Premier League Preview: Liverpool - Fulham
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Reds Looking For Consistency
Liverpool have had alternating wins and losses in the Premier League for a few weeks now, and are steadily slipping off the pace in the hunt to secure European football for next season.
Competing in the Europa League is already a step downwards for a club that is generally considered as one of the heavyweights of continental football, and not competing in either one of the two competitions would put the club in a precarious position.
The stars have not yet begun to leave, perhaps hoping for a turn in the tide since the recent takeover by New England Sports Ventures. But if the results are not forthcoming, the sense of doom and gloom around Anfield may plummet even further.
However, the Reds have been particularly strong at home this term, as they have lost just one league game in their own backyard. Since losing to Blackpool, they have gone six games unbeaten at Anfield in all competitions, winning five of them in the process.
And the return of Fernando Torres to the starting line-up should also prove to give the side a much needed boost, having missed him during the draw with Utrecht in the Europa League. But more importantly, skipper Steven Gerrard could be back for this one, which would be a major plus for a team looking to push upwards in the league.
Away Day Hoodoo
Fulham are well known to be poor on their travels, and their winless run away from home has stretched on to well over a year. In fact, it is now 16 months since the London-based club took three points in the league on their travels.
This will certainly worry manager Mark Hughes, since going without victories away from home leaves much to be done at Craven Cottage. And sitting level on points with 18th placed Wigan Athletic proves how costly their travel sickness has become.
Should such a syndrome continue much longer, it could even see the side plunge into the dreaded drop zone.
Even if Hughes’ charges are allowed to go scot free on one count of travel sickness, they are found guilty of exhibiting a generally poor form. That they have only a solitary victory from their last 14 games in all competitions is proof enough that a victory would be welcomed with open arms - not that it would not have been welcomed under any circumstances, only that the same feeling would be a lot more exemplified in this case.
Fulham have also not registered a win in their last 23 visits to Anfield, which makes a victory look like a pipe dream if one goes by statistics. But football is far from all that, and there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip, and Anfield could be the place where the visitors break their hoodoo.TEAM NEWSLiverpool
There have been reports that manager Roy Hodgson could choose not to rush skipper Steven Gerrard back into action, and give him a spot on the bench instead. The Kop favourite has been absent since sustaining a hamstring injury whilst on international duty.
David Ngog is also a doubt for this one after a head injury in the club’s last league game, but the Frenchman is expected to return in time to make the line-up.
Daniel Agger (calf), Jamie Carragher (shoulder) and Jay Spearing (ankle) all remain on the sidelines.
Possible starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky; Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi Rodriguez; Ngog, Torres.Fulham
Moussa Dembele could return to the team after overcoming an ankle injury that saw him miss the last four matches, but he would likely have to settle for a spot on the bench.
Bobby Zamora (leg) and Philippe Senderos (calf) remain long-term absentees and are expected to return only next year.
But otherwise manager Mark Hughes has no new concerns ahead of this game.
Possible starting XI: Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey; Gera; Kamara.