Liverpool have found the going tough over the past few days as two dropped points away at Arsenal have seen them lose pace to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title, while at the same time this was followed up by a shock Champions League defeat in midweek.
Jurgen Klopp rung the changes for Liverpool’s trip to face Red Star Belgrade and it is fair to say that the plan backfired as not only they were beaten by two goals to nil in the Serbian capital, but it has also blown their particular group wide open in terms of qualification.
This weekend they will look to return to winning ways as they play host to a Fulham side who have now hit rock bottom in the Premier League. Monday night saw them take place in what was already being labelled as a ‘relegation six pointer’ with Huddersfield.
And it is one that they came away from empty handed as Timothy Fosu-Mensah’s own goal meant that David Wagner’s men not only earned their first win of the Premier League season at the 11th time of asking, but they also leapfrogged the Cottagers.
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic is undoubtedly feeling the pressure at present as the West London outfit have not only been sliding down the table, but also conceding goals left, right and centre. A tally that now stands out 29 in 11 league outings.
They may well take some confidence in the fact that they only conceded the one against Huddersfield, but at the same time this is a side that has been really struggling to find the net this season. So ultimately there is little comfort to take from that particular defeat.
And life will get any easier for Fulham this weekend, even if they are up against a Liverpool side that aren’t necessarily firing on all cylinders right now. You only need to look at the last time the Reds went up against a promoted side.
That came a couple of weeks ago when Cardiff made the trip to Anfield, one that saw Neil Warnock’s men handsomely beaten by a score of four goals to one. If it can click for the hosts again, especially against a defence as susceptible as Fulham’s then it could be a very long afternoon for the visitors.
What do Fulham need to do to stem the tide of goals, perhaps they need to implement a more pragmatic approach to their play. They certainly have a goal threat, but all their hard work at one end of the pitch is being undone at the other.
Games likes this usually represent something of a free hit, but at the same time it is fair to say that Fulham really need to start picking up points and reviving their season. They simply cannot afford to take this one lightly.
Liverpool will undoubtedly have a point to prove after their recent slips and they cannot afford to give Manchester City any further daylight at the top of the table. All signs here point to a relatively comfortable home win.