Saturday Fulham Stuff - 20/04/24...

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Marco Silva makes Liverpool 'emotion' claim about Craven Cottage ahead of Premier League clash
Fulham vs Liverpool: The Fulham manager has given an update on his side ahead of their clash with Liverpool.

Marco Silva has warned Liverpool ahead of their Premier League clash that their emotion may get to the better of them as they face Fulham away from home this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp's side exited the Europa League on Thursday night after failing to overturn a three-goal deficit against Atalanta but now their attention turns back to the Premier League title race as they race a rejuvenated Fulham side fresh off the back of an away win over West Ham last weekend.

The Reds played out an epic 4-3 victory over Silva's side in December as Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold scored within a few minutes of each other to overturn a 2-3 score line in what was one of the games of the season. Following that, the two sides met again in the Carabao Cup semi-finals as Klopp's side edged the tie 3-2 over two legs but Liverpool found it difficult at Craven Cottage as they did a year prior on the opening day of the 2022/23 season. In fact, they haven't won away at Fulham since March 2019 as a late James Milner penalty helped keep their title charge intact - and Silva believes that Liverpool find it difficult to play at Craven Cottage.

"They have been very good games." Silva said in his press conference. "Some of them too open for a manager to enjoy at Anfield and at the Cottage as well. They have been, in some moments, emotional games and tight games always, in some of them dramatic ends to the match. Even last season, it was really tough for them to play at Craven Cottage, this season as well in the Carabao Cup, so let's hope we can get a different result from the last few times we have played against them."

The Fulham boss also revealed his side are at full-strength ahead of the game and despite being 12th and having little to play for, they have been involved in plenty of high-scoring affairs across their last 11 games - with 10 of those seeing at least three goals. Liverpool head into the game with injuries to Joel Matip, Thiago and Ben Doak - who were all long-term issues - but Conor Bradley is the most recent absence with an ankle issue and Klopp can call upon a mostly fully-fit squad as they look to bounce back.



https://www.liverpoolworld.uk/sport/football/liverpool/marco-silva-makes-liverpool-emotion-claim-about-craven-cottage-ahead-of-premier-league-clash-4597832

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Fulham vs Liverpool Prediction and Preview
Jürgen Klopp's Reds look to get their Premier League title bid back on track at Craven Cottage. We look ahead to Sunday's late kick-off with our Fulham vs Liverpool prediction and preview.

Fulham vs Liverpool Stats: The Quick Hits

    The Opta supercomputer gives Liverpool a 53.1% chance of putting their recent stumbles behind them with a win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
    Liverpool are unbeaten in their last five away Premier League matches against Fulham, but they are without a clean sheet in eight league trips to Craven Cottage since April 2009.
    Andreas Pereira scored twice in Fulham's 2-0 win at West Ham last week, having only netted once in his previous 34 Premier League games. He has 20 goal involvements in the Premier League since the start of last season, more than any other Fulham player.

Match Preview
For all the talk of Liverpool replicating the famous 2019 comeback against Barcelona, their bid to overturn a three-goal deficit in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final tie with Atalanta fell flat; the Reds never seriously threatening a rescue act in Thursday's 1-0 second-leg victory in Bergamo.

With their European hopes dashed, Liverpool are facing up to the prospect of February's EFL Cup triumph being the sum of their efforts in Jürgen Klopp's final season at the helm. If they are to resurrect their Premier League title bid, they surely cannot afford to slip up at Fulham on Sunday.

With Manchester City not in Premier League action this weekend due to their involvement in the FA Cup semi-finals, Liverpool know a victory would at least see them leapfrog Pep Guardiola's champions for the time being, but the sense is they may have to be perfect from here on out.

Their finishing must improve if they are to keep themselves in contention, with wastefulness creeping into their game lately. In last Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, the Reds' figure of 2.81 expected goals (xG) was the most by a Premier League team who failed to score since Newcastle United racked up 2.83 xG in a goalless draw with Palace in September 2022.

Only Everton (-9.54) have underperformed their xG figures by a greater margin than Liverpool (-3.87) in the Premier League since the turn of the year, and the Reds have hit the woodwork more often than any other club over the course of the season.

Mohamed Salah, so often the man Liverpool rely on, has come in for criticism lately and spurned a good chance to drag his team within one on Thursday, despite having already dispatched a penalty to put them 1-0 up in Italy.

