Sunday Fulham Stuff - 03/12/23...

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'Incredible' Starter Out: Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs Fulham
Liverpool host Fulham in the Premier League on December 3. The match will take place at 2 pm GMT at Anfield.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs Fulham
How Liverpool Have Lined-up Recently

Alisson Becker has started in goal but had a problem with his hamstring in the dying moments of their previous game against Manchester City. Caoimhin Kelleher is his potential replacement, starting in most Europa League and EFL Cup games.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has flourished offensively at right-back, whilst Kostas Tsimikas has cemented his position as Andy Robertson's replacement (at left-back). Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté are the centre-half duo, but Joël Matip has filled in due to injury problems.

The midfield trio consists of three summer signings: Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai. Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo have also featured with Gravenberch – improving his fitness levels.

Darwin Núñez has started up front, whilst Mohamed Salah plays on the right wing. Diogo Jota has played at left wing regularly, with Luis Díaz (first-choice) benched with a personal crisis.

Liverpool's Recent Form and Tactics
Most recently, Liverpool drew 1-1 to Manchester City. This result was crucial in their title bid, leaving the Reds just two points off the top of the table.

A draw away at the Etihad is a considerably impressive result. Pep Guardiola's side have not lost at home since December last year.

Jürgen Klopp has proved that his side can still compete with the treble-winners despite losing many starters in the summer, most notably Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Roberto Firmino.

This is key, considering Liverpool's disappointing fifth-place finish last season.

However, there were a few amber flags in the game. Alisson frequently misplaced passes and was under pressure by City forwards all game.

The Brazilian completed just two out of his sixteen attempted long balls, resulting in a 12% completion rate.

Most significantly, a failed punt upfield met Nathan Aké just 40 yards out, and the Dutchman was able to take advantage of the disarrayed Liverpool defence. He dribbled past multiple red shirts and found Erling Haaland, who bagged the opener.

Another problem was the lack of goalscoring chances created. This has not been a problem for the side previously. Liverpool have frequently underperformed their XG (expected goals). In that recent infamous 1-1 draw at Luton, Núñez missed three big chances.

The cause of this is hard to pinpoint, but it may be linked to the Citizens lining up with two frighteningly quick centre halves: Kyle Walker and Nathan Aké. This allowed them to combat the pace of Salah and Núñez.

A final issue was Alexander-Arnold's inability to deal with the skill of Jérémy Doku, who completed an incredible seven dribbles past him. His defensive capabilities have always been a weakness, but it was more apparent than ever against a world-class dribbler.

Liverpool should feel confident heading into the weekend, but there are issues – to be fixed against the highest-quality opposition.

Liverpool Injuries to Consider
As previously mentioned, Alisson is struggling with a hamstring problem. When asked about his return, Klopp said: "not on Sunday, probably not the week after". Losing an "incredible" starter could damage the team in a busy festive period.

Konaté was withdrawn – before the hour mark against LASK in the Europa League. Klopp insisted he was taking "no risks" and "give him minutes but not too long". It is unknown whether the French defender will start against Fulham.

Jota also picked up an injury against City, being substituted in the second half. When the German manager compared his injury to Alisson's, he described it as "a bit more severe" and admitted, "we don't know exactly how long". Fortunately, the forward line is not lacking in depth: Cody Gakpo and Díaz will provide sufficient cover.

Robertson, Thiago Alcântara, and Stefan Bajčetić remain out long-term. Klopp revealed that "nothing changed" during Thiago's recovery recently.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher

LB: Kostas Tsimikas

CB: Virgil van Dijk

CB: Joël Matip

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold

CM: Curtis Jones

CM: Alexis Mac Allister

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai

LW: Luis Díaz

ST; Darwin Núñez

RW: Mohamed Salah



https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2023/12/03/liverpool-predicted-lineup-vs-fulham-2/

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Jurgen Klopp warns Liverpool fans of "proper test" against Fulham
Jurgen Klopp has warned that Liverpool will face a "proper test" when Fulham arrive at Anfield on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.

The Reds welcome Marco Silva's team to Merseyside this weekend as they look to keep pace with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa at the summit of the Premier League table.

