Source: Daily_Mail
Fulham v Liverpool live
ShareFollow Sportsmail's coverage of the Barclays Premier League where Fulham host Liverpool at Craven Cottage to complete the weekend's fixtures. An end of season flourish has seen Kenny Dalglish's side make themselves contenders for a European spot and they will be looking for three points to keep up pressure on Tottenham. Email me your thoughts on the game at dan.ripley@dailymail.co.uk[LNB] Fulham 1-3 Liverpool (8pm) Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido, Davies (Zamora 46), Murphy, Gudjohnsen, Sidwell, Dempsey, Dembele.Subs: Stockdale, Johnson, Senderos, Etuhu, Kakuta, Greening.[LNB]Goals: Dembele 57.[LNB]Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Flanagan, Maxi, Spearing, Lucas, Meireles (Shelvey 49), Suarez, Kuyt.Subs: Gulacsi, Cole, Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Poulsen, Robinson.[LNB]Goals: Maxi 1, 7 Kuyt 16.[LNB]Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire) [LNB]61min: Salcido has had this coming as he is booked after bodychecking Suarez, after being sold another dummy by the Uruguayan.[LNB]60min: What an amazing thing psychology is. Fulham are two goals down and in any other circumstances would look finished.[LNB]But they are suddenly playing with belief after that goal and Liverpool look a little nervous.[LNB]57min: GOAL! FULHAM 1-3 Liverpool[LNB]...they couldn't could they? The Zamora sub has worked, he holds the ball up on the edge of the box before laying off to Moussa Dembele who perfectly places the ball into the bottom corner.[LNB]Reina is booked for kicking the ball out of the stadium - more in frustration than anything.[LNB]54min: Not much of a red blitz this half, but then you would not expect them to be all guns blazing. Despite the Fulham attempts on goal they still look comfortable.[LNB]51min: And now Eidur Gudjonhsen joins in as he hits a first-time shot from 25-yards out that drags wide of the post. Much better play from the hosts though.[LNB]50min: Better from Fulham who have two good chances. First Zamora's header inside the box is blocked before a Dempsey effort from the edge of the box flashes just over.[LNB]49min: Not all going Liverpool's way though. Raul Meireles has felt a slight strain on his hamstring and limps off to be replaced by Jonjo Shelvey.[LNB]47min: Don't worry you have missed no goals but I will say this ground is still full. No signs of fans walking out here and it's good to see.[LNB]And hear, as shouts of 'Come on Fulham' ring out around the ground.[LNB]Second-half: Changes for Fulham as Bobby Zamora comes on for Simon Davies - Liverpool re-start proceedings.[LNB]20.57: Right I am going to open up a can of worms, can this Liverpool side challenge for the title next season?[LNB]I know any side can hit a run of form, but some of Liverpool's play in that half was something to behold. If King Kenny can keep these sorts of performances up it's hard to find an argument against.[LNB]20.54: From InfostradLive: [LNB]It's 15 years since Liverpool led 3-0 within 16 mins in a PL match. In March 1996 it was 3-0 after 8 mins vs Villa[LNB]20.49: That scoreline is completely deserved too. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is watching in the stands and his face is almost glummer than Hughes's as he prepares to travel to Anfield this weekend - no one would want to play Liverpool in this sort of form.[LNB] Half-time: Fulham 0-3 Liverpool[LNB]45+1min: Three minutes added on as Dempsey is booked for a behind tackle on Jay Spearing.[LNB]Not as bad as it sounds but you can see the American's frustration in the challenge.[LNB]45min: But he has to be alert here, as Steve Sidwell's header from a cross is powerful enough but straight at him.[LNB]44min: Not a bad effort from Dempsey, he cuts in from the left hand side and on his right foot lets fly with an effort that just creeps wide from 23 yards. Reina looked like he had that covered though.[LNB]42min: Suarez again manages to find time and space on the edge of the box, but his left-foot shot is to close to trouble Schwarzer who this time manages to keep hold of the strike.[LNB]Beast at the back: Jamie Carragher was playing his 666th game for Liverpool[LNB]39min: I don't remember any team giving Hangeland such a hard time - especially at Craven Cottage.[LNB]But the centre-back just has no answer to the constant movement of Maxi and Suarez.