Salah has not been immune from their drop-off, posting a shot conversion rate of just 10.7% (three goals from 28 shots) in the Premier League since returning from an injury sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations, having converted 21.5% of his efforts in 2023-24 before the tournament (14 goals from 65 shots).

Salah has been a reliable source of chances for his teammates, though, with only Martin Ødegaard (68) and Bruno Fernandes (59) creating more chances from open play in the Premier League this term than his 58.



Klopp has been boosted by the returns of Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to his lineup in the last week, though Conor Bradley is out until May with a ligament injury. The German has decisions to make in attack, with Darwin Núñez and the also recently returned Diogo Jota eyeing starts after only featuring as substitutes on Thursday.

Fulham, meanwhile, are looking to follow up last week's 2-0 victory at West Ham, which halted a two-game losing run and dragged them within two points of the top half ahead of Matchday 34.

Marco Silva's men produced an impressive attacking display at London Stadium, with their 3.29 xG and 10 shots on target both team-high tallies in a Premier League game this season. It was just the third time on record (since 2003-04) that Fulham had attempted 10 or more shots on target in an away Premier League match, also doing so against Man City in April 2008 and Crystal Palace in December 2022.

Andreas Pereira's two close-range finishes made the difference, coming after he had scored just one goal in his previous 34 Premier League appearances. He has four goal contributions in his last four league games (two goals, two assists), and his total of 20 involvements since the start of last season (seven goals, 13 assists) is the most of any Fulham player since their top-flight return.

With Silva having a fully fit squad to pick from, Pereira will likely join Alex Iwobi and Willian in support of the Premier League's Player of the Month for March, Rodrigo Muniz. The Brazilian has failed to score in his three Premier League games in April, though, his longest drought since scoring his first goal in the competition against Burnley on 3 February.

Silva will hope his striker returns to form to help him end his own hoodoo against Liverpool. Since winning his first managerial meeting with the Reds with Hull City in February 2017, Silva is winless in nine against them with Watford, Everton and Fulham in all competitions (four draws, five losses).

Fulham vs Liverpool Head-to-Head
Sunday's game will be the fourth between Fulham and Liverpool this season. The Reds were 3-2 down with 87 minutes played in December's return fixture at Anfield, only for late goals from Wataru Endō and Alexander-Arnold to hand them a dramatic 4-3 win.



Liverpool then overcame Fulham in January's EFL Cup semi-finals, with Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo scoring in a 2-1 first-leg win at Anfield before Luis Díaz and Issa Diop netted in a 1-1 draw in west London.

Fulham have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games against the Reds (two draws, eight defeats), with that lone victory coming by a 1-0 scoreline at an empty Anfield in March 2021.

However, Liverpool haven't always had things all their own way at Craven Cottage, including in an entertaining 2-2 draw on the ground on the opening matchday of the 2022-23 campaign.

Though they are unbeaten in their last five away Premier League games against Fulham (three wins, two draws), Liverpool haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last eight league visits to the Cottage, since a 1-0 win in April 2009.

Recent Form
Following their 1-0 loss to Palace last week, Liverpool are looking to avoid losing consecutive Premier League games for the first time since April 2023 (against Bournemouth and Man City).

The Reds have lost on two of their five Premier League trips to London this season (two wins, one draw), going down to both Tottenham (2-1) and Arsenal (3-1). They last lost more games in the capital within a single campaign in 2014-15 (three), when they finished sixth under Brendan Rodgers.

Fulham, meanwhile, have been impressive at home this season. Since losing 3-0 to Brentford in their first home Premier League game of 2023-24, they have conceded just 13 goals in 15 matches at Craven Cottage in the competition (0.9 per game).

They have kept six clean sheets on their own turf in the Premier League this term, last keeping more in a single campaign when they finished eighth in 2010-11 (nine).

Overall, however, Silva's men have only won one of their last four league games (one draw, two defeats), having won four of their previous six to give themselves a faint hope of European qualification (two defeats).

Global Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings are a global team ranking system that assigns an ability score to over 13,000 domestic football teams on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world and 100 is the best team in the world.

Ahead of kick-off on Sunday, here is the Opta Power Ranking for both sides.

Fulham vs Liverpool Predicted Lineups





Fulham vs Liverpool Prediction
hough Fulham don't make things easy for visitors to the Cottage, the Opta supercomputer is backing Liverpool to get their campaign back on track with three points on Sunday.

