ALEX JONES (@AlexJ0nes9) analyses the odds as Liverpool head to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Fulham vs Liverpool | Sunday 13th December 2020, 16:30 | Sky Sports
Fulham go toe-to-toe with one of last season’s top-two for the second week in a row as they face Liverpool at Craven Cottage.
The champions looked somewhat back to their attacking best last weekend as they put four goals past Wolves at Anfield last week. Those goals were from just six shots on-target showing just how prolific they can be.
The Reds are strong 1/3 favourites to beat Scott Parker’s Fulham who put up a strong fight against Manchester City, but were unpicked by the difference in quality.
Liverpool have actually drawn their last three away ties in the Premier League with both sides scoring in all three. They have only won one of their five away games this term, to 10-man Chelsea back in September.
That away form is similar to Fulham’s home form, who have lost four of their five home matches, conceding three goals on three occasions.
The key team news for the visitors is that Diogo Jota has picked up a knee injury and news on how long he will be side-lined for is not known as of yet.
I do expect Liverpool to win here though and considering six of their seven wins this campaign have seen Under 4.5 Goals land too I’m more than happy to have a bet on Liverpool and Under 5 Goals in the match with Bet365 – priced at 20/23.
Fulham have looked much better defensively in recent weeks and after shipping 10 goals in their opening three matches, seem to have steadied the ship a little. There was a worry they would be relegated before they knew it, but recent performances have improved, after changing to a five-man defence.
Liverpool should be too strong for Fulham here with a front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to deal with. The trio are rested with none of them competing 90 minutes in the Champions League, with only Salah starting.
The change in formation for Fulham may have given their forward players more license to attack, and considering they are at home in front of some of their fans, will have to attack at some point.
One man who desperately needs to get his career back on track is Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The centre-midfielder has been shafted by injuries over the years and he now has a string of games under his belt for The Cottagers.
Bet365 go 4/5 for him to register just 1 shot – whether it be a goal, on target, whacked into row Z or even blocked. That seems a huge price and it is 2/9 at Betfair and 1/4 at Ladbrokes. SkyBet don’t even offer this line and go 4/5 for two shots.
He has registered a shot in four of his six appearances this season, and three in his last four starts – the only time he blanked was last week at Manchester City.
Liverpool concede an average of 10.4 shots away– significantly higher than their Anfield averages. Sure, Fulham will have to be disciplined and take their chances when they come their way, but Loftus-Cheek will more than likely pull the trigger if he gets space.
Best Bets
Fulham vs Liverpool – Liverpool to win and Under 5 Goals (20/23 Bet365)
Fulham vs Liverpool – Ruben Loftus-Cheek Over 0.5 Shots (4/5 Bet365)
