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With stress on Liverpool as favourites, the Reds host Fulham within the League Cup semi-finals. We’ve every part that you must know forward of the primary leg.
Liverpool vs. Fulham
League Cup (semi-final first leg) | Anfield
January 10, 2024 | 8pm (GMT)
Visions of a quadruple are beginning to dance into Liverpool followers’ desires.
If these ideas are to develop, Liverpool must observe up their spectacular FA Cup win with a convincing efficiency at dwelling in opposition to Fulham.
With Chelsea or Middlesbrough to play within the ultimate, and Fulham by no means having received a significant home trophy, the guests can be massively up for the tie.
League Cup record-breakers
This can be Liverpool’s nineteenth look on the semi-final stage of the competitors, from 58 entries. Which means the Reds have reached the final 4 nearly one in each three makes an attempt.
From their 18 semi-final appearances earlier than 2024, Liverpool have progressed 13 instances and gone on to win the trophy a document 9 instances, as soon as greater than Man City.
The final time Jurgen Klopp‘s crew reached this stage, Diogo Jota sunk Arsenal on the Emirates, and Liverpool beat Chelsea within the ultimate.
With Chelsea going through Middlesbrough within the different semi-final, may historical past be destined to repeat itself?
No Alexander-Arnold
Sadly, Pep Lijnders needed to reveal that Trent Alexander-Arnold is about for “most likely” three weeks out with a knee damage.
Fortunately, Liverpool have their ‘winter break’ throughout that interval, however he’ll doubtless nonetheless miss 5 matches – see which ones here.
With Joe Gomez getting used at left-back, overlaying for the injured duo of Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley will doubtless begin the largest recreation of his younger profession on the best aspect of defence.
Lijnders insisted that Bradley and Bobby Clark are “not back-up gamers, they’re a part of our squad.”
On the optimistic aspect…
Virgil van Dijk is “good to go,” in accordance with the assistant supervisor, and we predict he’ll most likely begin subsequent to both Ibrahima Konate or Jarell Quansah.
Dominik Szoboszlai is “not accessible” for the primary leg, nevertheless. The midfield will, subsequently, doubtless encompass Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.
That leaves Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez competing for 3 attacking positions.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones; Elliott, Jota, Diaz
• READ HERE: Liverpool lineup vs. Fulham – 1 guaranteed starter and Elliott or Diaz?
Previous reunions
One thing that got here barely out of the blue in Lijnders’ press convention was him revealing that he labored with Andreas Pereira as a baby.
Since signing from Man United, the Belgian has been one in every of Fulham‘s brightest attacking gamers.
Liverpool’s assistant supervisor defined: “He was my participant when he was 9 years previous at PSV Eindhoven – unbelievable that we play in opposition to him now, a lot creativity.”
Former Liverpool prospect Harry Wilson can also be doing nicely for the Cottagers. Lijnders commented: “Harry, after all, we all know very well, who has objective risk, can shoot from anyplace, nice character. We actually like him.”
Fulham are inconsistent however harmful
To succeed in this stage of the competitors, Fulham have needed to depend on spot-kicks. They beat Tottenham on penalties within the second spherical, earlier than knocking out Norwich and Ipswich.
Their quarter-final additionally went the space, beating Everton 7-6 on penalties at Goodison Park. In the meantime, within the Premier League, Fulham have been having fun with a comparatively profitable marketing campaign.
Marco Silva’s crew lie thirteenth within the desk, however have had some standout outcomes with consecutive 5-0 wins over West Ham and Nottingham Forest.
Inconsistency has been an issue, although, following these sensible wins up with three defeats in a row earlier than beating Arsenal.
Gaps between video games
Liverpool’s win over Arsenal can have happy Klopp in additional methods than one. In addition to progressing to the FA Cup fourth spherical, they are going to now keep away from a replay subsequent week.
This implies they are going to have a considerably longer ‘winter break’, though the primary leg does eat into that. After Wednesday’s fixture, Liverpool received’t play for 11 days.
Fulham, nevertheless, face a faster turnaround as they face rivals Chelsea at 12.30pm on Saturday. It is just honest we spotlight it when different groups are provided that fixture after a Wednesday match, too.
Kelleher confirmed
Whereas we will solely predict the remainder of the crew, albeit with some certainty, we will verify Caoimhin Kelleher will play in objective.
He has performed in every of this season’s three League Cup matches thus far, and Lijnders advised Liverpoolfc.com on Tuesday: “Caoimh is our No.1 for this competitors, so he’ll begin tomorrow.
“We come from a loopy schedule in December, so we actually need to see who’s prepared, who can go and who’s match to go. We’re actually completely satisfied that we play a semi-final in January, we wished this. So we go full in.”
No VAR
There can be no video assistant referee in place for both of the League Cup semi-finals.
This was initially not supposed to be the case, however with Middlesbrough reaching this stage and never having the expertise put in on the Riverside, that has modified issues.
To maintain issues honest within the EFL’s opinion, neither leg of any semi-final tie will use VAR, although it will likely be in place at Wembley for the ultimate.
One other ref who isn’t precisely favored at Liverpool!
David Coote has been appointed referee for the Anfield conflict, with Timothy Wooden and Wade Smith performing as his assistants.
Coote’s identify can be acquainted to Liverpool supporters as he was the VAR who didn’t award a penalty after Martin Odegaard’s blatant handball throughout the Reds’ match in opposition to Arsenal on December 23.
The fourth official at Anfield can be Tim Robinson.
Observe the match with TIA
Liverpool vs. Fulham is reside on Sky Sports Football with kickoff at 8pm (GMT).
TIA’s matchday reside weblog can be up and operating from 7.15pm, with Henry Jackson tasked with holding you entertained and up-to-date.
Come on you Reds!
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