Across 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, the Reds were victorious in 53.2%, with Fulham triumphant in 20.5% of scenarios and 26.3% seeing the points shared.

According to the supercomputer's season predictions, Liverpool enter the weekend with an 11.7% chance of winning the title, making them third favourites behind City (71.3%) and Arsenal (17%).

Fulham, meanwhile, finish 12th in a league-high 32.9% of scenarios, possessing a 12.4% chance of a top-half finish.





https://theanalyst.com/eu/2024/04/fulham-vs-liverpool-prediction-preview-premier-league/

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Fulham v Liverpool

TEAM NEWS
Fulham head coach Marco Silva has no fresh injury concerns and could name the same side that defeated West Ham last weekend.

Alternatively, club captain Tom Cairney might replace Sasa Lukic in midfield.

Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold could make his first Premier League start in more than a month in place of the injured Conor Bradley.

Defender Joe Gomez is also pushing for a recall, while Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip remain long-term absentees.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

    Liverpool are unbeaten in their past five Premier League games at Craven Cottage, winning three and drawing two.
    The Cottagers have triumphed only once in 13 previous meetings with the Reds in all competitions, drawing three and losing nine.
    The reverse fixture finished 4-3 to Liverpool after an 88th-minute winner from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Fulham

    Fulham have won just one of their previous four Premier League games, drawing one and losing two.
    The Cottagers have won nine of their 16 Premier League home fixtures this term, their best top-flight return at the Cottage since 2011-12, when they won 10.
    However, Marco Silva's side could lose back-to-back home league matches for the first time this season.
    They have conceded just 13 goals in their last 15 Premier League games at Craven Cottage, keeping six clean sheets.
    Rodrigo Muniz has gone three games without a goal in April after scoring eight times in eight Premier League matches between February and March.

Liverpool

    Liverpool have won five of their previous seven away games in all competitions, drawing one and losing the other.
    However, Jurgen Klopp's side have won only six of their past 18 Premier League matches in London, drawing seven and losing five.
    The Reds have scored in 19 consecutive top-flight away fixtures, the second longest run in their league history after a 21-match streak in the second tier between February 1955 and February 1956.
    The clean sheet against Atalanta on Thursday was their first in 10 matches.
    Mohamed Salah is aiming to score in three successive Premier League away games for the first time since a run of five from August to October 2021.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68810621

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"Best I've ever played with" – Fulham player reveals big admiration for Whites teammate
Repeatedly, when Fulham's Brazilians speak to their home country's media, they talk about the respect they have for Willian.

The winger has huge experience in the Premier League, and ended up being a reference for some of his teammates at the Whites.

Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte today shares a long interview with Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, and there are some interesting quotes about his partnerships there.

The centre-forward was asked about the compatriots he has at Craven Cottage, and was quite sincere talking about them, especially about the winger.

"Willian I can say is the best player I've ever played with," said Muniz.

"And Andreas has helped me a lot at the end of my adaptation. He talks to me a lot and gives me feedback that makes a lot of difference to me. I think the fact that they're Brazilian and have bought into the idea of me playing: 'Hey, I'm going to help you and that's it', is making a total difference for me on the pitch."

Muniz, just like Andreas Pereira, previously played for Flamengo in Brazil. He said they both have some love for the Rio de Janeiro side, with the midfielder willing to return to the club one day.

"Andreas really wants to go back to Flamengo. Whenever there's a Flamengo match, we watch it together in the camp. And whenever there's a Mengão game, the next day we're already saying: 'Hey, did you see it?!'"

Rodrigo Muniz didn't start the season very well, as he was benched and also struggled with injuries, and his first Premier League goal this season only took place in February this year. Since then things have been flying and he currently has nine goals and one assist in 28 games, and is Premier League Player of the Month.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/best-ive-ever-played-fulham-player-reveals-big-admiration-whites-teammate/

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Muniz: 'Willian's the best I've ever played with'
Rodrigo Muniz insists much of the credit for his remarkable renaissance in a Fulham shirt should go to his Brazilian compatriots Willian and Andreas Pereira.

The former Flamengo forward, who won the Premier League player of the month award for March, told Globo Esporte of his admiration for Willian, who continues to shine despite reaching relative veteran status at 35.

"Willian I can say is the best player I've ever played with."

He also praises Pereira, whose double secured an away win at West Ham last weekend, for offering sage advice as he learned how to make an impact in the top flight.

