Sunday Fulham Stuff - 06/12/20...

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Results

Saturday
Burnley	1-1	Everton
Man City	2-0	Fulham
West Ham	1-3	Man Utd
Chelsea	3-1	Leeds

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Manchester City 2-0 Fulham

Pep Guardiola believes this season's Premier League title race will be more open than in previous campaigns, with his Manchester City side now fourth in the table after a comfortable win over Fulham.

Raheem Sterling's close-range finish and a Kevin de Bruyne penalty made it back-to-back wins for City, who were vastly superior to their opponent but also wasteful in front of goal.

Having struggled for consistency so far this season, City are now three points behind the leagues joint leaders, Tottenham and reigning champions Liverpool.

As it stands, just four points separates the sides at the top and Wolves in ninth.

"In my first season, Chelsea dominated and the next three were us and Liverpool, we controlled the league.

"But Leicester came here and scored five goals and then this week lost against Fulham, who we've just beaten. It is like how the Premier League was, everyone can beat everyone.

"The important thing is to be in there.

"In this month, it was important to focus on qualification in the Champions League and now we focus on the Premier League. It will be a long, long season for all the clubs."

City ensured their progress to the Champions League last 16 with two group games to spare, meaning they could rest players for the 0-0 draw in Porto that preceded Saturday's win.

Guardiola's side recorded their now annual 5-0 home win over Burnley last weekend and were similarly dominant, albeit a bit wasteful against the Cottagers.

Sterling and De Bruyne laid the platform for the win, with the latter setting up the former to slot in the opening goal.

The roles were then reversed with the England winger tripped in the box by Joachim Andersen to allow the Belgian midfielder to score from the penalty spot.

The pair could easily have had another four goals between them but Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made a string of good saves, while De Bruyne also struck the bar with a shot.

It is the first time this campaign that City have won back-to-back league matches and it lifts them to a spot in the table more in keeping of a side with title aspirations.

Fulham spent most of the game repelling attacks, but at least tried to ask questions of the home side, as they did to far greater effect at Leicester on Monday.

An eighth defeat of the season means the Cottagers remain 17th in the table, one point better off than West Brom and Burnley, both of whom have played a game less.

Pep reaches 700 as City make their move

This was City boss Pep Guardiola's 700th game as a manager, during which he has won 29 major trophies in 11 seasons, including two Premier League titles with City.

Their inconsistent form in the early stages of this campaign has prompted some to question whether they are capable of reclaiming the English top-flight crown, which they relinquished to Liverpool last season.

The critics may not be entirely won over by successive victories over such vastly inferior opposition as Burnley and Fulham, but they cannot deny the ease with which they were dispatched.

Nor can they ignore the small signs of that confident swagger returning to City's play nor the ominous stamping of authority on both games by De Bruyne, who scored his first league goal since the opening day win over Wolves and made it 14 assists in 2020 - more than any other Premier League player.

City weren't perfect - this should have at least matched the scoreline against Burnley - and there are bigger challenges to come, not least of all at Manchester United in their next league fixture, but with some stars rediscovering their form and Sergio Aguero reportedly soon to return from injury, another title challenge from Guardiola's side is well under way.

"We struggled at the beginning of the season for many reasons. Now four games, four clean sheets. It's so important for us to maintain this solidity," added Guardiola.

"The finishing was wasteful. We know we have to improve this, but it's important to keep creating the chances. In the last 20 minutes we lost too many simple balls, which is a problem.

"We have to do the simple things better. That is the next step."

As for Fulham, you could forgive them for viewing this as something of a free hit, especially after having claimed a morale-boosting second win of the season earlier in the week.

Their season was never going to be defined by a fixture against an opponent who have now beaten them 10 times in a row by an aggregate of 29-3.

They failed to produce a meaningful effort at goal bar a couple of speculative Ivan Cavaleiro shots, but will be pleased at the determination and discipline they showed in not crumbling after Sterling's early opener.

Things don't get any easier for Scott Parker's side, though. Up next: champions Liverpool.