Fulham find themselves in 14th ahead of their clash with Liverpool and the Cottagers will head to Anfield with plenty of confidence after a late 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last Monday.

While the Reds, who have won all ten of their home games this season, are strong favourites for the game against Fulham, Jurgen Klopp has reminded Liverpool supporters just how difficult Sunday's outing will be.

In his pre-match notes for the Liverpool programme, Klopp wrote: "I would like to welcome Marco Silva, his staff and the Fulham players, officials and supporters to Anfield. They will arrive in a positive moment on the back of a really good win against Wolves, so I have no doubt that they will come here looking to build on that result and continue to climb the table.

"Marco's work as a manager and a coach speaks for itself. His teams have a clear idea of how they want to play, they are always incredibly well set up and they can – and usually do – give anyone a proper test.

"I would say they are one of those teams that could play in different colour shirts and everyone would know who the manager is.

"What they achieved last season was really good. I could not have been more impressed. I actually said before we faced Fulham last May that they were one of the season's big achievers and this was definitely true.

"Although their league placing isn't currently as high, I think that is a little bit deceiving because although Fulham are currently in 14th position, they are only one point off the top 10."

Liverpool only beat Fulham 1-0 at Anfield last season thanks to a Mohamed Salah penalty as Silva's men made life difficult for Klopp's side.

At Craven Cottage, Liverpool could only manage a 2-2 draw on the opening day of last season, with Fulham more than capable of causing an upset.

Any complacency, as is always the case in the Premier League, will be punished, so the Reds need to show up on Sunday.



https://anfieldwatch.co.uk/jurgen-klopp-warns-liverpool-fans-of-proper-test-against-fulham/

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Up next: Liverpool (a)
Fulham face Liverpool at Anfield this afternoon buoyed by their stoppage-time win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last Monday that felt like a massive result. It is no surprise that Marco Silva's side have found their second season in the Premier League much tougher than the first. The Whites flew somewhat under the radar having been tipped to struggle – and their sense of adventure, typified by the way they took the game to Jurgen Klopp's side on the opening weekend, caught plenty of opponents cold. With the potency of Aleskandar Mitrovic, Fulham have struggled – but the topsy-turvy win over Wolves did at least offer a significant bulwark between themselves and the bottom three.

Liverpool themselves have struggled to hit the heights of the period where it looked like they might sweep all before them having won the Champions' League and the Premier League title in consecutive campaigns. Klopp is in the midst of a rebuild at a time when the club's ownership are struggling to compete with the all-conquering might of Manchester City and even Newcastle United's new money. The re-emergence of Arsenal as genuine championship contenders under Mikel Arteta even squeezed the Reds out of the Champions' League picture but Klopp's side have quietly re-established themselves to sit third, with an accomplished away performance earning a point at the Etihad last week thanks to a sweet strike from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Fulham's record on the red half of Mersesyside is poor, with just two wins in 36 visits, even if the moments of magic provided by Alex Kacaniklic and Mario Lemina live long in the memory. Both of those were backs-to-the-wall triumphs, with the 2021 victory seemingly laying the groundwork for an escape from relegation under Scott Parker that never materialised. The Whites are much more expansive under Silva – sometimes to the detriment – but will likely follow the blueprint of last season's corresponding fixture, where they threatened on the counter attack and were unfortunate to lose to a contentious penalty.

The success of Silva's team selection on Monday night will leave him with something of a dilemma before handing the teamsheet in this afternoon. Joao Palhinha will come back into midfield having missed the Wolves game after picking up five bookings, but there is a serious question mark about who will partner him in the middle of the engine room. Tom Cairney's enduring excellence made a compelling case for him to continue in the deep-lying midfield role were he excelled on Monday night, especially when the Whites will need to use what little possession they have intelligently. Harrison Reed is the more conservative option, even if the former Southampton midfielder has reinvented himself as more of a box-to-box runner these days.

