Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs Fulham

It’s time for the Premier League game at Anfield when Fulham play Liverpool away on Saturday 18 December.

Liverpool comes from a 3-1 defeat against Newcastle. After conceding the lead to the Magpies through a Nolan goal on 15 minutes, Liverpool dominated the first half exchanges and when they leveled the scores four minutes after the break, the general feeling was that only the side could win. .

But thereafter the Reds seemed to lose focus and Newcastle seized on a day when Torres looked woefully out of place save for a couple of bright patches. While Kuyt and Johnson played their hearts out, Gerrard’s continued absence hurt more than anything else.

Last week’s win against Villa had given Hodgson a bit of a breather in a season where witnesses are demanding his head, and the defeat at St James’s Park must surely revive those demands.

Fulham played another draw at home, this time against Sunderland, in a game they could have won. Their tenth draw in 17 games equaled a dubious Premier League record that the Cottagers will not be proud of.

It was a story of missed opportunities for Mark Hughes’s team that dominated possession and exchanges throughout. His first chance came after eight minutes when Mignolet on Sunderland’s goal saved Dempsey’s shot. In another clear scoring chance, Dempsey failed to reach Salcido’s cross in the 55th minute. Soon after, Etuhu’s header from point-blank range was barely parried by Bardsley, on the line. In the 68th minute, any of Gera and Dempsey could have arranged Hangeland’s corner.

The Cottagers could still rue the missed opportunity to pick up full points against a lackluster Sunderland side, who barely tested the Fulham goalkeeper that day, with a shot on either side of the half-point.

In the four games Liverpool and Fulham have met in the league since November 2008, the Reds and Cottagers have each won one game, while the other two have drawn. Their last meeting in April 2010 was at Anfield, and that match ended goalless.

Their loss to Newcastle has left the Merseysiders in ninth place and in danger of being overtaken by Blackpool, Blackburn or Aston Villa, should either of them win their matches on Matchday 17.

Liverpool’s home record has been reasonably good, as Hodgson’s charges have lost just one game, winning five and drawing the rest.

Fulham are yet to win an away game, but have only lost three of eight games played away from home, while drawing five.

Hodgson will welcome the chance to redeem himself in front of the home fans on December 18, and hopefully Gerrard will be there to help him out.

Liverpool had the following men in their starting XI against Newcastle: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi, Torres and Ngog. Babel and Jovanovic appeared as substitutes.

Fulham’s starting eleven against Sunderland consisted of Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido, Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey, Gera and Kamara. Baird and the two Johnsons, Eddie and Andy, were substitutes.