Fulham’s quest for a second successive top half finish since their return to the top flight has been given greater momentum by their comfortable victory at West Ham United last Sunday. Marco Silva swiftly scotched any suggestion that this afternoon might prove an opportune team to face Liverpool, smarting from a costly defeat to Crystal Palace and elimination from the Europa League in Italy on Thursday night – but he will be desperate to register a first win over Jurgen Klopp’s side at the sixth attempt. The Whites have come excruciatingly close over the course of this campaign, but close doesn’t cut it for the Fulham head coach.
Given how well his game plan worked in Stratford seven days ago, Silva could well be tempted to trust the same personnel to take on Liverpool, who would leapfrog Manchester City once again in the topsy-turvy title race with an away win. Fulham outclassed a West Ham side with an eye on their own European second leg even whilst David Moyes’ men had more of the ball. Andreas Pereira scored twice – following his manager’s mantra of ‘arriving in the box’ at the right time – but there were outstanding performances throughout the side, especially in central defence and the engine room, where Sasa Lukic and Joao Palhinha not only nullified the threat of James Ward-Prowse but set up countless Fulham counters.
That Fulham thrived without so much of the ball seemed to surprise Klopp in his pre-match press comments, but a coach as astute as the German will recognise that Fulham have quietly carved out a second method of playing since the disappointing defeat at Wolves when the Whites failed to take a hatful of chances. In none of Fulham’s last four victories have Silva’s side – previously possession-hungry – seen more of the ball than their opponents. The intelligent movement of the likes of Alex Iwobi, the wily Willian, Pereira and Rodrigo Muniz (even if he hasn’t found the net in three games) has posed problems for plenty of defences and delivered a terrifically taken second goal at the Olympic Stadium to seal a third league win of the season.
The challenge against a Liverpool side who kept their first clean sheet in ten games in Atalanta on Thursday will be to retain their creativity in the forward line whilst keeping things tight at the back. Liverpool are unbeaten in five visits to Craven Cottage, surviving a serious barrage back in January after Issa Diop’s equaliser set up a frantic finale in the League Cup semi-final tie. Klopp may hand Trent Alexander-Arnold a first league start in more than a month after the England international came through 72 minutes unscathed in Bergamo, whilst Joe Gomez could also come back into the reckoning. The Liverpool injury crisis has eased somewhat with Alisson and the dangerous Diogo Jota available but they are without Joel Matip, Conor Bradley, Thiago Alcatanra and Ben Doak.
Fulham are just two points behind Brighton and Hove Albion in tenth and will need to make the most of home advantage this afternoon. Victory over Liverpool would take Silva’s side to ten league wins at Craven Cottage – their best Premier League return since in twelve years – but success will likely need to be built on a strong defensive showing that keeps the likes of Mo Salah, Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz quiet. Fulham have let in thirteen goals in their last fifteen league games at the Cottage, keeping six clean sheets. Another one would go a long way to delivering a first home win against Liverpool since Clint Dempsey’s late strike prompted a Luis Suarez melt down in front of the Johnny Haynes stand in 2011. Silva’s preferred central defensive duo of Calvin Bassey and Tosin Adarabioyo were at their miserly best against the Hammers, but this will be a far more searching examination.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhinha, Lukic; Iwobi, Willian, Pereira, Muniz. Subs: Rodak, Tete, Ream, Reed, Cairney, Wilson, De Cordova-Reid, Traore, Jimenez.
