Fulham

Feeling daunted by the trip to the Premier League leaders, who are one of the most in-form teams in Europe?

Well, along with Mohamed Salah being absent, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai being injured, and Alisson likely to be rested, there are other reasons for optimism for Cottagers.

In the last six meetings, there has not been more than a single goal between the teams.

So why don't we remind ourselves of how Fulham have proved awkward opponents for Liverpool, even when they have been flying at their highest - and just note who have been the Reds' key players in this period...

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Liverpool 4-3 Fulham

3 December 2023

Fresh in the memory this one.

Fulham led 3-2 in the 87th minute thanks to goals from Harry Wilson, Kenny Tete and Bobby De Cordova-Reid before Wataru Endo and Alexander-Arnold agonisingly denied Marco Silva's side in a seven-goal thriller. Caoimhin Kelleher, filling in for the injured Alisson that day, was at fault for two goals.

He is likely to play on Wednesday.

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Liverpool 1-0 Fulham

3 May 2023

Salah won it for the Reds but who remembers that wonder save by Liverpool's Alisson in the 77th minute to keep out Carlos Vinicius? And then Bobby De Cordova-Reid going close to an equaliser in the 94th minute?

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Fulham 2-2 Liverpool

6 August 2022

Opening day of the 2022-23 season, a warm sunny afternoon and Aleksandar Mitrovic running amok against the team that had nearly done the quadruple two months previously. Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score one and create another as ragged Liverpool happily left London with a point.

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Liverpool 0-1 Fulham

7 March 2021

No Fulham fan is struggling to recall this ray of light deep in Covid times. It is not three years since Mario Lemina's goal on the stroke of half-time - after the Gabon midfielder had dispossessed Salah - earned Fulham a first win at Anfield since 2012.

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Fulham 1-1 Liverpool

13 December 2020

Decordova-Reid put Fulham ahead in a first half the home side dominated and Liverpool were thankful to Alisson for keeping them in the game. Salah equalised late on with a penalty after Aboubakar Kamara leapt in the wall and blocked a free-kick with his arm.

And why don't we round off with a reminder of 2012, when a Martin Skrtel own goal earned Fulham their first win at Anfield...

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Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin says Fulham are "capable" of beating Liverpool over two legs and reaching the Carabao Cup final.

The sides play each other in the first of two legs at Anfield on Wednesday in what is the Whites' first semi-final in the competition.

The Reds narrowly beat Fulham 4-3 in December in the Premier League, with two late goals completing a dramatic comeback.

"Semi-finals are special. The tension is different from just about any other game you play as nobody remembers the losing semi-finalists. It's the most horrible game to lose," Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast.

"You have to go for it. Fulham have been a bit up and down this season. They they have come out with these results from absolutely nowhere and, other times, you expect them to win and they really disappoint.

"They are capable of doing it but I think they would rather it was over one leg.

"It is not beyond the bounds of possibilities, especially with Liverpool missing one or two important players."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Sammy James, Fulhamish, external

The anticipation for Fulham's semi-final against Liverpool on Wednesday is huge. For me, it is the biggest set of matches since our Europa League final against Atletico Madrid in 2010.

Of course, the definition of 'big' is ambiguous. Our two Championship play-off finals against Aston Villa and Brentford were probably more vital given the financial prize that was at stake, but ultimately football is about winning trophies, and this is a golden chance to snag one.

Fulham, famously, have never won a trophy. Alongside Crystal Palace, we are probably the most successful club in England to have never won one. For Fulham fans, it really is the ultimate dream.

We will almost certainly never compete at the very top table of English football because of the size of our fanbase and limited scope for stadium development - so really, getting any silverware is the golden goose.

Trying to beat Liverpool in a one-off tie is difficult enough, but doing it over two legs is an enormous challenge. Fulham are just going to have to take advantage of the marginal gains such as Mohamed Salah's involvement at Afcon and the longer rest periods before the games.

In Fulham's previous matches against Liverpool they have shown that they are competitive against the Reds. Here is hoping for a history-making result.

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Find out who your team has been drawn against in the FA Cup fourth round with the full list of ties below.

• Watford v Southampton

• Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham

• Bournemouth v Swansea City

• West Brom v Brentford/Wolves

• West Ham/Bristol City v Nottingham Forest/Blackpool

• Leicester City v Hull City/ Birmingham City

• Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City

• Chelsea v Aston Villa

• Ipswich Town v Maidstone United

• Liverpool v Norwich City/Bristol Rovers

• Tottenham v Man City

• Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle

• Crystal Palace/Everton v Luton Town/Bolton

• Newport County/Eastleigh v Wigan/Man Utd

• Sheff Utd v Brighton

• Fulham v Newcastle United

The matches will take place over the weekend of 27-28 January.

Watch all the goals from the third round

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Fulham boss Marco Silva says it is "more of an ambition than a dream" to get the club to the Carabao Cup final.

It is the first time the Cottagers have reached the semi-final stage of the competition, having lost in the quarter-finals on four previous occasions.

