LIVERPOOL
5th in Premiership
with 25 points
Position achievable
after MatchDay 17:
Highest 3rd - Lowest 9th
- LIVERPOOL will run out against mid-table Fulham with an air of optimism at Anfield. On the verge of a £450million takeover, in the last 16 of the Champions League despite the midweek loss in Turkey to Galatasaray, the Reds look to build on last Saturday's first League away win (0-4 at Wigan) and their biggest Premiership victory since last March, in Rafa Benitez' 150th match in charge.
- The Merseysiders, who lead the Premiership's home form table, are eager to extend the second longest unbeaten home run in the Premiership to 25 games with a 50th Premier League victory under the current manager.
- The Reds are defending an unbeaten home Premiership record against Fulham of three wins and two draws. They've won the last two corresponding fixtures with an aggregate of 8-2, with Fernando Morientes scoring one goal in each.
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FULHAM
13th in Premiership
with 20 points
Position achievable
after MatchDay 17:
Highest 10th - Lowest 13th
- FULHAM are looking for a 950th post war League win, but hold the joint weakest defence in the highest League.
- They've only managed three clean sheets in this League season - one more than West Ham, who have the fewest - and face a Liverpool side who've kept seven, four in a row, and need one more to register 200 in Premier League history.
- The Cottagers have never won in any competition at Anfield
- Won one of the last five Premiership matches
- Lost three of the last four League games.
- Failed to score in two of three in the top flight, and managed only one clean sheet in 11. 4. Gone 28 League matches since winning by more than a single goal. (6-1, home to West Brom on 11 February).
- Conceded 23 goals in the Premiership this season. Only bottom-but-one Charlton have also leaked that many.
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- Unbeaten in four Premiership matches (draw, win, draw, win).
- Lost one of the last seven Premiership matches (3-0, away to Arsenal on 12 November).
- Not conceded in five of the last six League matches, including the last four in succession. Not shipped a goal in 370 minutes (six hours 10 minutes) of top flight soccer since William Gallas scored Arsenal's third at the Emirates on 12 November.
- Not lost in any competition at home this season (11 wins, two draws).
- Unbeaten in 24 home Premiership matches, winning 20 and drawing four since losing 1-4 to Chelsea on 2 October 2005. Won six and drawn two of the eight home League games this season.
- The goaless draw with Portsmouth in the last home game is the first time Liverpool failed to score at Anfield this season.
- Hold a 100% record when opening the scoring in Premiership matches this season. Won six of six, against Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Reading and Manchester City (all at home), and Wigan (away).
- Won all five Premiership matches in which ahead at half time.
- Both pre-Christmas fixtures are against London clubs (away to Charlton and home to Arsenal).
- Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with nine goals.
- Jose Manuel REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches this season.
- Reina and Steven GERRARD are the only players to have figured in at least a part of each of Liverpool's Premiership games this season.
- If he plays, Reina will be making his 50th Premiership appearance in a Liverpool jersey.
- If he plays, Craig BELLAMY will be making his 250th career English League appearance (Norwich, Coventry, Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool).
- Bellamy is a double shy of 50 Premier League goals (Coventry, Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool).
- If he plays, Steve FINNAN will be facing a former club. Finnan scored six goals in 172 Premiership appearances for Fulham.
- If he starts, Sanz LUIS GARCIA will be making his 50th Premiership start - all for the Merseysiders.
- Lee PELTIER will celebrate his 20th birthday two days after this game.
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- Conceded the opening goal in 10 Premiership matches. Only West Ham have allowed their opponents to take the lead more often (11).
- Conceded more goals in the first quarter (22 minutes) of Premiership matches than any other club (seven), and scored more in the last 10 minutes than any other with the exception of Manchester United (five each).
- Recorded only one away League victory this season (2-1 at Newcastle on 9 September) and two in 27 since the start of last season.
- Home fixtures against Middlesbrough and West Ham are scheuled before Christmas.
- Brian McBRIDE is Fulham's leading scorer, with four goals.
- Only Liam ROSENIOR has been on the field for every minute of Fulham's Premiership matches this season.
- Mark PEMBRIDGE needs one more appearance to total 400 in his English League career (Luton, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Everton and Fulham).
- If he plays, NICLAS JENSEN will be making his 50th Premiership appearance (Manchester City and Fulham).
- If he plays, Ian PEARCE will be making his 50th League appearance for the Cottagers.
- Collins JOHN scored in both last season's meetings with Liverpool.
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LAST CORRESPONDING FIXTURE
Anfield on 15 March 2006
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| Fowler 16, Brown 34 og, Morientes 71, Crouch 89, Warnock 90 |
John 25 |
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Traore, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Kewell (Warnock, 88 ), Fowler (Cisse, 68 ), Morientes (Crouch, 81)
Subs not used: Dudek, Hyypia |
Warner, Rosenior, Knight (Christanval, 69 ), Pearce, Bridge, Radzinski (McBride, 78 ), Malbranque, Brown, Pembridge, Boa Morte, John
Subs not used Crossley, Helguson, Niclas Jensen, |
| Bookings: |
Bookings: Bridge, Brown |
| Attendance: 42293 |
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) |
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| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
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LIVERPOOL |
Draw |
FULHAM |
| League |
21 |
11 |
6 |
| Premier |
6 |
2 |
2 |
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