Liverpool will kick off their Premier League season with a trip to London as they are scheduled to take on Fulham on Saturday at Craven Cottage.
Fulham renewed their hopes with an automatic promotion last season and they would be adamant to extend their stay in the Premier League beyond the upcoming season.
The Cottagers fans knew what happened after the last two promotions and concerns will definitely be there for them. Fulham have been pretty conscious in the summer window as they don’t want to repeat their 2018 mistakes when owner Shahid Khan backed the manager with a huge transfer kitty only to be demoted to the Championship again.
They have so far brought with the likes of Andreas Pereira from Manchester United, Joao Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon, Bernrd leno from Arsenal and Manor Salomon from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Palhinha is a midfield enforcer who has the tactical ability to match the level of the English top flight. When most of the clubs could be impacted by the impending departure of a number of players Fulham could feel a breather as except Palhinha no other players are in contention for the football extravaganza.
Marco Silva himself has to believe in his ability as the Portuguese gaffer has shown earlier he can pull off a coup during his stay at Hull City, Watford and Everton.
At Everton, he was mercilessly sacked for not matching the club’s vision but this time he seems to be taking one step at a time as all the players at his disposal are dancing to his tune so far.
Aleksandar Mitrovic once again showed his goal scoring prowess by finding the net 43 times in the Championship and Fulham’s Premier League status will be depending a lot on him as he needs to bring his from to the top flight once again.
In their last meeting, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage and even a solitary point would be a big bonus for Marco Silva.
Liverpool warmed up for the season in style as they got the better of Manchester City in the Community Shield final. New signing Darwin Nunez scored the winning goal as he announced his arrival in style.
Jurgen Klopp missed the Premier League crown by a whisker last time and he needs to assure that kind of situation doesn’t arise this time around.
The Merseysiders are a potential title contender this season alongside champions Manchester City while Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur too will fancy their chances.
Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsey arrived at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to dip any more in the transfer market. The Reds did suffer three defeats at the hands of Manchester United, Red Bull Salzburg and Strasbourg in the preseason but that would not put much pressure on them.
They are unbeaten in the last 19 Premier League games and an easy win at Craven Cottage is probably looming on the horizon. However, the Cottagers got the better of Liverpool at Anfield and played out a draw on their home turf. So the German gaffer might not be taking a risk by providing any kind of leverage to their opponents.
Fulham vs Liverpool
Date: 6th August 2022
Time: 5:00 PM IST
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Fulham vs Liverpool
Team News
Fulham
Fulham are currently dealing with a pile of injuries. Harry Wilson is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines while Joe Bryan and Nathaniel Chalobah are also unavailable for the game.
All the new arrivals could be handed a debut in the Premier League against the mighty Reds.
Liverpool
Diogo Jota, Caoimhin Kelleher and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are nursing injuries while Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones are doubtful.
Naby Keita should be fit in time for this clash.
Fulham Possible Lineup
Leno; Mbabu, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; Reid, Pereira, Kebano; Mitrovic
Liverpool Possible Lineup
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Diaz
Predictions
Liverpool should have it easy against the newly promoted side.
Fulham vs Liverpool Fantasy XI No. 1
Leno, Ream, Robertson, Robertson; Fabinho, Thiago, Palhinha, Reed; Diaz, Firmino, Mitrovic
Fulham vs Liverpool Fantasy XI No. 2
Leno, Ream, Robertson, Robertson, Van Dijk; Fabinho, Thiago, Palhinha; Diaz, Firmino, Mitrovic