"I see a team that had some fight today," said Fulham boss Scott Parker. "I really liked what we were about in the second half. There's no shame in losing to a quality side. I asked for spirit and personality and I thought we had that.

"The performances this week will stand us in very good stead. The first few games we weren't in the contest and since then we've been right in them. Today was another big performance. We'll keep building."

Guardiola with a 72% win percentage
    This was Man City boss Pep Guardiola's 700th match in charge in his managerial career (W507 D111 L82), while it was his 250th in all competitions with the Citizens (W179 D34 L37).
    Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 16 meetings with Fulham in all competitions (W13 D3), winning the last 10 in a row by an aggregate score of 29-3.
    Fulham have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side this season (21), with no side conceding in more different games than the Cottagers (10).
    Manchester City have scored as many goals over their last two Premier League games as they had in their previous seven in the competition (7).
    This was the first time Manchester City didn't make a single substitute in a Premier League match since April 2005, in a 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic.
    Since joining Manchester City in 2015, Kevin De Bruyne has both scored and assisted a goal in 16 different Premier League games - no player has done so more in that time (level with Mohamed Salah).
    Man City's Raheem Sterling has won 20 penalties in the Premier League, more than any other player in the competition's history.
    Man City's Kevin de Bruyne has been involved in more shots than any other Premier League player this season (62 - 34 shots, 28 chances created), with the Belgian involved in eight against Fulham this afternoon (6 shots, 2 chances created).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55111847

[WhiteJC]

Parker's Post-City press conference

Scott Parker conceded defeat against a Manchester City side that oozed pedigree.

Two first half goals from Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne had the hosts in cruise control, but Parker was satisfied with the way his side hung in the game and started to put their stamp on proceedings.

"City look ominous most weeks," he admitted. "The challenge that we faced today was always going to be there. They're a fantastic team with big quality. I'm disappointed to go a goal down so early on.

"I have nothing but praise for my team in the way they stuck to it and showed a bit of courage. Once you go a couple of goals down against this team, they can put you to the sword.

"I want to put a stamp on games and this division. My players and this team want to try their best to do that. I asked the players individually to put their personality on the game. A lot of teams come here, and because of the quality, the game can pass you by a bit. There's no shame in losing against this team but there is shame in not leaving them with something. To a man my team tried to show their moments."

The Head Coach tinkered with defensive shape in an attempt to shut out the fluid City breaks. A formula that was somewhat effective in the second half.

"One of the main things was being solid out of possession," he stated. "In attack to go with a split striker in Ade [Lookman] and Cav [Cavaleiro] to try and cause their full backs some issues. They can put a choke hold on you with how aggressive they are. We changed it around in the second half and it worked a bit better for us. We were a bit braver in the second half, we tried to get more control."

Aleksandar Mitrović was missing from the action today, with questions being posed as to what the situation is with the Serbian frontman. Parker brushed any hint of doubt aside suggesting he will play a big part this season.

"Mitrović isn't injured, he said. "It's purely how I saw the game and what was suited for the team's personnel. That was how I saw it best to cause them problems. There will be discussion around Aleks but he has a big part to play for us this year."

The 40-year-old knew his stopper would be busy between the sticks today, and Alphonse Areola came up with a solid display to keep the scores respectable.

"Every top team that comes here will know their keeper is going to have to have a big game. Alphonse had a big game today and he pulled off some big saves."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/december/Parker-s-Post-City-press conference/

[WhiteJC]

Raheem Sterling broke an all-time Premier League record during Man City's meeting with Fulham

Citizens cruising

Pep Guardiola's men are currently locked in action with Fulham at the Etihad.

City headed into proceedings on the back of a morale-boosting result last time out, when they bounced back from defeat at Tottenham with a comprehensive 5-0 drubbing of Burnley.

In turn, the Manchester giants were aware ahead of kick-off that, despite a largely underwhelming opening to the campaign, they would climb into the top-4 with a 3-point haul this afternoon.

And, as things stand, 3 points is precisely what the Sky Blues are headed towards.

City currently lead Fulham by 2 goals to nil, deep in the 2nd-half of play.

