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Liverpool continued their superlative form last night with a resounding 5-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. A second Maxi Rodríguez hat trick in three games was added to by goals from Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suárez, leaving the home side shell shocked and wondering what had happened to their home defensive record. The victory saw the Reds jump back ahead of Spurs and into fifth place ahead of their meeting with Harry Redknapp’s side on Sunday.
Overview
With Spurs having managed only a draw against Blackpool on Saturday, and even then thanks only to an 89th minute equaliser from Jermain Defoe, Liverpool knew they had a chance to make a big stride towards Europa League qualification with a win in west London.
They took advantage in a manner more emphatic than could have been expected, blowing Fulham away from the very first whistle and storming into a three goal lead in just sixteen minutes. The spoils were shared in the second half, with both sides netting twice, but the points headed back to Anfield.
The Match
Both sides had suffered blows in their team selection with neither able to call on their main striker. For Liverpool, Andy Carroll had suffered a knock – which Kenny Dalglish later said had left him with ‘bruising’ – ruling him out of the contest entirely, whilst Bobby Zamora was deemed fit enough only for a place on the bench for Fulham.
That meant Liverpool were unchanged from the side which comfortably disposed of Newcastle 3-0, though there was one positional switch with John Flanagan playing at left back and Glen Johnson on the right.
Not that the switch had any effect on the first thirty two seconds of the match. That was how long it took Liverpool to get themselves in front, recording the fastest goal in the Premier League this season. Lucas Leiva played a defence-splitting pass down the left, releasing Suárez into space. The Uruguayan looked to cross the ball to the back post, but Carlos Salcido cut it out, instead sending it heading for the corner.
Mark Schwarzer reacted quickly, keeping the ball out with his feet – though quite why he didn’t dive and hold onto it with his hands, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand – but he could only divert it straight into the path of Maxi. The Argentinian, in the goalscoring form of his life, needed no second invitation and lashed the ball into the opposite corner of the net to put the Reds in front.
That would undoubtedly have been counted as a good start, but it wasn’t enough for the Reds. In the 6th minute Lucas lobbed another excellent pass into space, this time finding Johnson down the right. He had got away from Salcido, and from the byline he crossed to the back post, where Maxi was waiting to strike a left-footed volley back across goal and beat Schwarzer again.
Even with a two goal lead in such a short time, Liverpool refused to let their hosts settle, their pressing game high up the pitch, which gave Fulham players barely any time on the ball at all, was almost as impressive as the goals they had scored. They were not given a moment of peace, and the frustration had quickly begin to tell.
Danny Murphy had found himself booked by Lee Mason just moments after Maxi’s opener when he clattered through Lucas, and Clint Dempsey was lucky not to find himself joining his captain in the book as he vocally disagreed with practically every decision that Mason made. He would have been thanking the referee for his leniency on the quarter hour, however, when Brede Hangeland should have been a straight red card.
Fulham had been enjoying a brief moment of possession around the Liverpool penalty area, but after Moussa Dembélé took a shot that connected only with the west London air, the Reds broke quickly. A long ball over the top put Suárez clear, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, a shove in the back from Hangeland sent him sprawling. Liverpool waited for the inevitable penalty and red card to follow, but Mason was too far behind play to call it, and he looked to his assistant for help only to find none and play was allowed to continue.
It mattered little, however, as within a minute the Reds had their third goal. Johnson played an incisive little pass to Kuyt on the edge of the penalty area, and the Dutchman took a touch to move the ball out of his feet and shot towards the near post. In truth it wasn’t much of a shot and Schwarzer should have dealt with it comfortably, but he failed to get his body behind the ball and could only watch in horror as it bounced over his hands and into the net.
The scoring for the first half may have finished there for Liverpool, but the chances didn’t. Suárez was putting in the sort of performance that gives defenders nightmares, and there was no chance of Hangeland sleeping easily after this one.
He tormented the big Norwegian time after time, ghosting past him and into space. Just after Kuyt had struck the third, he escaped Hangeland’s clutches down the left and raced in towards goal, but from a tight angle when he tried to clip his shot into the top corner, he got it all wrong and sent it ballooning out for a throw in.
Lucas and Maxi (twice) both shot well over the bar, whilst Suárez was clearly on the hunt for a goal of his own and hammered a shot goalwards which Hangeland did well to block. The Reds were rampant, but kept their concentration enough at the back so that the few occasions when Fulham did threaten – most notably when Dempsey’s goal bound shot was blocked by Johnson – they kept their lead in tact.
