Fulham finally make their return to the pitch after three weeks away with the international break and FA Cup quarter-finals. The Cottagers make the trip to Anfield, where they have won just twice in their history but did pick up a draw last season.
Finally, we are back in action and Fulham are taking on Liverpool at Anfield in the first of seven massive games that will decide the makeup of their season next year.
With the massive dangled carrot of eighth place being in European competition, Fulham have the best chance they have had in almost two decades of returning to the continent.
Currently sitting in ninth place, but just two points away from Europe and only five away from a Champions League spot, Marco Silva prepares his team for the cliche seven ‘finals’ with as many as 10 teams still competing for the final four European spots.
That journey begins with the usually very daunting trip to Anfield, but things are not as they usually are on Merseyside.
Form Guide
For Fulham, a form guide is effectively superfluous, with the Cottagers not in action for three weeks.
They do come into this game with 10 points from their last 15 though, so spirits will be high when making the trip up north.
For Liverpool, it is an altogether different story.
Last year’s champions are 21 points off leaders Arsenal and were dumped out of the FA Cup with a dismal 4-0 battering by Manchester City.
A 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday will have done little to inspire any confidence either and although Arne Slot’s men do still currently occupy fifth place and with it the final Champions League spot, they have picked up just one point from their last three matches.
Previous meetings
The two sides first met in February 1912 when Fulham won an FA Cup second round tie 3-0 at Craven Cottage.
Since then, Liverpool have dominated the fixture, winning 45 of the 80 matches between the two sides, with 21 draws and 14 wins.
Fulham’s upturn in consistency under Marco Silva has seen them routinely turn Liverpool around, and the Reds have not defeated the Cottagers since a 3-1 win in April 2024.
There have been two draws, including last time out at Anfield, both of which finished 2-2, while Fulham defeated Liverpool 3-2 in that time too.
Having said all of that though, only twice in their entire history have Fulham defeated Liverpool at Anfield, in May 2012 and in March 2021, both of which finished 1-0.
Team News
The positive news for Fulham fans is that Calvin Bassey will be fit to play despite a back injury that ruled him out of Nigeria’s two friendlies in the international break.
That meant that there were no injuries from the international break for Silva to contend with, but Kenny Tete’s foot problem persists and he will be out, while Harrison Reed picked up a knock in training.
Brazilian Kevin is likely out for the remainder of the season after having surgery on toe injury in February.
Predicted XI
Fulham: (4-2-3-1) Leno; Robinson, Bassey, Andersen (c), Castagne; Iwobi, Berge; Bobb, King, Wilson; Muniz
Odds
Liverpool are 13/20 favourites, suggesting Fulham have work to do to come away with a third win at Anfield, with odds of 15/4.
A draw is 16/5.
What did Marco Silva say?
“It is a rare situation for us when you are going to prepare yourself for the end of the season, the last seven games and three weeks without a game.
“It is a good sign for us a football club that we had 13 players on international duty with their countries and that is a good sign.
“The group has been very small, of course this week has been a normal week and a very good week for us and we found a way, of course we found a way, with our academy players.
Marco Silva insisted his team would respect Liverpool despite their run of form. Image Credit: Reuters“[Liverpool] are a big, big football club, we cannot forget they are the last champions and for one reason.
“All the teams in the world have ups and downs, of course they are not happy with their position or the run and all that stuff that you expect from a massive club like Liverpool, but they want to always react and to show to them and the fans that they are ready to win again in the Premier League.
“The last three results for us [against Liverpool] have been very, very good, we have been achieving good games but also good performances as well and let’s hope we can put in the same type of performance, the same time of braveness to play the way we want to play, respecting of course the quality of Liverpool.”