Premier League: Liverpool’s Title Challenge Starts at the Cottage

Fulham vs Liverpool

The 2022/23 Premier League campaign is up and running this weekend and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool kick off with a Saturday lunchtime test away to newly promoted Fulham.

At SBOTOP odds of 1.28 to win the Reds are expected to start with a victory and, after they beat Manchester City in the Community Shield last week, the visitors have already gathered some early impetus. 

Fulham’s final warm up game was a 1-1 home draw with Villarreal, and head coach Marco Silva’s task is to win back-to-back seasons in the top flight.

Craven Cottage will be bouncing when the two teams take the field and all eyes will be on the strikers in a game sure to provide goals.

Talking Points

Nunez set to start for Liverpool

Liverpool have had one the best attacking front threes in world football over the past few campaigns, but the departure of Sadio Mane to FC Bayern has resulted in a shake-up. As the Senegalese striker exited a replacement arrived in the shape of 22-year-old Uruguay star Darwin Nunez, and the new man has made an explosive start. The deal to bring Nunez from Benfica could rise to £85m and it already looks like money well spent as he has plundered five goals in three games for his new side.  

The Reds met RB Leipzig in a pre-season friendly and, after Mo Salah had given them a first-half lead, Nunez came on after the half-time break and scored four! He followed that up by earning a penalty and scoring a goal in Liverpool’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City and he already looks like he belongs in the Premier League.

We should find out on Saturday at Craven Cottage, as Nunez looks set to line up alongside Salah and either Luis Diaz or Roberto Firmino. There is plenty of competition for a place up front, and when Diogo Jota returns to fitness the intensity will increase. The 25-year-old ex-Wolves man has just penned a new five-year contract and, after scoring 21 goals in all competitions last season, he will be pushing for a place as soon as his hamstring injury clears up.   

Can Mitrovic cut it in the Premier League?

Fulham’s Premier League 2022 results will depend heavily on striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who scored a record-breaking 43 goals in the Championship. The Cottagers won the league with 90 points, finishing two clear of second-placed Bournemouth, and eight clear of Huddersfield in third place. Silva has strengthened his squad with the additions of midfielder Joao Palhinha in an £18m move from Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United utility man Andreas Pereira for a similar fee.

But the goalscoring responsibility lies heavily on the shoulders of Serb hitman Mitrovic.

He has scored 83 goals in 148 appearances for Fulham, but only 24 in the Premier League and Mitrovic struggled in the 2020/21 campaign, scraping together four goals in 31 appearances. The 27-year-old is a powerful figure with plenty of pace and he is clearly a ruthless finisher but, back in the top flight Mitrovic will come up against defenders with world-class quality and, on Saturday, he will meet Liverpool’s Dutch master Virgil Van Dijk.

Silva will let his striker worry about that because he has concerns of his own at the other end of the pitch. Pre-season injuries have left the Cottagers with two fully fit centre-backs, and that’s not a situation you want to be in when you’re facing Salah, Nunez etc.

History

Liverpool have had much the better of the head-to-heads, winning 18 of the 30 encounters between these two sides this century, losing seven and drawing five.

During Fulham’s 2020/21 relegation season they took four points off the Reds, drawing 1-1 at Craven Cottage and winning 1-0 at Anfield as Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time.  

But Fulham’s last home win against Liverpool came in 2011.

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2022 betting odds have placed Liverpool as strong second favourites to win the title, but their Community Shield win over Manchester City will give the Reds’ fans hope that they can beat the Sky Blues to the trophy for the second time in six seasons.

At 9.40 to win and 5.03 to draw Fulham have a tough task ahead of them but the double chance Fulham/Draw at 3.33 might tempt some of the more optimistic home fans.

Sure, it looks like an away win banker, but Silva is a smart coach and he’ll have his players ready to take on the best. I can see Liverpool coming through by the odd goal.    

 

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