The Fulham dressing room would have been no cheerful place at half time, and it wasn’t overly surprising that the home side picked up their game after the break. Bobby Zamora had been sent on in place of Simon Davies, and with him on their style changed. Zamora’s hold up play is unquestionably brilliant, and with midfielders such as Dempsey and Dembélé breaking forward, it presented Liverpool with a new challenge.
In the opening stages of the half, it was one they didn’t deal with particularly well. It is perhaps no surprise either than the Reds were unable to maintain the intensity with which they had played the first half, and coupled with Fulham’s improvement it meant for some uncomfortable moments.
Raul Meireles had hobbled off with a hamstring problem, replaced by Jonjo Shelvey, and initially that did little to help their composure. Fulham had threatened a goal before they eventually managed one, and it was Zamora at the heart of their play. He held the ball up against Skrtel and then laid it off to Dembélé, who placed a lovely finish into the corner of Pepe Reina’s net in the 57th minute. Reina was booked for booting the ball into the Thames in frustration, but more importantly the home crowd had been brought to life with a sniff of optimism.
Zamora was causing all sorts of problems as Fulham pressed for the second that would put them right back in contention and he won a free kick from Skrtel, just outside the penalty area, which presented them with a dangerous chance. It passed, however, when Zamora hammered his effort straight into the wall, and with twenty minutes left the match was, once and for all, over.
Liverpool had been able to speak of little in the way of attacking threat, but Maxi picked the ball up some twenty five yards from Schwarzer’s goal with nothing on. He shuffled right across the edge of the penalty area and then unleashed a thunderbolt which ripped past the Aussie ‘keeper and into the top corner of the net. It was something of a special way to grab your hat trick and the delight on Maxi’s face spoke volumes.
They weren’t done there, however, as a fifth goal removed any lingering element of doubt that may have remained. Shelvey had initially come on on the right of midfield, but as soon as he moved centrally he looked far more comfortable, and it was a superb ball from the youngster which gave Liverpool their final goal. He slid a pass through the Fulham defence, putting Suárez clear, and the undoubted man of the match danced round Schwarzer before clipping his shot into the empty net for his fourth Liverpool goal.
There was still time for Steve Sidwell to net his first goal for Fulham – a howitzer into the top corner which Pepe Reina stood no chance of stopping – but the destiny of the points was long since decided, and the party amongst the vociferous travelling Kop was well underway.
Stats
33 – Since Kenny Dalglish took charge of Liverpool, they have amassed 33 points in the league. Only Chelsea’s 35 betters that record.
9 – Dirk Kuyt has scored 9 goals in his last 8 Premier League outings. The Dutchman now has 13 Premier League goals for the season, his best ever return for Liverpool.
86 – As well as scoring 3 goals, Maxi Rodriguez’s passing was superb. He completed 31 out of 36 attempted passes on the night for a completion rate of 86.11%.
19 – Since their last defeat (against West Brom) Liverpool have now scored 19 goals in 5 games, an average of 3.8 per game.
Quotes
“If he keeps playing like that I think he’ll be a bigger legend than I’ll ever be. He looks a really top player, he plays for the team. It shows he’s adaptable and versatile, he can do different jobs for the teams. I hope I’m not getting too carried away here but I think the performances that he’s showed have proved he’s going to be a real player for Liverpool, not just between now and the end of season but for years to come.” Jamie Carragher has been impressed by Luis Suárez’s impact in a Liverpool shirt.
“It was an unbelievable night again for Maxi. Before the Birmingham game he hadn’t played for a while so to come in and score two hat-tricks in successive weeks is fantastic. He is in really good form for us in front of goal. Whenever Maxi wasn’t playing he was training well and still working hard and he was waiting for the moment when the manager needed him. The way he has responded to the manager’s faith in him has been superb. Maxi is a great player and we are all delighted for him. The goal that sealed his hat-trick was just a great strike. I saw it again after the game and it looked even better.” Dirk Kuyt is delighted for Maxi Rodríguez.
Summary
Frankly it is difficult not to get carried away when Liverpool perform as they did at Craven Cottage last night. Such performances put to bed any notion that it was the squad at fault for the poor record under Roy Hodgson and show that there is potential within Anfield’s walls, before the necessary summer signings are made.