Raheem Sterling opened the game's scoring inside 5 minutes, when a typically pinpoint Kevin De Bruyne pass slipped the English international through to slot confidently beyond Alphonse Areola:

Raheem's record

It was the hosts' 2nd of the day, however, as outlined above, which has since seen Sterling take his place in the history books of the Premier League.

With 26 minutes on the clock, the City attacker went to ground under a challenge from Joachim Andersen in the Fulham box.

Referee Jon Moss showed little hesitation in pointing to the spot, with Kevin De Bruyne having stepped up to convert the ensuing spot-kick with minimal fuss.

In securing another penalty for the Citizens, meanwhile, Sterling took his career tally for spot-kicks won in the Premier League to a hefty 20, more than any other player in the history of the division:



https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/raheem-sterling-broke-an-all-time-premier-league-record-during-man-citys-meeting-with-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham are well beaten by Man City

Kevin De Bruyne inspired Manchester City to victory in a one-sided game at the Etihad Stadium.

Fulham, buoyed by their recent win at Leicester, were behind after just five minutes – Raheem Sterling netted before former Chelsea man De Bruyne doubled City's lead from the penalty spot.

De Bruyne created the opening goal by galloping towards goal and cleverly slipping the ball through to Sterling, who slotted home.

Joachim Andersen, who allowed Sterling to drift away from him for the first goal, brought down Sterling for the penalty which De Bruyne tucked away on 26 minutes.

City's dominance continued after the interval and the outstanding De Bruyne fired against the bar shortly before being denied by a fine save from Fulham keeper Alphonso Areola.

Fulham: Areola, Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Robinson, Decordova-Reid (Kamara 73), Reed (Lemina 68), Anguissa, Lookman, Loftus-Cheek (Cairney 82), Cavaleiro.
Subs not used: Rodak, Mitrovic, Ream, Bryan.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/man-city-v-fulham-report-05112020344

[WhiteJC]

Stroll for Man City as Fulham thrashing beats Klopp's Liverpool record

Kevin de Bruyne was unsurprisingly at the heart of proceedings as Manchester City eased past Fulham with a 2-0 victory on Saturday.

Belgium international De Bruyne's pass allowed Raheem Sterling to open the scoring early on. Twenty minutes later, the midfielder slotted home a penalty to put the hosts 2-0 in front.

In the second half, the hosts continued their dominance despite not adding any more goals.

Interestingly, City's second goal of the afternoon was their 400th in the Premier League under manager Pep Guardiola, with that tally being set after 162 games in charge.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had the previous best record in that regard, his team scoring 400 in 185 games of his tenure (via BBC Sport).

City thrashed Burnley 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium last weekend and they looked in a similar mood this time around. After five minutes, Sterling collected De Bruyne's pinpoint pass before finishing with a low strike across goal.

And while Fulham did have rare attacking opportunities peppered throughout the opening 45 minutes, it was all City.

On 26 minutes, Sterling went down under Joachim Andersen's challenge, with De Bruyne sending Alphonse Areola the wrong way from 12 yards.

City continued to dominate throughout the first half, with Fulham never threatening their hosts' penalty area.

Indeed, the half-time statistics pointed to City's good showing. Pep Guardiola's men had 75 per cent possession and outstripped Fulham for shots (10 to three). Five of City's shots were on target.

City slickers do not let up

City continued in exactly the same vein in the second half. After the game was end-to-end in the opening exchanges, De Bruyne could have had a hat-trick by the hour mark.

In his first chance after 50 minutes, he received a pass in the area from Gabriel Jesus but his effort crashed off the bar.

Eight minutes later, De Bruyne ran clear with Fulham's defence behind him. But, one-on-one with Areola, the Paris Saint-Germain loanee came out and made a strong save.

Ademola Lookman was one of Fulham's liveliest players in their efforts to spark something of a revival.

While he had the ball pinched in midfield on one occasion, he was then denied by a tight offside call just as he was about to square the ball across the six-yard area.

But City kept coming and they had another chance to add a third when the ball flashed wide of the near post from a good attacking move.

The result moved the hosts up to fourth in the Premier League table ahead of the weekend's other games.

