Fulham took points off Arsenal last weekend, so Liverpool have been warned ahead of their visit of the Cottagers.
The Reds continued their near-perfect start to the season in the Champions League in midweek, winning 1-0 away to Girona.
Premier League commitments take centre stage again for Liverpool on Saturday, as they welcome Fulham to Anfield for another important game.
Marco Silva’s side are 10th in the table after a solid start to the season, with last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal highlighting the threat they pose.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, This Is Anfield spoke to Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) to get the lowdown on Fulham‘s season, the key battles on Saturday and more.
How happy are you with Fulham’s season so far?
Thrilled. Every time I feel like this flawed squad will be exposed, Marco Silva comes up with new ways to plug the gaps and paper over their biggest holes.
That is exactly what a great mid-table manager does.
Even in defeat, Fulham are competitive regardless of their opponent. It’s been almost impossible to fault their performances or results to this point.
Are they perfect? Of course not.
But more often than not they’re right in matches and give themselves a great chance to compete.
Can you finish in Europe?
Can they? Sure. Will they? It will be tough.
They’re battling with some really good clubs for those places, and while they are giving it a good run, there have been some positive results that feel as though they may experience a regression in the second half.
Even if they continue this form, they currently sit 10th, and climbing three or four places feels like quite a challenge.
Still, the teams directly above them – Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford – aren’t markedly better than Fulham and there’s definitely a chance of climbing into European places.
It just feels like a less than 50 percent chance.
Who have been Fulham’s best players? Who has struggled?
This is an interesting question about a team whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Still, easily the top two performers have been Bernd Leno and Antonee Robinson.
Those two players have been exceptional for yet another season, and they are both near the top of their position in the entire Premier League.
I made the claim that Robinson is a top 10 left-back in the world earlier this season and I stand by that.
Another top performer is Alex Iwobi, who has been a brilliant addition to the squad in his time with the club. He’s one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and has been exactly what this team has been missing.
The only player to truly struggle is Issa Diop, who has never lived up to his £15 million price tag.
He makes rash challenges, has no recovery ability once beaten and struggles to man-mark.
Unfortunately, he’s been forced into action with Joachim Andersen struggling for fitness and Calvin Bassey continuing to have disciplinary issues.
What are your thoughts on Arne Slot?
I mean, what is there to say?
I don’t think anyone in their wildest dreams expected Slot to slide so smoothly into this squad.
His success should take nothing away from what Jurgen Klopp achieved with the club, but we’ve learned two things from Slot’s early success.
First, he’s just a damn good manager who has figured out exactly what strings to pull with each individual player to make them better. Second, this is just a better, well-rounded squad than maybe folks thought.
Liverpool were a unique situation because Klopp did not leave on the premise of unsolvable problems, so Slot was therefore not tasked with finding major solutions, and yet he’s managed to unlock a new gear.
It’s truly impressive.
How do you assess the title race?
Liverpool, and everyone else. Seriously. It’s yours to lose. Don’t screw it up!
Looking ahead to Saturday, where are the key battles?
The biggest battle, unquestionably, will be Mo Salah against Robinson.
Salah can, and usually does, beat any full-back in the world across 90 minutes, and he will absolutely have at least a big chance or two in this match.
For Robinson, it will be about limiting his influence and forcing him to find teammates rather than take good shots himself.
The other key battle will be Darwin Nunez against himself.
That guy, man. He just cannot figure it out in front of goal, and it’s killing Liverpool.
What’s your prediction?
I love how Fulham have competed against top sides this year, and for that reason I think they are capable of making a mess of this game.
Yet coming to Anfield and walking away with points, especially against this Liverpool side, has not just been out of reach for a club like Fulham, but for just about everyone.
I think the Reds will win 2-1 at the end of a close and entertaining match.