"Andreas has helped me a lot at the end of my adaptation. He talks to me a lot and gives me feedback that makes a lot of difference to me. I think the fact that they're Brazilian and have bought into the idea of me playing: 'Hey, I'm going to help you and that's it', is making a total difference for me on the pitch."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/04/willians-the-best-ive-ever-played-with/

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Klopp Talk: "Solid" Fulham to be a Challenge
The Reds travel to London on Sunday for the first of their final six games under Klopp

Jürgen Klopp spoke to the press on Friday ahead of his squad's trip to Fulham this weekend, emphasizing that despite Fulham's "strange" season, Marco Silva's team will pose a challenge:

    Now they won the last one against West Ham, so that helps probably as well. I only had a look at it but [they won] with less possession than West Ham, so obviously a slightly different approach to what they usually do. That's interesting. Marco is just an exceptional coach, I have to say, I always liked him, I always liked what he did and [what] he's doing there again. They had a bit of a strange season – they were not [doing] well, then particularly well, then again a few results which you were [like], 'Oh, what happened now?' but won five in a row and with really high results whenever that was.

    And now they are probably in a more solid period again and if you cannot fight for Europe then you should not be in a relegation battle. They fought a little bit for Europe, maybe still do, but will not be involved in a relegation battle, so that's a real statement. They can more or less be calm, be themselves and we have to see. It's always like this on a day like this, we have to show that we want it more than them, even when it's at their place. That's what we will try.

Mentality is certainly going to be key for Klopp's tired side as they chase the league leaders, but Klopp hopes the experience in his squad will help:

    When we were in a position we didn't win the league in the end, so that's how it is. We lost by a point and stuff like this, so what kind of experience is that – [that] we know how to get there? It's not about that, that is not the main difference. It's good to know that you are good, that you can cause other teams problems. But the thing is clear: if you want to be champion in the Premier League, you have to be close to perfection. And if we are not perfect, you have to deal with the setbacks in the best possible way or in the perfect way – and that's what we are now doing. So we had a setback week, if you want, with three games we didn't like too much, the results especially, and now we have to start turning it around.

Liverpool will have to "reset" after a rough week and a half, which saw the Reds lose twice — once in the Premier League and once in the Europa League. These results have seen the Premier League slip out of their control and the Europa League turn into a past dream. Klopp believes his side are more than capable of rebounding from these disappointments:

    Unfortunately, all of us had enough opportunities to learn that over the years. There's no season I can remember where there were no moments where you thought, 'We should have won that, we should have done that', these kind of things. It's part of our life constantly. You have to deal with it. It's never about how many punches you get, it's always how you deal with them, the few you allow them, and that's how we have to deal with the situation – how we always did. So that's now not the big problem. It's just the problem is that they are the teams we play against.

    We will find a way to be positive, to see the chance in front of us and all these kind of things. But then you have to play an opponent who has their own targets, maybe longer time for recovery, all these kind of things, different situations in general. That's the challenge in football because we never play just for ourselves, we always have an opponent. We have to make sure we become that opponent for each team again [that] they don't want to play against. We made it a bit too easy for three teams in a row and we should change that.



https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2024/4/19/24134919/klopp-talk-solid-fulham-premier-league-challenge

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Liverpool's Must-Win Battle with Fulham

Fulham vs Liverpool: A Crucial Fixture for the Reds
Liverpool, in dire need of redemption, set their sights on Fulham, fully aware that any further missteps could spell disaster for their title aspirations. The recent upset against Crystal Palace dealt a severe blow, relinquishing their lead in the Premier League to rivals Man City. With their standing now third, behind both Man City and Arsenal, the pressure mounts as only six games remain in the season.

Liverpool's Struggle for Domination
After an impressive run atop the Premier League for 11 out of the last 13 game weeks, Liverpool finds themselves in a precarious position. Their elimination from the Europa League by Atalanta only intensifies the significance of the Premier League as their last hope for silverware this season.

Fulham's Mid-Table Tenacity
On the opposing side, Fulham emerge as a mid-table contender, demonstrating sporadic brilliance capable of challenging any opponent. Recent victories over top-tier adversaries West Ham and Tottenham showcase their potential, juxtaposed with unexpected defeats to lower-ranked teams like Nottingham Forest. Rodrigo Muniz, a pivotal force with eight goals in February and March, remains a threat despite his recent dry spell.