[LNB]36min: And they win another and Johnson is again the man to cut it out - heading away for a throw in.[LNB]33min: Very unlucky from Fulham! A corner is volleyed towards goal by Dempsey with Pepe Reina well beaten...[LNB]...but not Johnson who on the line sticks out a leg to divert it out for a corner.[LNB]30min: Meanwhile the Harlem Globetrotters continue their pursuit for a fourth with Lucas going for goal of the season. A ball is flicked back to him 35-yards-out where on the difficult bounce he lashes goalwards that just picks up too much height late on as it flies over. [LNB]29min: Some hope, Chris Baird's cross to the back-post is a good one but Johnson does well to out-jump Dempsey and clear - that's about as good as it has got.[LNB]28min: Still much not joy from the hosts and Liverpool look pretty keen to press for more here.[LNB]25min: And there is another chance. Lovely movement from Suarez again finds him unmarked in the box but his cut-back for Maxi is also fired high and wide. Football games don't get more one-sided than this.[LNB] Dutch delight: Kuyt (right) celebrates scoring Liverpool's third as Dempsey looks on[LNB]23min: Should be four and I'm not kidding. Suarez easily mugs off Hangeland on the left before running along the byline and firing a powerful shot that goes high...and out for a throw-in.[LNB]There were a few options what to do there. Going for power was easily the worst one.[LNB]21min: Finally Fulham have some possession but they still look stunned by what has happened to them here.[LNB]18min: So just over a quarter-of-an-hour gone and this one looks over already...[LNB]16min: GOAL! Fulham 0-3 LIVERPOOL[LNB]I just can't believe what I am seeing. Now Dirk Kuyt is on the scene as his near post shot is embarrassingly fumbled by Schwarzer into his own goal.[LNB]It's his fifth strike in as many games, something not matched at the club since a certain Michael Owen achieved it a decade ago.[LNB]15min: Good grief the Reds continue to pour forward and should have a penalty after Luis Suarez appears to be pushed by Brede Hangeland following a long ball over the top.[LNB]In truth the way he throws his hands up as he goes down, it looks like he dives and that is probably the reason why Lee Mason and his assistant decide to take no action.[LNB] To the max: Maxi (centre) doubled his and Liverpool's tally six minutes later[LNB]13min: More Maxi stats from OptaJoe:[LNB]Maxi Rodriguez's six goals in his last three games have come in 159 minutes of play, an avg of one every 27 mins. Deadly.[LNB]12min: Some relief of pressure for Fulham...but only by the game stopping as Martin Skrtel receives some treatment after he heads Dempsey's elbow.[LNB]10min: At 31 seconds that is this season's fastest goal by the way.[LNB]9min: And here Johnson goes again. He manages to reach the by line but it's Clint Dempsey of all people that gets the block to turn it out for a corner.[LNB]7min: GOAL Fulham 0-2 LIVERPOOL[LNB]Erm make that six in three. Glen Johnson manages to find some space down the right and his lofted cross to the back post is hammered home from an acute angle by Maxi Rodriguez, the boy just can't stop scoring. Fulham's defending...words fail me.[LNB]5min: Liverpool have started like a house on fire, Fulham just can't get a kick as Jay Spearing just fires an effort off-target.[LNB]2min: It's all happening here. Danny Murphy is booked after a pretty reckless sliding tackle on Lucas. Mark Hughes looks like he is going to explode on the touchline.[LNB] Quick out the blocks: Maxi (right) scored the fastest goal of the season after 31 seconds[LNB]1min: GOAL! Fulham 0-1 LIVERPOOL[LNB]Anything United can do, Liverpool can do better.[LNB]Luis Suarez is away down the left hand side and after some comical defending and half hearted clearance attempts from Carlos Salcido and Mark Schwarzer, Maxi Rodriguez fires through a crowd of players inside the box to give the Reds the lead after 30 seconds - his fifth goal in three games.[LNB]Kick-off: Away we go.[LNB]19.56: Lovely sunny evening as the teams make their way out.[LNB]19.52: Big shout for Jamie Carragher tonight, it is his 666th appearance (insert number of the beast joke here) for Liverpool taking him second out right in the all-time list for the club.[LNB]He has quite a way to go to beat Ian Callaghan's record of 857 - I wouldn't rule it out though.