Match Preview
Fulham vrs Liverpool
Premiership Match Day 31 24/25 at Craven Cottage
Sunday 6th April 2025 KO: 14:00
Referee:
Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)
Live on Sky
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Fulham play on Sunday afternoon at Craven Cottage pitting their wits against a Liverpool side that is just three games away from hoisting the Premier League trophy aloft
Had Fulham managed to take a leaf out of Liverpool's attacking book at the Emirates, the Reds could have been just two matches away from clinching the title by now, but Marco Silva's former Gunners could not better the current Gunners in the midweek London derby.
A Fulham side comprising the likes of Bernd Leno, Willian, Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi put up a decent fight, but Mikel Merino's deflected strike and Bukayo Saka's emotional first goal of 2025 rendered Rodrigo Muniz's last-gasp effort inconsequential.
Silva's outfit could at least reflect on that performance more positively than their FA Cup quarter-final crushing at the hands of Crystal Palace, and the European dream could still become a reality for the ninth-placed hosts, who are only three points off the top seven.
Inconsistency on their own patch has harmed their bid for continental football, though, as Fulham have alternated between winning and losing in each of their last six games at Craven Cottage in all competitions, and they have not managed to secure back-to-back Premier League home victories all season long.
Furthermore, the Cottagers' last top-flight home win over Liverpool came all the way back in December 2011, but they dug deep to leave Anfield with a 2-2 draw in December, their only point from their last 11 Premier League games against the team starting the day at the summit.
Little went Liverpool's way just before the first international break of 2025, as their dreams of EFL Cup and Champions League glory crashed and burned within the space of a few days, and little went the Reds' way in the first half of Wednesday's derby also.
However, after Toffees defender James Tarkowski inexplicably avoided taking the walk of shame for a crunching tackle on Alexis Mac Allister - which the PGMOL have now admitted was the incorrect call - Diogo Jota demonstrated his ruthless side to propel the champions-elect to a joyous win.
Slot and co may only end the campaign with the one trophy as opposed to the four that were possible just a couple of months ago, but as the Reds are still 12 points clear of Arsenal with just eight rounds remaining, their status as England's top dogs should not be up for debate.
September's shock home loss to Nottingham Forest remains the only time that the leaders have been bested in the top flight this term, as success over Everton prolonged their Premier League unbeaten run to a fabulous 26 matches, including each of their 15 on the road.
In fact, it has been almost exactly a year since Liverpool were last beaten in a Premier League away game, falling to none other than Everton on April 24, 2024, and Slot's men have also found the back of the net at least twice in 13 of their 15 top-flight road matches this term.
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Fulham's only victory in their last 15 matches in all competitions against Liverpool (D4, L10) was 1-0 league win at Anfield in March 2021.
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The Reds are unbeaten in seven consecutive matches in all competitions at Craven Cottage (D4, L3) since a 1-0 loss in December 2011 under Kenny Dalglish.
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The Cottagers have won just 13 of their 78 matches against Liverpool.
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The three defeats Fulham have suffered in their past five league matches is one more than they had recorded in their previous 13 such fixtures.
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A league-high 14 of Fulham's 44 top-flight goals this season have been scored by substitutes, including six by Rodrigo Muniz - only Adam Le Fonfre, with eight for Reading in 2012-13, has netted more off the bench in a single Premier League campaign.
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The Cottagers are looking to win consecutive league matches at home for the first time since March 2024.
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The only point Marco Silva's side have won in their last 11 Premier League matches against teams starting the day top of the table came in a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture at Anfield.
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Only two of the 53 Premier League goals Fulham have scored since the start of last season at Craven Cottage have come from outside the box.
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Liverpool need 13 points from their remaining eight games to clinch a record-equalling 20th league title.
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The Reds are unbeaten in 26 league games, their third longest undefeated streak in the top flight.
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They are on a run of 17 away league matches without defeat (W10, D7) since a 2-0 loss at Everton in April 2024.
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Arne Slot's team are aiming to become just the fifth side in English top-flight history to go an entire season unbeaten away from home after Preston (1888-89), Arsenal (2001-2002 and 2003-24) and Manchester United (2020-21).
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They have kept 13 league clean sheets this season, a joint high with Nottingham Forest.
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Since a run of scoring in eight consecutive appearances in all competitions in January and February, Mohamed Salah has scored just twice in six games, with both goals penalties against Southampton.
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Liverpool have scored eight times in their last four away league games and all eight goals have either been scored (five) or assisted (three) by Salah.
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Source Ben Knapton at SportsMole/BBCSports