Liverpool FC – Five Favourite Wins Against Fulham At Anfield

9^th December 2006

LIVERPOOL (0) 4 (Gerrard 54, Carragher 60, Garcia 66, Gonzalez 90)

FULHAM (0) 0

LIVERPOOL: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise; Garcia (Fowler), Gerrard, Alonso; Pennant, Kuyt (Gonzalez), Bellamy (Crouch)

FULHAM: Lastuvka; Knight, Volz, Pearce, Rosenior; Boa Morte, Jensen, Brown, Diop (Christanval); McBride (John), Radzinski

Fulham’s next visit to Anfield was another blow to their goal difference. Liverpool were in 5^th after 16 matches and still unbeaten at home. Fulham were down in 13^th with just 1 win on the road. Liverpool had just returned from Turkey in their latest Champions League group match where they would eventually reach the Final.

Both sides had chances in the first half with Pennant and Kuyt going close for the home side and McBride being denied by a great save from Reina. The first half ended goalless, more due to Liverpool’s lack of a cutting edge in front of goal, than a determined Fulham defensive display, although there was no doubt they were making it difficult.

Ten minutes into the second period and Liverpool were awarded a penalty. Ian Pearce blocked a shot from Dirk Kuyt and the referee had no doubt about the decision. Steven Gerrard stepped up and hit it low to the keeper’s left, but Lastuvka saved it only for Gerrard to score from the rebound.

This seemed to be the breakthrough Liverpool required as they now stormed the Fulham goal. Gerrard took a corner on the left which Agger flicked on and at the far post, Jamie Carragher arrived to stab the ball home. It was Carragher’s first goal since he scored in the 7-1 win over Southampton in January 1999. Six minutes later and Kuyt took a throw on the left wing to Alonso who turned back onto his right foot and his cross was converted by Luis Garcia with a glancing header and Liverpool were 3-0 up having scored 3 in 12 minutes.

Fulham were now just playing out time but Liverpool weren’t finished as Benitez sent on Gonzalez, Crouch and Fowler. It was Fowler who was brought down just outside the area by Boa Morte as he ran at the Fulham defence. From the resulting free-kick, Mark Gonzalez stepped up and curled the ball beautifully past Lastuvka to complete the scoring. Fulham must’ve been getting fed-up with Anfield as they’d turned up twice in 2006 and conceded 9.

Liverpool ended the season in 3^rd in the League and were beaten finalists in the Champions League. Fulham finished 16^th just 1pt above the relegation zone.

22^nd December 2012

LIVERPOOL (2) 4 (Skrtel 8, Gerrard 36, Downing 52, Suarez 90)

FULHAM (0) 0

LIVERPOOL: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Gerrard, Lucas (Carragher); Suso (Sterling), Shelvey (Allen), Downing; Suarez

FULHAM: Schwarzer; Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise; Kacaniklic (Rodallega), Baird, Karagounis, Richardson (Frei); Dejagah, Berbatov

As Christmas 2012 approached these two clubs were next to each other in the table with Liverpool 12^th and Fulham 13^th. After recovering from a poor start, Liverpool had begun to find some form under Brendan Rodgers but were brought back down to earth the week before when Aston Villa comfortably beat them at Anfield. Fulham, though, were in worse shape as they’d only won 1 of their previous 9 coming into this fixture.

These were still early days of the new Rodgers-regime at Anfield and you were never really sure what you were going to get. But from a Steven Gerrard corner on the right the ball dropped to Martin Skrtel who thumped it into the back of the net, to give the home side an 8^th minute lead.

Liverpool then doubled their lead 10 minutes before the break from a lovely flowing move. Shelvey began things in the centre-circle, finding Glen Johnson alone on the right touchline. Johnson took the ball down with his chest and ran at the Fulham defence, eventually cutting inside to lay the ball back to Stewart Downing.

Downing had just spotted a diagonal run from Gerrard and he played a beautifully weighted ball past three defenders for the Liverpool captain to run onto and he finished in style in the bottom corner. Downing’s brief Liverpool career looked to at an end as the manager had made it very clear he doubted the England winger’s value to the team. But this game was to delay his execution to the end of the season.

Seven minutes into the second half and Downing showed more evidence of his talent as Gerrard found him on the right wing and as he reached the area, he cut onto his left foot and unleashed a fierce shot which went inside the keeper’s near post. It was Downing’s first Premier League goal since arriving at the club in July 2011 and Liverpool were now comfortably in a three goal lead. Fulham’s keeper, Mark Schwarzer, did his best to keep the score down but in injury time great work from Jose Enrique down the left, saw him pull the ball back from the bye-line and Luis Suarez scored to give Liverpool their biggest win of the season at Anfield thus far. Of Downing, Rodgers said after that he would consider keeping the player if he continued to put in performances like that. Downing was able to delay his eventual transfer to the summer when he moved to West Ham.

Liverpool eventually found some consistency with their play and ended 7^th in the League. Fulham were rarely away from mid-table for the rest of the season as they ended 12^th.

HEAD TO HEAD at Anfield

Matches: 30

Liverpool win: 22

Fulham win: 1

Draws: 7

Liverpool goals: 81

Fulham goals: 17