Fulham comes into this match in 11th position and going through one of its best moments of the season. Since the end of November he has significantly improved his performance, achieving 5 victories in his last 8 Premier League games, a streak that has allowed him to gain confidence and stability. Even in defeats they have competed well, like that spectacular 4-5 against Manchester City, where they were close to overcoming a 1-5 deficit. At home they tend to be solid, only losing to top-level rivals like Arsenal or City themselves, which reinforces the idea that they are a very uncomfortable team at Craven Cottage. uncomfortable at Craven Cottage.
Liverpool have only 1 victory here since 2020.
Liverpool currently occupies 4th position and arrives in a somewhat more stable phase after overcoming a major crisis months ago. They have gone 7 Premier games without losing, a positive sign, although their performance continues to leave doubts. After closing the year with three consecutive victories, they have recently dropped points again, such as the draw at home against Leeds. At home, in addition, they are not offering their best version this season, showing irregularity and a certain fragility in demanding matches. Although the trend is slightly upward, Liverpool still need to confirm their reliability, especially away from Anfield.
At Fulham there are several important unknowns. In the last match, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Rodrigo Muniz were not available, the first two due to their participation in the Africa Cup and Muniz due to injury, so their presence remains in doubt. Even so, Fulham has a very competitive base. In goal, Bernd Leno stands out, one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the Premier. In defense, captain Joachim Andersen stands out, accompanied by very offensive full-backs such as Antonee Robinson and Kenny Tete. Sander Berge and Saša Lukić appear in the midfield, while in attack the talent is provided by Emile Smith Rowe, Harry Wilson and Raúl Jiménez as offensive references.
Andersen is the player with the most successful long balls per game in the tournament with an average of 5.9 per game.
At Liverpool there are also significant losses. Mohamed Salah is still absent for the Africa Cup, while Diogo Jota remains injured, leaving the team short on attack. Even so, the quality remains very high. In defense, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté stand out, with Alisson Becker between the sticks. Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones appear in the midfield, while Jeremie Frimpong provides depth on the right wing. In attack, the offensive weight will fall on Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike, although the team continues to notice the absence of its great Egyptian offensive reference.
The context invites a much more open match than the initial favoritism indicates. Fulham arrive at a good moment, they are strong at home and usually compete very well against big rivals, while Liverpool, despite their quality, continue to show defensive fragility and concede chances too easily, especially away from Anfield.
In addition, the recent confrontations between both teams have been games with high pace and goals in both areas. Neither of them stands out for closing games early, and with the current defensive and offensive absences, the exchange of blows seems the most likely scenario.
With a quota of 2.10 in Codere, our Fulham – Liverpool prediction: More than 2.5 goals and both score.