After beating Everton on penalties in the last round, they now face a tough challenge against 2022 winners Liverpool in the two-legged tie beginning at Anfield on Wednesday.

"It is going to be a remarkable situation for this football club," Silva said in his pre-match news conference.

"For our fans, we love that they are able to dream, which means we are doing something really good.

"For me, it is much more of an ambition than a dream. For me, it is an aim because we worked so hard to be there and we want to take another step by facing Liverpool and getting to the final."

The west London side ran the Reds close in their 4-3 defeat in the Premier League just over a month ago.

Silva will be hoping for a similar level of performance if they are to reach the final at Wembley and give themselves a chance of lifting their first major piece of silverware.

"That's the ambition [to make final]. We are going to play and understand the quality of Liverpool and the huge challenge we have ahead of us.

"From that moment where we beat Tottenham [in the second round], we have been so serious with the approach.

"If you get to this stage [semi-final], you want to win more and have the ambition to be at Wembley."

Nicola Pearson, BBC Sport

Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Fulham's League Cup semi-final first-leg against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Silva confirmed that defender Tim Ream is "getting closer" to a return from injury and could be involved in the squad against Liverpool depending on how he responds after training on Tuesday.

• He said Fulham's first League Cup semi-final will be a "big challenge", adding he is "proud for us to be there to achieve something that hasn't been achieved before - but we want more".

• On opponents Liverpool, he said: "We have huge respect for Liverpool and the quality they have, the season they have had, they are top of the league. They showed against Arsenal yesterday how they can be strong with seven changes, they have the quality. If you have the chance to play in the semis it is because you have worked so hard to do it."

• He said the 4-3 defeat by the Reds in December has given them "belief", adding: "The players trust and understand really well the process. You face all these great sides and if you are not at your best level they can be really difficult."

• He added: "In December we have a great game against them, we didn't get the result we probably deserved."

• Asked how he feels about his current squad, he said: "I'm really happy with the squad. I cannot hide how happy I am. We make some changes last summer and lost a player really important to us [in Aleksandar Mitrovic]."

• He added: "For us to try and sign someone it has to be someone who can add quality to our squad or to be at a level that can make an impact. When I say it is quiet [in January] it is because from a financial point of view it probably won't be possible."

• On winning silverware in England, he said: "All managers want the same. If you have chance to do it or fight for it, it is something that we want - to win important things and fight for important things. Depending where you are and what club you are can give you more chances to fight for important things. When you are in a cup and have resources to do it, it is the aim of any manager and I am no different."

Fulham manager Marco Silva speaking after the game: "Going through in the competition was our aim. Our desire was clear and we deserved it.

"It's not the best performance when you have so many changes in the XI. They have the quality to start a Premier League game but, when you change seven or eight [players] from one game to another, it will always have an impact.

"I knew that was probably going to be the situation, but I would like to see a better performance. But it was our obligation to control the game like we did and to not give many things to them. They didn't have one shot on target.

"We did control the game, scored one good goal from Bobby [De Cordova-Reid] and had three or four more clear chances to score - one off the post and a great save from the goalkeeper - so of course we deserve to go through."

On wider squad players getting a chance to play: "It's important. Some of them deserve more chances because of the way they work. The last few games they haven't played, but they are more than ready to play in the Premier League if we need them."

On the opportunity to have an FA Cup run: "It's really important. Last season we did it and got to the quarter-finals. People who saw that game [the quarter-final] know we deserved more from that game.

"For different reasons we didn't get to the semi-finals but, to get to that stage and perform the way we did, you have to be proud. You have to work hard to go further than that."

Sam Drury, BBC Sport

Those at Craven Cottage for this FA Cup third-round tie were not treated to a classic but for Fulham, the result was all that mattered.

Marco Silva made eight changes from the Premier League win over Arsenal on New Year's Eve to keep his players fresh for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Wednesday.

But while that undoubtedly led to a rather disjointed performance, Fulham were still more worthy winners against a Rotherham side that rarely threatened.

The quality of the strike for Bobby De Cordova-Reid's winning goal was a moment of quality in a largely scrappy affair but Fulham won't be overly concerned.

They are in the hat for the next round and as they prepare for a crucial pair of matches in one exciting cup run, they will hope that another one is just beginning.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid's thumping strike was enough to give Premier League Fulham a narrow FA Cup third-round win over Championship strugglers Rotherham at Craven Cottage.

The home side dominated possession but lacked a cutting edge and it took an error from Rotherham defender Sebastian Revan to give them the lead.

Harry Wilson pressed the centre-back inside the Millers' box and half-blocked his pass with the ball falling to De Cordova-Reid, who lashed it high into the net from 20 yards.

Fulham came close to a second when Andreas Pereira's mishit volley came back off the post late in the first half before Tosin Adarabioyo's firm header was tipped over the bar by Rotherham goalkeeper Viktor Johansson early in the second.