[LNB]19.50: Big incentive for Fulham tonight (aside from not kicking anyone). A win would take them up to eighth and considering they were in the bottom three at Christmas, that's a brilliant turn-around Mark Hughes has performed.[LNB]19.46: What a headache for Dalglish by the way. He has a ?35million striker in Carroll but can't find a place in the starting line up for him.[LNB]Mind you it's justified, Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez have teamed up very well - still a very nice luxury to have plenty of fire power in reserve.[LNB]19.42: Even Steven Gerrard has weighed in on the Europa League debate. He says there is arguments for both sides but thinks the squad would be able to cope domestically and in Europe.[LNB]19.38: Fulham are on a good run, and in general are a difficult side to beat at Craven Cottage. But Liverpool have had a good record in recent years in west London.[LNB]They have won two of their last three visits and won the reverse fixture at Anfield 1-0 this season.[LNB] 19.34: Andy Carroll did not travel to Craven Cottage for Liverpool's Barclays Premier League game against Fulham tonight.[LNB]The striker was left back on Merseyside as manager Kenny Dalglish names an unchanged line-up for the game in which a draw would take the Reds back above Tottenham into fifth place.[LNB]A point is also good enough for Fulham to reclaim eighth spot and they make three changes, recalling the fit-again Clint Dempsey and Brede Hangeland as well as drafting in Mousa Dembele for Bobby Zamora.[LNB]19.31: Full team line-ups.[LNB]Fulham v LiverpoolFulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido, Davies, Murphy, Gudjohnsen, Sidwell, Dempsey, Dembele. Subs: Stockdale, Johnson, Senderos, Etuhu, Kakuta, Zamora, Greening.Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Flanagan, Maxi, Spearing, Lucas, Meireles, Suarez, Kuyt. Subs: Gulacsi, Cole, Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Poulsen, Shelvey, Robinson.Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)[LNB]19.27: And hey, while we are on the subject of the Europa League, last season's finalists Fulham look set to be in next year's competition via the Fair Play League.[LNB]That's another one where I don't know where to get started. A place in Europe for not kicking lumps out of people? I see the idea, but hardly a rule that helps the Europa League try and regain some credibility.[LNB]19.24: Well I say it's not all bad news, many Liverpool fans I have spoke to don't want to to touch the Europa League with a barge pole.[LNB]This slightly puzzles me as I would want my team to try and win everything it possibly can. Of course it's not the Champions League but it's a European trophy![LNB]If any of you Reds fans can give me a convincing argument on why you would rather finish sixth than fifth then please do email me on the above.[LNB]For now here is Jamie Redknapp's take on it.[LNB]19.20: Fulham starting XI:[LNB]Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Davies, Sidwell, Murphy, Dempsey; Gudjonson, Dembele.[LNB]19.17: No Andy Carroll by the way who has not travelled with the squad. [LNB]19.15: Liverpool starting XI:[LNB]Reina; Flanagan, Carragher, Skrtel, Johnson; Meireles, Spearing, Lucas, Maxi; Kuyt, Suarez.[LNB]19.10: It wasn't really a great weekend for Liverpool was it?[LNB]With Manchester United all but crowned champions for a record 19th time, the Reds' proud record as the most successful team in England looks all but over.[LNB]But as some will say that is all history. On to a positive note and how things stand in the table, Tottenham's dropped points at the weekend gives Kenny Dalglish's side a chance to take the initiative in the battle for fifth - see it's not all bad news. Team news coming up.[LNB] Max Power: Liverpool's Maxi Rodriguez (left) has scored four goals in his last two games[LNB] Spearing signs new Liverpool deal after impressing Anfield boss DalglishFulham hoping to complete Gudjohnsen deal in the summerAll the latest Fulham news, features and opinionAll the latest Liverpool news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Jamie Carragher, Mark Hughes, Glen Johnson, Andy Carroll, Kenny Dalglish, Maxi Rodriguez, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Redknapp, Brede Hangeland, Danny Murphy, Michael Owen, Bobby Zamora, Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard Places: Liverpool, London, United Kingdom, Europe