The Reds are now firmly in pole position to claim 5th place and a Europa League spot for next season. Whilst Spurs have faltered and fallen as the finishing line has loomed into sight, Liverpool have simply got better and better, and had this run come just a few games earlier then a Champions League place might not be out of the question.
What it does mean, however, is that the Anfield faithful can look ahead to next season with genuine optimism, and anticipate a campaign spent battling back where Liverpool belong.
Overview
With Spurs having managed only a draw against Blackpool on Saturday, and even then thanks only to an 89th minute equaliser from Jermain Defoe, Liverpool knew they had a chance to make a big stride towards Europa League qualification with a win in west London.
They took advantage in a manner more emphatic than could have been expected, blowing Fulham away from the very first whistle and storming into a three goal lead in just sixteen minutes. The spoils were shared in the second half, with both sides netting twice, but the points headed back to Anfield.
The Match
Both sides had suffered blows in their team selection with neither able to call on their main striker. For Liverpool, Andy Carroll had suffered a knock – which Kenny Dalglish later said had left him with ‘bruising’ – ruling him out of the contest entirely, whilst Bobby Zamora was deemed fit enough only for a place on the bench for Fulham.
That meant Liverpool were unchanged from the side which comfortably disposed of Newcastle 3-0, though there was one positional switch with John Flanagan playing at left back and Glen Johnson on the right.
Not that the switch had any effect on the first thirty two seconds of the match. That was how long it took Liverpool to get themselves in front, recording the fastest goal in the Premier League this season. Lucas Leiva played a defence-splitting pass down the left, releasing Suárez into space. The Uruguayan looked to cross the ball to the back post, but Carlos Salcido cut it out, instead sending it heading for the corner.
Mark Schwarzer reacted quickly, keeping the ball out with his feet – though quite why he didn’t dive and hold onto it with his hands, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand – but he could only divert it straight into the path of Maxi. The Argentinian, in the goalscoring form of his life, needed no second invitation and lashed the ball into the opposite corner of the net to put the Reds in front.
That would undoubtedly have been counted as a good start, but it wasn’t enough for the Reds. In the 6th minute Lucas lobbed another excellent pass into space, this time finding Johnson down the right. He had got away from Salcido, and from the byline he crossed to the back post, where Maxi was waiting to strike a left-footed volley back across goal and beat Schwarzer again.
Even with a two goal lead in such a short time, Liverpool refused to let their hosts settle, their pressing game high up the pitch, which gave Fulham players barely any time on the ball at all, was almost as impressive as the goals they had scored. They were not given a moment of peace, and the frustration had quickly begin to tell.
Danny Murphy had found himself booked by Lee Mason just moments after Maxi’s opener when he clattered through Lucas, and Clint Dempsey was lucky not to find himself joining his captain in the book as he vocally disagreed with practically every decision that Mason made. He would have been thanking the referee for his leniency on the quarter hour, however, when Brede Hangeland should have been a straight red card.
Fulham had been enjoying a brief moment of possession around the Liverpool penalty area, but after Moussa Dembélé took a shot that connected only with the west London air, the Reds broke quickly. A long ball over the top put Suárez clear, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, a shove in the back from Hangeland sent him sprawling. Liverpool waited for the inevitable penalty and red card to follow, but Mason was too far behind play to call it, and he looked to his assistant for help only to find none and play was allowed to continue.
It mattered little, however, as within a minute the Reds had their third goal. Johnson played an incisive little pass to Kuyt on the edge of the penalty area, and the Dutchman took a touch to move the ball out of his feet and shot towards the near post. In truth it wasn’t much of a shot and Schwarzer should have dealt with it comfortably, but he failed to get his body behind the ball and could only watch in horror as it bounced over his hands and into the net.
The scoring for the first half may have finished there for Liverpool, but the chances didn’t. Suárez was putting in the sort of performance that gives defenders nightmares, and there was no chance of Hangeland sleeping easily after this one.
He tormented the big Norwegian time after time, ghosting past him and into space. Just after Kuyt had struck the third, he escaped Hangeland’s clutches down the left and raced in towards goal, but from a tight angle when he tried to clip his shot into the top corner, he got it all wrong and sent it ballooning out for a throw in.
Lucas and Maxi (twice) both shot well over the bar, whilst Suárez was clearly on the hunt for a goal of his own and hammered a shot goalwards which Hangeland did well to block. The Reds were rampant, but kept their concentration enough at the back so that the few occasions when Fulham did threaten – most notably when Dempsey’s goal bound shot was blocked by Johnson – they kept their lead in tact.