Fulham, meanwhile, remained on seven points.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/stroll-man-city-fulham-thrashing-beat-klopp-liverpool

[WhiteJC]

'Baller': Some Fulham fans can't stop praising Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa

Some Fulham fans on Twitter can't get enough of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa after his incredible performance against Manchester City.

The Whites may have been beaten by Pep Guardiola's side, but there were a lot of positives to take away from the Etihad, including the performance of the Cameroon international.

From minute one it was clear that Anguissa was capable of holding his own against arguably the best midfieild in the league, with a sublime bit of skill in the second minute setting the stage for what would be an incredible performance.

Anguissa completed seven dribbles from the midfield, which is a tally twice as high as any Man City player achieved, despite the Citizens having players such as Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne on the pitch.

The 25-year-old has been doing this all season, and after a dodgy first campaign at Craven Cottage he's now finally looking like a player worth the £30 million that Fulham paid for him.

Hopefully, these types of performances can continue as the London outfit work towards surviving in the Premier League.

Here's what the Craven Cottage faithful have been saying on social media.

Anguissa is elite! Full credit to you!

— Thomas (@thomasffc541) December 5, 2020

Invalid Tweet ID

Genuinely think Anguissa is the best player to play in a Fulham shirt in years. #ffc #FulhamFC

— Porridge (@porridgeFFC) December 5, 2020

Anguissa too good and loftus cheek has gone missing

— Angus (@Angus_FFC) December 5, 2020

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/12/05/baller-some-fulham-fans-cant-stop-praising-andre-frank-zambo-anguissa/

[WhiteJC]

Verdict: Fulham outplayed and Loftus-Cheek was given no chance – but there are small positives

Fulham were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City in sadly something of a non-contest.

It's now 18 goals scored by Pep Guardiola's team, and none from Whites in the last six matches between the two.

Fulham's solitary strike on target came in the 76th minute – and even then, it was comfortably dealt with.

At the other end, City swept forward and on a different day would have scored a dozen.

Fulham's gameplan was out the window before they barely touched the ball

As Mike Tyson points out: "Everybody has a plan until they get a punch in the face."

In football terms, you can set up how you like, but if the other man is faster than you, it's goodnight Vienna.

Raheem Sterling was level with Joachim Andersen when the ball was played into the City striker just after four minutes.

Five steps later he was past him to glide the ball past Alphonse Areola's right and into the net.

You can't blame Andersen either for the clever sleight of foot from his tormentor that won a penalty for 2-0.

Loftus-Cheek hadn't a prayer

Ruben Loftus Cheek playing the number 10 role was neither 'nowt nor summat' as a Yorkshire pal of mine likes to say.

Not far enough forward to get onto the rare pushes forward, and often not deep enough to make a difference in defence.

Yes, you could see he was trying to nullify the City build-up, but it isn't going to do RLC's confidence much good if he's this ineffective.

It wasn't his fault, and maybe Scott Parker wonders if he called the formation right?

The boss put RLC out of his misery when Tom Cairney appeared off the bench.

Did Fulham play badly or were City just too good?

The Whites so rarely had the ball in the first 45 minutes, they didn't have the opportunity to make errors.

All they could do was stare mesmerised as the ball was pinged in, around, and behind them time after time.

In the second half, it appeared as if they were more resilient in defence, but City were the ones still asking the questions, and steadier shooting would have seen them add to their 2-0 lead.

Small positives

For starters, it wasn't the 5-0 thumping that befell Burnley in the last Premier League game at The Etihad.

In Alphonse Areola and Andre-Frank Anguissa, Fulham have genuine Premier League material.

The keeper made four excellent saves, and the best of the bunch was after 57 minutes when the speed and timing of his run towards Kevin De Bruyne produced a fine block to keep Fulham in the game.

Anguissa was the one serious presence in Fulham's midfield.

He has strength, purpose and skill – and this is going to bode well when the opposition doesn't have the calibre of Manchester City.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/verdict-fulham-outplayed-and-loftus-cheek-was-given-no-chance-but-there-are-small-positives

[WhiteJC]

Parker pleased by Fulham's fight

Scott Parker admitted that Manchester City are comfortably a level above his Fulham side at present – but he was pleased with how his players fought hard at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.