The identity of Fulham's wingers will give an insight into Silva's thinking too. Playing Alex Iwobi out wide against Wolves was something of a masterstroke. The Nigerian international's energy and dynamism offered a different option on the flank and he produced a tidy finish to prod Fulham in front early on after the sort of flowing move that has been all too rare this season. The fact that he found himself at the near post after injecting some dynamism into the attack showed the movement and unpredictability Iwobi can bring and those instincts can be unduly shackled if he is shoehorned into a more central role. Willian should continue on the left, whilst Harry Wilson – who was bright as a substitute even before winning the controversial penalty that eventually sealed a precious three points – made a strong case for his own inclusion against his old club.

Liverpool have some injury concerns ahead of this fixture. Thiago Alcantra, Stefan Bajcetic and Andy Robertson are all still on the treatment list, whilst Klopp has lost the services of goalkeeper Allison, who injured his hamstring in the closing stages of that intriguing draw at Manchester City, and winger Diogo Jota. They remain a formidable outfit – particularly at home – having won all six of their league games at Anfield this season, scoring seventeen goals in the process. Liverpool have lost just one in 48 top-flight ties since losing to Fulham in March 2021 so the Whites will need to be at their very best this afternoon. Coming away with anything at all would be a real bonus.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Bassey, Ream; Palhinha, Iwobi; Wilson, Willian, Cairney; Jimenez. Subs: Rodak, Castagne, Ballo-Toure, Adarabioyo, Reed, Lukic, De Cordova-Reid, Harris, Vincius.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/12/up-next-liverpool-a-3/

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Fulham keeping tabs on Best
Fulham are keeping a close eye on Preston North End's teenage sensation Kian Best, according to a report from Sun journalist Alan Nixon this morning.

The versatile defender, who can play at left full back, wing-back, centre back or in midfield, joined Preston's academy aged eight and starred as North End's under 19 outfit won the double in 2021/22. Ryan Lowe handed Best his professional debut in a 1-1 draw against Bristol City on the opening weekend of the season and the youngster has become a first-team regular, making eleven appearances so far.

Fulham's chief scout Brian Talbot has watched Best extensively this season and has included the teenager on a list of Fulham targets to be considered when the transfer window reopens next month. The England under-19 international signed a two-year contract with his local club in July – and North End will be loathe to lose one of their brightest prospects.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/12/fulham-keeping-tabs-on-best/

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'I fancy...' – BBC pundit expects Liverpool milestone to be reached against Fulham this afternoon
Chris Sutton is expecting one Liverpool player to reach a significant milestone in Sunday afternoon's Premier League clash against Fulham at Anfield.

If Mo Salah preserves his record of scoring in every top-flight home game so far this season, he'll net his 200th for the Reds today, and the ex-Blackburn striker has backed the Egyptian to do just that.

Giving his weekend predictions to BBC Sport, the 50-year-old wrote: "Liverpool picked up an important point at Etihad Stadium last weekend but all three are needed here.

"The Reds are without goalkeeper Alisson and Diogo Jota but they should be able to cope without them. I fancy Mohamed Salah to score, and Jurgen Klopp's side to win comfortably."

The smart money would definitely appear to be on Salah becoming a double centurion in terms of goals scored, which'd make him just the fifth player in Liverpool's 131-year history to do so (lfchistory.net).

He netted in both games against Fulham last season and has been on the scoresheet in eight of his nine matches at Anfield so far this term, with Union Saint-Gilloise in early October the only visitors to thwart him (Transfermarkt).

Even if the Cottagers succeed in making him wait for his 200th Reds goal, the likes of Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz are all more than capable of inflicting hardship on Marco Silva's backline.

Jurgen Klopp will take a win irrespective of who finds the target for Liverpool, but we expect that Salah will reach the double ton sooner rather than later.



https://www.empireofthekop.com/2023/12/03/sutton-salah-score-liverpool-fulham/

[F(f)CUK]

Results

Saturday 2/12
Arsenal	2-1	Wolves
Brentford	3-1	Luton
Burnley	5-0	West Ham
Forest	0-1	Everton
Newcastle	1-0	Chelsea

Sheffield United supporters would prefer those results

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Results

Saturday 2/12
Arsenal	2-1	Wolves
Brentford	3-1	Luton
Burnley	5-0	West Ham
Forest	0-1	Everton
Newcastle	1-0	Chelsea

Sheffield United supporters would prefer those results

  I should have had my morning coffee before I did this 

[WhiteJC]

Liverpool vs. Fulham: Premier League 2023-24 Live Match Coverage & How to Watch
Live coverage of Liverpool's Premier League game against Fulham with lineup news, streaming and television options, and live updates.

