), West Ham (A), Tottenham (H), Aston Villa (A) and then Wolves (H).
For Liverpool to pip both Man City and Arsenal to the title, realistically, they require maximum points from these six fixtures, starting with this tough trip to the capital.
Fulham will be looking for some form of revenge here, having been dramatically beaten 4-3 at Anfield in December, leading 3-2 in the 87th minute, before the Reds outed them from the League Cup semi-finals.
That tie also only finished 3-2 on aggregate, suggesting the Whites are capable of springing a surprise.
In recent weeks, to loosely quote Forrest Gump: “Fulham are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Marco Silva’s side have won five and lost four of their last ten, claiming the notable scalps of Man United, Brighton, Tottenham and West Ham in recent weeks, completely dominant at the London Stadium last Sunday.
However, during the period, the Cottages have lost to Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, also requiring a late comeback to draw with bottom of the table Sheffield United.
Nevertheless, having had a full week to prepare, unlike their under-pressure visitors, Fulham might just fancy their chances of beating another one of the big boys at Craven Cottage.
Liverpool to win and both teams to score
Having said all that, we do think Liverpool will claim three crucial points, not least because they’ve won nine of their last 13 meetings with Fulham, albeit the last three encounters at Craven Cottage have all been drawn.
Against none members of the traditional ‘big six’, the Reds’ record this season is near-flawless, winning 20 of 23 matches, with last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace their first loss in that regard.
In terms of both teams to score, this has been the case in all three encounters with Fulham this season.
Meanwhile, both teams have scored in seven of Liverpool’s last ten, while this has also been the case in seven of Fulham’s last 11, only failing to score once since 30 January.
Mohamed Salah to score anytime
Mohamed Salah converted a penalty at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on Thursday, taking his tally to 24 goals for the season, having also scored five in six Premier League appearances (minimum 45 minutes) in 2024.
The Egyptian has scored four in seven against Fulham, on target during his last two outings at Craven Cottage, so we’re backing Salah to continue this streak.
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