Fulham vs Liverpool LIVE: Klopp must hit back from horror week to remain in title race – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Liverpool must win against Fulham this Sunday afternoon if they want to stay in the Premier League title race.

The Reds were beaten at home to Crystal Palace last weekend and another defeat could end up seeing them fall further behind first place.

Jurgen Klopp’s side play ahead of Manchester City, meaning if they lose and City win their game in hand, the gap will widen to five points.

However, a victory would keep their hopes alive and provide a major boost to the team’s morale ahead of the final games of the season.

Klopp and co also exited the Europa League on Thursday night, meaning the German’s exit celebrations took a huge hit.

The Cottagers stand in their way this weekend and they come into this game on the back of an impressive 2-0 win at West Ham.

Fulham vs Liverpool: Klopp’s ‘strange’ decision

Klopp’s decision to announce his upcoming departure from Liverpool during the season has damaged his team’s title hopes.

That’s the view of former Premier League manager Alan Pardew, who believes Klopp’s public announcement in January was “troubling” for the players.

Speaking after the Reds’ defeat to Palace, Pardew said: “Regarding Klopp’s decision, I just want to address that because, as a manager, I felt it was a strange decision on his part to announce it at that time.

“I think in hindsight, whether he thinks it was the right thing at the end of the season, only he can say.

“Personally, I think he should have waited until the end of the year and maybe brought it up upstairs and left it at that.”

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• Despite being unbeaten in their last five Premier League away matches against Fulham (W3 D2), Liverpool have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last eight league matches at Craven Cottage since a 1-0 win in April 2009.
• Fulham have won just one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D2 L8), winning 1-0 at Anfield in March 2021.

Fulham vs Liverpool: team news

Fulham are fortunate to be in good health heading into this match.

Rodrigo Muniz is expected to retain his place up front, meaning Chelsea loanee Armando Broja and Raul Jimenez will remain on the bench.

As for Liverpool, Conor Bradley is doubtful after failing to travel with the Reds squad for their Europa League clash with Atalanta.

This means Trent Alexander-Arnold will start if he is fully fit, while Diogo Jota and Alisson are back in action and expected to feature.

Thiago, Joel Matip and Ben Doak all remain sidelined with long-term issues.

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• After losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace last time out, Liverpool will be looking to avoid losing back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since April 2023 (against Bournemouth and Manchester City). The Reds have suffered two league defeats in five matches in London this season (2 wins, 1 draw), with the last bigger defeat in the capital dating back to 2014-15 (3).
• Fulham have scored 49 Premier League goals this season, after scoring 55 last season. The last time the Cottagers scored more than 50 goals in consecutive Premier League seasons was in 2003-04 (52) and 2004-05 (52).

Fulham vs Liverpool: what was said?

Andy Robertson has expressed his frustration that Liverpool must now rely on the results of their title rivals.

He said: “It’s just frustrating, and now we’re relying on other people. You could say it was in our hands, but there was still a long way to go.

“(It’s an) extremely frustrating position. But at this club we don’t stop fighting – we have to fight in the stands, fight on the pitch for the last six Premier League games.

“Let’s see where this takes us.” You have to stay positive. We have to get everyone back in the locker room because there are a lot of people who are down, whether they missed an opportunity, whether they gave the ball away or whatever.

“We pick up, we go again and we give everything we have.”

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• In their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, Liverpool had an expected goal total of 2.81, the most for a Premier League team who have failed to score since Newcastle against Crystal Palace in September 2022 ( 2.83). Their 55 touches in the opponent’s box are also the second record for a team not to score this season, behind Arsenal against West Ham in December (77).
• Since losing 3-0 to Brentford in their first Premier League home game this season, Fulham have conceded just 13 goals in their last 15 games at Craven Cottage (0.9 per game). With six clean sheets at home so far, the Cottagers last had more in a Premier League campaign in 2010-11 (9).

Fulham vs Liverpool: how to follow

This Premier League clash will take place on Sunday April 21.

Kick-off at Craven Cottage is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

talkSPORT will also keep you up to date with all the latest news.