HOME TEAM VS AWAY TEAM (heading 2)
Liverpool, fresh off of a thrilling 4-0 win against LASK earlier in the week that certified their place in the Europa League knockout stages, host Fulham at Anfield to kick off the busiest sector of the season. The Reds go into December (yes, it is already December), sitting third on the table after holding Manchester City to a draw last week and only suffering one loss so far. A win on Sunday would put them at 31 points, and still within reach of the top of the table. Fulham, on the other hand, despite winning last weekend against Wolves, are having a rough go of things, sitting at 14th on the table after 6 losses so far.

Liverpool do have a couple of injuries that would make things interesting for the match, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker out with a hamstring strain for a least a couple of weeks. Time for youngin' Caomhin Kelleher to remind us of his cup heroics and really show himself in the league.

PREVIEW & HOW TO WATCH
Television & Streaming: BBC Radio 5 Live (UK); NBC & Peacock (USA); Optus Sport (Australia); FuboTV (Canada); Star Sports Select 2 (India); Astro SuperSport 3 (Malaysia); SuperSport Maximo 2 (Nigeria); 221 Hub Premier 1 (Singapore); SuperSport Maximo 2 (South Africa); other listings at LiveSoccerTV

Online Radio: LFCTV GO



https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2023/12/3/23986017/liverpool-fulham-epl-2023-24-fixture-match-coverage-team-news-lineups-television-streaming

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Predicting Liverpool's Starting XI ahead of Fulham Clash

What XI Will Klopp Pick?
Liverpool will be looking to build some serious momentum throughout the festive period, as they host Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Fresh off the back of a 4-0 victory over LASK on Thursday, Jurgen Klopp has plenty of selection decisions to make ahead of a hectic schedule.

Despite a few injuries to key players, Klopp will be expecting a strong performance from his side and today we're going to predicting what side will start on Sunday.

The Defence
After a much improved performance in midweek, Caoimhin Kelleher will remain between the sticks as Alisson Becker is expected to be absent until Christmas.

At right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold will come straight back into the side and will be keen to keep his fantastic recent form.

The same can be said for both Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip, who have both been brilliant in recent weeks.

Matip's improvement in form has been so impressive that it has kept Ibou Konate quite firmly out of the side.

With Andy Roberston remaining absent with a long-term injury, Kostas Tsimikas will go again at left-back.

The Greek defender has had a few much improved performances after a poor start to the season and will be looking to carry that into Sunday's game.

The Midfield
Despite another strong performance on Thursday, Wataru Endo is expected to make way for Alexis Mac Allister at the base of the midfield.

Dominik Szoboszlai will also slot straight back into the midfield in place of Harvey Elliott on the right side of the midfield three.

Elliott may feel disappointed considering his fantastic performance against LASK, but the youngster could play a significant role against Sheffield United on Wednesday.

The major talking point in the midfield is on the left side of the three, where Klopp will have the choice of either Curtis Jones or Ryan Gravenberch.

In terms of recent performances, I think Gravenberch deserves the starting spot but Klopp will give Jones the start on Sunday before rotating against Sheffield United.

The Attack
Jurgen Klopp's offensive options have slightly shortened due to Diogo Jota's injury, but he still has four world-class talents and a couple of exciting youngsters to choose from.

Mohamed Salah is nailed on to start on the right-hand side of the attack, where he will look to continue his immense Anfield record which has seen him score on ten occasions at home.

Due to the fact that Cody Gakpo was the only forward to play 90 minutes on Thursday, the Dutchman is likely to be the one to miss out despite scoring a brace.

This means that Luis Diaz will go again on the left-hand side of attack, whilst Darwin Nunez will feature in the central position.

Klopp would still have the likes of Gakpo, Ben Doak and potentially Kaide Gordon to choose from on the bench.



https://anfieldindex.com/60744/predicting-liverpools-starting-xi-ahead-of-fulham-clash.html

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