Match Details and Key Insights
Date and Venue: Fulham vs Liverpool kicks off at 4:30pm BST on Sunday, April 21, 2024, hosted at Craven Cottage.

Viewing Options: UK viewers can catch the action live on Sky Sports Main Event, starting at 4pm. Additionally, subscribers can access the live stream via the Sky Go app.

Team News and Injury Updates

    Fulham boasts a clean bill of health, providing a formidable lineup for the encounter.
    Liverpool, however, faces several setbacks:
        Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, and Joel Matip are sidelined with injuries.
        Conor Bradley's absence, due to a ligament issue, further strains Liverpool's defensive options.
        Stefan Bajcetic's return remains uncertain, as he continues rehabilitation from injury.

Prediction
In a bid to reclaim their footing in the title race, Liverpool must secure victory against Fulham. Liverpool's recent performances don't exude confidence and with them seemingly running on empty you'd have to predict a 1-1 draw.



https://eplindex.com/108937/liverpools-must-win-battle-with-fulham.html

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Chelsea U21 0-4 Fulham U21
Fulham Under-21s booked their place in the Premier League Cup Final with a brilliant 4-0 win over Chelsea in the Semis.

It was an incredible first half from Hayden Mullins' side at Kingsmeadow, who found themselves four up inside 36 minutes.

Two goals in three minutes from Delano McCoy-Splatt and Devan Tanton saw us take a grip on proceedings, a grip that was made vice-like when Terrell Works and Adrion Pajaziti added their names to the scoresheet.

A rapid start almost had Fulham in front with just three minutes played, but Works saw his effort deflect over after a smart one-two with Tanton.

Works was integral again when the opener arrived moments later, slipping in McCoy-Splatt whose low shot had too much venom for Ted Curd in the home goal.

A fantastic start got even better two minutes later when the ball was worked from left to right, eventually finding Tanton who lashed a pristine strike across Curd and inside the far post.

Chelsea probed for a response but it was the Whites who struck again bang on 25 minutes. Persistent forward play from Works and Callum Osmand saw them overwhelm a caught out Blues backline, with Works ending up one-on-one with Curd who stood no chance.

Every time Fulham attacked, they scored. A strong tackle from Matt Dibley-Dias saw us gain possession in a dangerous area, with some neat flicks working the ball to Pajaziti who tucked a vicious strike in between Curd and his near post.

Chelsea should have reduced the deficit within three minutes of the restart, but Jimmy-Jay Morgan couldn't make contact inside the six yard box after being picked out by Dujuan Richards' ball across the face.

Despite Fulham holding such a commanding lead, there was still plenty of urgency going forward, with McCoy-Splatt drilling one wide before Josh King saw a penalty shout waved away following a firm challenge.

The home side had been slightly more of a threat in the second half, with substitute Tyrique George handed a sight of goal after the hour mark, only to lash over wildly.

We had to wait until there was under quarter of an hour remaining for the first Chelsea shot on target. Richards struck his free-kick well, but Alex Borto made a strong save to parry the effort, before denying the Jamaica international in similar fashion six minutes later.

At the other end, Curd made two fine saves, getting down low to deny Pajaziti and substitute Lemar Gordon.

Richards had comfortably been his side's best player since the restart, but he could not find a way past Borto, who kept the latest shot out with his feet.

That secured the clean sheet, and the win could have been by a greater scoreline had Curd not claimed Dibley-Dias' long ranger in stoppage time.

Nonetheless, Fulham were in the Final of the Premier League Cup, where we will meet Tottenham Hotspur or Nottingham Forest next month.

Chelsea U21: Curd, Hughes, Acheampong (Wilson 77'), Williams, Silcott-Duberry (Diego Moreira 60'), Tauriainen (Golding 71'), Dyer, Sturge, Castledine (George 60'), Morgan (McNeilly 61'), Richards

Subs: Diego Moreira, Golding, George, McNeilly, Wilson

Fulham U21: Borto, Tanton, Araujo, De Fougerolles, Okkas, McCoy-Splatt (Amissah 87'), Dibley-Dias, King (McAvoy 87'), Works (Gordon 72'), Osmand (Loupalo-Bi 67'), Pajaziti

Subs: McNally, McAvoy, Gordon, Amissah, Loupalo-Bi



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/april/19/chelsea-u21-0-4-fulham-u21/