Having bounced back from a recent wobble with a handy win over Everton in the Merseyside derby, Liverpool are one step closer to lifting the Premier League trophy.
At this point, it’s inevitable that Arne Slot will bow his head to receive a winners’ medal by May, maybe even sooner. What a season. What a triumph. No one saw it coming. No one, perhaps, except a prescient German, lopsided smile and all, who recognised he’d done all he could.
But back to the here and now. Liverpool travel to Craven Cottage this afternoon to take on Fulham, looking to add another hard-fought win to the collection and preserve their undefeated record on the road this term.
Winning at Anfield on Wednesday evening restored Liverpool’s 12-point lead at the summit, but it’s important to snuff out even the smallest flickers of hope from title rivals Arsenal by claiming another three points here.
So then, team news.
24/25
Premier League (H)
2-2 draw
23/24
Premier League (A)
3-1 win
23/24
Carabao Cup (A)
1-1 draw
23/24
Carabao Cup (H)
2-1 win
23/24
Premier League (H)
4-3 win
Liverpool team news
Slot has confirmed that Alisson Becker and Conor Bradley face late tests ahead of the trip to the capital.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez also sidelined, it looks like Curtis Jones is going to reprise his role at right-back, having performed so well in a new position in midweek.
Alexis Mac Allister avoided injury following a dreadful challenge from Everton’s James Tarkowski, however, fringe midfielder Tyler Morton remains out.
Slot hasn’t been one to chop and change all too frequently this season but Liverpool have dipped over the past few weeks, seemingly sapped and drained after an incredible start to the campaign.
Moreover, the frontline have been frustratingly profligate of late, but Diogo Jota broke his 11-game duck against Everton last time out and Luis Diaz claimed a third assist in as many Premier League matches.
Diogo Jota's return to form
You could very well argue that the international break came at the perfect time for Liverpool, allowing the squad to recalibrate after a series of blows and restore some of their wonderful fluency.
Jota has suffered a frustrating campaign on an individual level, only 11 times in the Premier League and struggling to harness his usual deadliness in front of goal.
However, his skip-and-finish moment against the Toffees reminded Merseyside of the 28-year-old’s prowess, and he’ll now be looking to end the season on the crest of a wave.
You’d perhaps think that Slot would want to keep his Portuguese striker at the bow of the ship for the clash against Fulham, but he might actually be inclined to make the bold move to drop the derby hero and instead shuffle the pack up top.
Slot could boldly drop Jota
The obvious name to draw here would be Darwin Nunez, but Liverpool are gearing up to sell the Uruguayan striker and he has only started eight Premier League games all season despite avoiding any significant injury blows.
Federico Chiesa is another to consider. The 27-year-old is the sole signing of the Slot era so far, but he’s been on the margins amid injury and selection frustrations, albeit he scored a well-taken consolation goal at Wembley last month to get fans chatting online about his potential as a centre-forward.
However, having yet to start in the top-flight this year, Liverpool may be better off parking that one and instead unleashing Cody Gakpo from the outset following his recent fitness issues.
Gakpo spent the 2023/24 campaign wandering around the park, with Klopp utilising his dynamism by fielding him in a number of different roles, principally at number nine but even on occasion in a central midfield position.
However, Slot seemingly recognised his compatriot’s strength on the attacking left flank, where he has played all season, scoring 16 goals and supplying six assists across 41 fixtures, matching last year’s haul but doing so in about 800 fewer minutes.
The numbers don’t tell the full story, either, with the Netherlands star now looking far more confident and effective in his performances. ESPN’s Beth Lindop has hailed the 25-year-old as a “special player,” drawing attention to his “elegant” style.
The left winger’s ball-striking ability is something that Liverpool could do with right now, bringing him back into form after Jota, something that could further ease Mohamed Salah’s burden and bring Liverpool into a more balanced attacking state ahead of the final weeks of the season.
Gakpo, moreover, has played six times against Fulham in his Liverpool career but has only featured twice on the left. Those appearances arrived in his past two league meetings with the Cottagers and he hit goal involvements in both, assisting during last season’s 3-1 win at Craven Cottage before scoring during December’s 2-2 draw on Merseyside.
The latter of those games was an anxiety-inducing watch, for Andy Robertson was sent off in the opening half. Gakpo was instrumental in helping his team avoid defeat at Anfield, scoring, hitting the target three times, creating one big chance, and winning five duels.
Gakpo’s finishing is a thing to behold, and while Jota scored against Everton, you could argue that the goal’s creator, Diaz, enjoyed the superior performance, so electric and intimidating as he made six key passes and won eight duels, as per Sofascore.
The Colombian might not be the most prolific, but it’s such qualities that make him such an important part of this soon-to-be title-winning side. Centrally, he can cause chaos and pick at Fulham’s defenders, opening up space for Gakpo and Salah to arc inwards and strike on goal.
Jota did well in returning to the scoresheet, but Slot needs to latch onto that energy and direct it toward his side’s other forwards. Sparking purple patches across the frontline will be a sure-fire way to maintain high levels over the closing weeks of the campaign.
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