The Whites went 2-0 down inside the first half an hour – thanks to an early Raheem Sterling strike and Kevin de Bruyne's penalty – and there may have been a fear that the floodgates might have opened. But Fulham tightened things up at the break, were much improved in the second half and battled hard despite seeing very little of the ball.

The Fulham boss told his post-match press conference:

City look ominous most weeks. The challenge that we faced today was always going to be there. They're a fantastic team with big quality. I'm disappointed to go a goal down so early on. I have nothing but praise for my team in the way they stuck to it and showed a bit of courage. Once you go a couple of goals down against this team, they can put you to the sword.

I want to put a stamp on games and this division. My players and this team want to try their best to do that. I asked the players individually to put their personality on the game. A lot of teams come here, and because of the quality, the game can pass you by a bit. There's no shame in losing against this team but there is shame in not leaving them with something. To a man my team tried to show their moments.

One of the main things was being solid out of possession. In attack to go with a split striker in Ade and Cav to try and cause their full backs some issues. They can put a choke hold on you with how aggressive they are. We changed it around in the second half and it worked a bit better for us. We were a bit braver in the second half, we tried to get more control.

Parker confirmed that the omission of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for the second game in succession was a tactical decision:

Mitrovic isn't injured. It's purely how I saw the game and what was suited for the team's personnel. That was how I saw it best to cause them problems. There will be discussion around Aleks but he has a big part to play for us this year.

He always offered praise for goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, who made several fine stops with Fulham's backs against the wall:

Every top team that comes here will know their keeper is going to have to have a big game. Alphonse had a big game today and he pulled off some big saves



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/12/parker-pleased-by-fulhams-fight/

[WhiteJC]

Bobby Decordova-Reid produced poor Fulham display vs Man City

Fulham were unable to make it back-to-back Premier League wins as they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

The Cottagers were perhaps fortunate that it only finished 2-0, with City wasteful with their chances during the game, whilst Scott Parker's side managed just one shot on target in the game at the Etihad.

One man who will have disappointed Parker with his display against Pep Guardiola's side is Bobby Decordova-Reid.

The former Bristol City man was playing as a right wing-back for the game at the Etihad but struggled in an unusual position, picking up a 6.2 rating for his display, which was the joint-worst of any Fulham player during the game.

As per SofaScore, the 27-year-old would have just 28 touches of the ball at the Etihad, suggesting that he was never really able to get involved in the game.

He was disappointing when he had the ball too, as only 12/17 passes found their mark, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 71%.

This also saw him complete fewer passes than Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, who made 15 passes during the game.

It was no surprise therefore that Parker opted to substitute Decordova-Reid after 72 minutes at the Etihad, and he may think twice about playing him as a right wing-back in future games.

Of the six duels, he was involved in, he was able to win just two, resulting in a success rate of 33%.

He also struggled when given the opportunity to create and go forward, as neither of his long balls found a Fulham shirt, whilst he was unsuccessful in both of his dribble attempts during the game.

It was something of a surprise that Parker opted to play the 27-year-old in this position, considering he has scored four goals in all competitions so far this season and is their top scorer in the Premier League.

Therefore, it would be a surprise if we see him feature there again in the future, and hopefully, he will be restored to a more familiar position for Fulham's next game in the top-flight, which sees them take on Liverpool at Craven Cottage next Sunday.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/bobby-dedorcova-reid-man-city-fulham-scott-parker

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Full Time: Talking Points From The 2-0 Loss For Fulham

Take a listen to a podcast that focuse on Fulham Football Club.

In this episode, Emilio Di Nello and Fulham legend Rob Wilson shared their takeaways from the 2-0 loss for Fulham. You will hear the negatives and a few positives in their commentary, and you will also hear their thoughts on Mitro not playing at all.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2020/12/5/22156119/cottage-talk-full-time-talking-points-from-the-2-0-loss-for-fulham

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's Liverpool warning as Manchester City defeat still gives reason for hope

The talking points from Fulham's defeat to Manchester City

No Aleksandar Mitrovic substitute

After the result against Leicester, it was easy to understand Aleksandar Mitrovic being left on the bench for the trip to the Etihad. What is more contentious is the only reason he left it was for the dressing room.