Rotherham seldom threatened the home goal, although Jordan Hugill had the ball in the net a couple of minutes after Fulham's opener as he finished, but his back-post finish from Tom Eaves' wayward shot was ruled out for offside.

Leam Richardson's side forced some pressure late on with captain Sean Morrison's long throws keeping the Fulham defence on their toes but the hosts held on to progress to the fourth round.

Were you at Craven Cottage or following the match from elsewhere?

How did you rate the performance of your team, Fulham fans?

Follow all the reaction here

There is less than an hour to go before Fulham host Rotherham United in the third round of the FA Cup.

Follow all the action live here

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The draw for the FA Cup fourth round will take place on Monday, 8 January before the third-round tie between Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, which is being televised by ITV.

The 16 fourth-round games will be scheduled across the weekend of Saturday, 27 January.

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for all 32 FA Cup ties and given his verdict on who will make it into round four.

For this weekend's matches he is up against singer-songwriter and Liverpool fan Banners.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Fulham have got some unfinished business in the FA Cup after their meltdown against Manchester United in last season's quarter-finals and I can see Marco Silva giving it a good go again this year.

They were excellent against Arsenal, and there is a really nice balance to their team. I don't see them having many problems against Rotherham, who are managed by my old Blackburn team-mate Leam Richardson.

Banners' prediction: 2-1

Have Fulham got an opportunity in the cups this season? If you can change the draw to not be against Liverpool that would certainly help.

That Carabao Cup semi-final is the one where you're looking at the draw and they were probably thinking 'really, does it have to be that?' That was the tough draw.

It's brilliant they have got the second leg at home though, it gives you a bit of a psychological edge if they can be tight and have something to fight for. They've got to be within the tie, they have to make sure they are tight, don't concede too much territory or too much space and don't concede too many in the first leg.

At home to Rotherham in the FA Cup, however, is a good cup draw but it is always tricky in the FA Cup. They had a great result against Arsenal recently, but they are up and down so how long can it last?

Marco Silva's side have got a big derby coming up against Chelsea too and that's sandwiched in between a League Cup semi-final so they've got a lot of work to do because that will be tough. It is important they do get a result against Rotherham. The loading of their fixtures has been quite good, but whether the squad can cope with the next 10 days after that, it will be tough.

As they head into the January transfer window, Joao Palhinha is going to be key if he can stay. They've got to line up a really key midfielder up if they are going to do that deal and go big on it, that is the point at this stage of the season. He's been unbelievable since he didn't get his wish to go, he's just got his head down and been an example - it's important to try to keep him.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards discusses why Fulham have been "offered" the chance to sign former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli on the Transfer Gossip Daily podcast: "I think we're going to see a lot of this. We have already seen it with Ruben Neves a few months ago, when he was rumoured to be very unsettled in Saudi Arabia. We've seen it with Jota, the former Celtic player, who is apparently desperate to get out.

"Firmino may well have decided it's not for him. The rumours in football are that a lot of the players who have gone out there are thinking: 'I might have made a bit of a blunder - there's only so much money I can earn, and all the money in the world isn't making this very satisfying.'

"However, I think it's slightly complicated by the fact that each player there has to do a certain amount of time, which might even be two seasons, before they get all of their money. That's certainly the case for it to be tax free, so I think that's a complicating factor.

"But if Firmino wants to come back to the Premier League, I think Fulham will be a really good move for him. I think there are probably nine clubs who would be interested in Firmino, if he seriously does want to come back."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Fulham are among the Premier League clubs who have been offered the chance to sign former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino. The 32-year-old wants to leave Saudi Arabia side Al-Ahli. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Marco Silva has been previewing Fulham's FA Cup third-round match against Rotherham on Friday.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• On transfer window business, Silva said: "If you ask me right now, I expect a quiet month. We'll see what we can do from a financial point of view."

• Silva spoke about club captain Tom Cairney, who signed a new deal at Craven Cottage this week: "He's a top professional. He always plays with a smile on his face. He's our captain and I'm really delighted to see him perform the way he has."

• On the FA Cup, Silva said: "We take this competition really seriously, we showed that last season. We're proud to play in this competition. We have to respect the competition and ourselves.”

• On his side's Championship opponents Rotherham, Silva said: “They have a dream and it’s an opportunity for them to come and play a Premier League side and we have to show on the pitch that we are better than them."

• Silva spoke about his side's busy fixture list in January, with a Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool also in their schedule: "It's always a difficult thing but it's a great thing for us. We want to be successful and to be serious in all the competitions so we will have busy periods like this last month and we will have a busy January."

• He added: "When you look at the Premier League schedule we have just two games in January so you think it will be a quiet one but when you look at the semi-finals and tomorrow's match too, it will be busy."

Fulham are interested in West Ham United's 28-year-old Algeria winger Said Benrahma, who is also a target for Wolves and Lyon. (Footmercato - in French), external

Bayern Munich are set to renew their interest in signing Whites midfielder Joao Palhinha. (Independent), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column