After a tough week in Europe, Liverpool are back in Premier League action this Saturday as they host Fulham at Anfield. With the race for a Champions League spot heating up, the stakes are high. The Reds are reeling from a 2-0 loss at PSG, which was their third straight defeat in all competitions, putting their domestic season under massive pressure.
Liverpool are currently fifth in the table with 49 points from 31 games, sitting just one point above Chelsea, while Brentford, Everton, and Fulham are all close behind. Arne Slot’s side can’t afford any more mistakes, but they’ve struggled with errors lately. That makes Saturday’s game at Anfield a must-win.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Fulham
In goal, Giorgi Mamardashvili keeps his place with Alisson Becker still out. The Georgian has been the regular starter all season and, despite the result in Paris, he made several big saves to keep the scoreline from getting worse. His stop to deny Desire Doué was a highlight, even if he couldn’t do much about Kvaratskhelia’s finish for the second goal.
The back four is largely settled due to the current injury list. Conor Bradley is still out, along with Giovanni Leoni, Stefan Bajcetic, and Wataru Endo. Hence, Jeremie Frimpong starts at right-back, a role he has settled into well since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
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Against PSG, Frimpong was one of Liverpool’s best attacking threats, nearly scoring once and constantly causing problems down the wing. Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk start in the middle, with Milos Kerkez at left-back, where he has looked increasingly confident as the season progresses.
In midfield, Gravenberch and Mac Allister pair up to provide the balance and discipline Slot’s system needs. Both are excellent on the ball and good at keeping possession, moving against a Fulham side that usually stays compact away from home and tries to hit teams on the break.
In the attacking midfield roles, Szoboszlai and Wirtz start behind the strikers. Wirtz struggled to get involved against PSG, often getting crowded out, but a home game against Fulham is a much better chance for the £100 million playmaker to get back to his best. Szoboszlai adds plenty of energy and the ability to make late runs into the box, making this one of the most talented creative duos in the league when they are on their game.
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Up front, Cody Gakpo partners with Hugo Ekitiké. Since Alexander Isak isn’t quite ready to start after returning from injury in midweek, Ekitiké will likely lead the line again, even if he has looked a bit tired recently. Gakpo brings smart movement and can drift out wide to create space. Together, they give Liverpool the pace and work rate needed to break through a stubborn Fulham defence and secure three massive points at Anfield.
Liverpool (4-2-2-2): Giorgi Mamardashvili – Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez – Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister – Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz – Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitiké.