When Fulham had to hold out in the dying stages in the Midlands, Mitrovic was called upon for his aerial presence but the club's most potent striker wasn't afforded an opportunity when a goal was needed.

Following the game Scott Parker made it clear it was a tactical choice.

He said: "Mitrović isn't injured. It's purely how I saw the game and what was suited for the team's personnel. That was how I saw it best to cause them problems. There will be discussion around Aleks but he has a big part to play for us this year."

Given how Parker has responded tactically in recent games he has perhaps earned the benefit of the doubt. Even when things have started badly, he has adjusted well.

However, Fulham didn't really cause Man City issues in defending or attacking so it would have been interesting to see how Ruben Dias and John Stones dealt with a more physical presence up front.

In all likelihood he would also have been isolated as the Cottagers attempted to deal with the home side's threat but after recent weeks this might have been a partnership the Serbian could bully.

Will he start at Liverpool? At this moment in time it seems unlikely.

Warning ahead of Liverpool

Leicester might have beat Manchester City comfortably earlier this season but within seconds it was clear to see Pep Guardiola's side were less perturbed by Parker's set-up than the Foxes.

Fulham's central back three were put on the back foot almost imediately and City were able drag and maneuvre the defensive lines to find pockets of space for their runners.

Leicester for large parts wanted to build their play from the wings and allowed Fulham to set up and defend valiantly whereas Saturday's opposition didn't offer the same luxury. The Citizens had waves of movement and runs between the lines, orchestrated by Kevin De Bruyne.

Liverpool are likely to pose similar problems. Mo Salah, Diego Jota and Sadio Mane are enough to scare any defence and Parker will have a big decision to make whether he will start with the same system he did at the Etihad.

These teams will cause problems to anyone. What the Whites have been made well aware of is how blunted their attack was against such opposition. Time and again as Fulham looked to counter-attack through Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ademola Lookman and Ivan Cavaleiro, City's players swarmed back until the visitor's were well outnumbered and the sting taken out of the push forward.

It was very impressive to see the work-rate but it was an indication that, like they did in the second half, Parker's side may need to just risk a little bit more to give Liverpool something else to think about at Craven Cottage.

Thanks to the win at Leicester, Fulham have already accrued more points than might be expected from a run of three Premier League champions. The basics of being solid against a top side will remain but to garner an xG of 0.29, means you are relying on a top calibre team not scoring to salvage something from the game.

Committing more bodies forward may just help ease the pressure on the defence too.

Reasons for hope

Despite the previous point, supporters should be reassured from the performance. This was not a display akin to the defeat to Arsenal on the opening day. Indeed, only two players that started that afternoon were in the Fulham starting XI - Harrison Reed and Ivan Cavaleiro.

Man City's attacks were succesful predominatly because of their quality rather than a Fulham deficiency.

Even though Joachim Andersen clumsily gave away a penalty, despite Raheem Sterling making the most of it, and Tosin Adarabioyo gave the ball away to start an attack for his former club on the halfway line. But they didn't shirk their duties and responded.

Andersen grew into that game from that point and put in a very accomplished performance under plenty of pressure, while Adarabioyo used every ounce of his ability to chase down Gabriel Jesus and stop the Brazilian even garnering a shot.

Parker said: I want to put a stamp on games and this division. My players and this team want to try their best to do that. I asked the players individually to put their personality on the game. A lot of teams come here, and because of the quality, the game can pass you by a bit. There's no shame in losing against this team but there is shame in not leaving them with something. To a man my team tried to show their moments."

They may not have established a true foothold, but the Cottagers stood to be counted and feel more and more like a team with some structure that can compete in this league.




https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/manchester-city-fulham-liverpool-mitrovic-19407361

[AJW48361]

Wouldn't be surprised if Mitro started against Liverpool on Sunday.