The Fulham dressing room would have been no cheerful place at half time, and it wasn’t overly surprising that the home side picked up their game after the break. Bobby Zamora had been sent on in place of Simon Davies, and with him on their style changed. Zamora’s hold up play is unquestionably brilliant, and with midfielders such as Dempsey and Dembélé breaking forward, it presented Liverpool with a new challenge.
In the opening stages of the half, it was one they didn’t deal with particularly well. It is perhaps no surprise either than the Reds were unable to maintain the intensity with which they had played the first half, and coupled with Fulham’s improvement it meant for some uncomfortable moments.
Raul Meireles had hobbled off with a hamstring problem, replaced by Jonjo Shelvey, and initially that did little to help their composure. Fulham had threatened a goal before they eventually managed one, and it was Zamora at the heart of their play. He held the ball up against Skrtel and then laid it off to Dembélé, who placed a lovely finish into the corner of Pepe Reina’s net in the 57th minute. Reina was booked for booting the ball into the Thames in frustration, but more importantly the home crowd had been brought to life with a sniff of optimism.
Zamora was causing all sorts of problems as Fulham pressed for the second that would put them right back in contention and he won a free kick from Skrtel, just outside the penalty area, which presented them with a dangerous chance. It passed, however, when Zamora hammered his effort straight into the wall, and with twenty minutes left the match was, once and for all, over.
Liverpool had been able to speak of little in the way of attacking threat, but Maxi picked the ball up some twenty five yards from Schwarzer’s goal with nothing on. He shuffled right across the edge of the penalty area and then unleashed a thunderbolt which ripped past the Aussie ‘keeper and into the top corner of the net. It was something of a special way to grab your hat trick and the delight on Maxi’s face spoke volumes.
They weren’t done there, however, as a fifth goal removed any lingering element of doubt that may have remained. Shelvey had initially come on on the right of midfield, but as soon as he moved centrally he looked far more comfortable, and it was a superb ball from the youngster which gave Liverpool their final goal. He slid a pass through the Fulham defence, putting Suárez clear, and the undoubted man of the match danced round Schwarzer before clipping his shot into the empty net for his fourth Liverpool goal.
There was still time for Steve Sidwell to net his first goal for Fulham – a howitzer into the top corner which Pepe Reina stood no chance of stopping – but the destiny of the points was long since decided, and the party amongst the vociferous travelling Kop was well underway.
Stats
33 – Since Kenny Dalglish took charge of Liverpool, they have amassed 33 points in the league. Only Chelsea’s 35 betters that record.
9 – Dirk Kuyt has scored 9 goals in his last 8 Premier League outings. The Dutchman now has 13 Premier League goals for the season, his best ever return for Liverpool.
86 – As well as scoring 3 goals, Maxi Rodriguez’s passing was superb. He completed 31 out of 36 attempted passes on the night for a completion rate of 86.11%.
19 – Since their last defeat (against West Brom) Liverpool have now scored 19 goals in 5 games, an average of 3.8 per game.
Quotes
“If he keeps playing like that I think he’ll be a bigger legend than I’ll ever be. He looks a really top player, he plays for the team. It shows he’s adaptable and versatile, he can do different jobs for the teams. I hope I’m not getting too carried away here but I think the performances that he’s showed have proved he’s going to be a real player for Liverpool, not just between now and the end of season but for years to come.” Jamie Carragher has been impressed by Luis Suárez’s impact in a Liverpool shirt.
“It was an unbelievable night again for Maxi. Before the Birmingham game he hadn’t played for a while so to come in and score two hat-tricks in successive weeks is fantastic. He is in really good form for us in front of goal. Whenever Maxi wasn’t playing he was training well and still working hard and he was waiting for the moment when the manager needed him. The way he has responded to the manager’s faith in him has been superb. Maxi is a great player and we are all delighted for him. The goal that sealed his hat-trick was just a great strike. I saw it again after the game and it looked even better.” Dirk Kuyt is delighted for Maxi Rodríguez.
Summary
The Reds are now firmly in pole position to claim 5th place and a Europa League spot for next season. Whilst Spurs have faltered and fallen as the finishing line has loomed into sight, Liverpool have simply got better and better, and had this run come just a few games earlier then a Champions League place might not be out of the question.
What it does mean, however, is that the Anfield faithful can look ahead to next season with genuine optimism, and anticipate a campaign spent battling back where Liverpool belong.
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