Daniel Sturridge scored a hat-trick this afternoon as Liverpool ran out comfortable 3-1 winners against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Dimitar Berbatov gave the hosts the lead against the run of play with a simple header from Sascha Riether's cross, but Liverpool hit straight back at Sturridge netted his first just two minutes later.
Sturridge struck again just after the hour mark, slipping a shot past Mark Schwarzer after Philippe Coutinho's shot had deflected into his path.
Coutinho then provided the assist for Sturridge's third goal as the England striker lofted the ball over Schwarzer.
You can read how an action-packed 90 minutes of football unfolded with Sports Mole's live play-by-play coverage below.
Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Fulham and Liverpool. Let's get straight down to business...
We'll start by looking at the hosts today, who come into this match in pretty dreadful form. Martin Jol's side seem to have taken their foot off the pedal since reaching the magic 40-point mark last month, which has had a clear impact on their performances and results.
The Cottagers have not won a single one of their last six matches, picking up a solitary point during that spell. They have lost their last four, including a disappointing 4-2 home defeat at the hands of already-relegated Reading last time out.
That run has seen them drop to 12th in the Premier League table, three points behind 10th-placed West Ham. A win this afternoon could see them move into the top half, although it is now out of their hands and they will be hoping for slip-ups from the likes of West Ham and Stoke, who currently sit 11th.
Manager Martin Jol will also be keeping one eye on the bottom of the table. His side are not mathematically safe from relegation just yet, although it would take an extraordinary set of results to see them go down. They are currently five points clear of the dropzone with two games left, so 18th-placed Wigan would have to win both of their remaining games and five other teams would have to win one of their last two games to see Fulham go down.
Crazier things have happened in football, though, and Jol will be keen for his side to end their poor recent form this afternoon and seal their spot in the Premier League next season. A point today, given the goal difference between themselves and Wigan, would make Fulham completely safe.
As for Liverpool, they will be looking to end a week of good news with a good result. Fans will be delighted that the man who finally "knocked them off their perch" (Sir Alex Ferguson, of course) has finally decided to retire, while the man who has made Merseyside rivals Everton a force to be reckoned with will leave the Toffees to replace him. In short, Liverpool's two greatest rivals have lost two very good managers this week.
However, manager Brendan Rodgers will be the first to tell you that he is solely focused on matters at the club, and they still have a slight chance of finishing above Everton this season. They would need to win their two remaining games, and for Everton to lose their two, for it to happen, however. As the likes of Gerrard and Carragher have said, the gap between finishing sixth and seventh isn't important enough for a club of Liverpool's stature to be worrying about, but Rodgers will still be looking to end what has been a transistional season on a high.
Speaking of Gerrard, the decision to allow him to miss the final two games of the season to have surgery that was initially planned for after the season suggests that the Reds know that those two games are essentially dead rubbers. If Liverpool had beaten Everton in last week's Merseyside derby then I think Gerrard's surgery would have been kept until after the season as they would still have a good chance of finishing above the Toffees.
Liverpool can no longer finish outside the top seven, so I wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers used the final two games of the season to experiment with his side a bit. With no Gerrard or Suarez there will be opportunities for other players to shine today.
Their recent form is certainly good enough to make a strong finish to the season. They have lost just once in their last 11 games in all competitions. There have been a number of disappointing draws during that time, and the solitary loss (3-1) to Southampton) was particularly deflating for the Reds, but there are clear signs of improvement and increased consistency.
TEAM NEWS: Right, the team news is in for both sides. Fulham have made three changes to the side that lost against Reading, while Rodgers does indeed seem to be experimenting with a 3-2-3-1-1 formation, with Johnson and Downing as wing-backs. Full team news coming right up...
FULHAM STARTING XI: Schwarzer; Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Richardson; Duff, Enoh, Karagounis, Kačaniklić; Ruiz, Berbatov
FULHAM SUBS: Etheridge, Riise, Rodallega, Petric, Emanuelson, Frimpong, Senderos
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Reina; Johnson, Downing, Wisdom, Coates, Carragher; Lucas, Henderson, Shelvey; Coutinho; Sturridge
LIVERPOOL SUBS: B Jones, Enrique, Assaidi, Borini, Suso, Coady, L Jones
So, what can we make of those teams? Well, Jol was clearly unhappy with his side's defensive performance having shipped four goals to Reading last week, so it isn't that much of a surprise to see Riise and Senderos dropped to the bench. Bryan Ruiz starts up front with Berbatov after his two goals in the aforementioned Reading match, although I'd expect him to drop a little deeper and play in the hole most of the time.
The man Liverpool will have to keep a particularly close eye on is, of course, Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian striker has been Fulham's best player this season and he has the ability to win matches against the very best sides. His first touch is among the most impressive in world football, not just the Premier League, and he can create chances as well as score them.
Berbatov will have a tough time today if he is playing up front alone, though, as Liverpool look like they will play three centre-backs. Coates and Wisdom have been named alongside Jamie Carragher, who will play his penultimate game for the club this afternoon. What a servant he has been.
Johnson and Downing will operate as wing-backs, which will give both the license to roam forward, although Downing will have more defensive duties than he is used to. In the middle, Gerrard's absence sees Jonjo Shelvey come in alongside Jordan Henderson and Lucas Leiva.
The front two will be the ones Liverpool look to to provide a creative spark in the absence of Gerrard and Suarez, though. Coutinho and Sturridge haven't been at the club long but they have already impressed and built up a decent understanding. Coutinho in particular looks to have been a bargain buy, and the Brazilian has the ability to unlock the Fulham defence this afternoon.
So, what can the history of this fixture tell us to expect this afternoon? Well, in the recent past it has been pretty even between these two sides. In the last seven meetings, both teams have won three apiece and drawn one.
Liverpool have had a couple of emphatic wins during that time, however, including a 5-2 win at Craven Cottage in 2001, a match that saw a Maxi Rodriguez hat-trick, and a 4-0 win at Anfield earlier this season when Skrtel, Gerrard, Downing and Suarez all scored.
Liverpool have had a couple of emphatic wins during that time, however, including a 5-2 win at Craven Cottage in 2001, a match that saw a Maxi Rodriguez hat-trick, and a 4-0 win at Anfield earlier this season when Skrtel, Gerrard, Downing and Suarez all scored.
The last time these two met here, though, Fulham came out on top with a 1-0 win courtesy of a Clint Dempsey strike. Speaking of Dempsey, he has score Tottenham's only goal of the game against Stoke at the moment, and you can follow that match with us here.
Overall, these two sides have met 41 times, with Liverpool winning 21 to Fulham's nine.
PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Craven Cottage, which can only mean one thing - it's prediction time! Fulham come into this one in terrible form while Liverpool are starting to find a bit of consistency, so I think the Reds will be able to nick it. I'm going to go for a 2-0 away win.
Fulham's home record has been pretty poor so far this season, which will be a concern for Jol. They have picked up just 24 points from their 18 games at Craven Cottage so far this season, the sixth worst record in the league.
Of those 18 games, they have lost eight while only winning seven. This is their final home match of the season, so Martin Jol will be desperate to end it on a high for his side and, most importantly, for the home fans.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have picked up 25 points from their 18 away games this season - the sixth best record in the league. However, they have struggled to find consistency on their travels, winning six, drawing seven and losing five of those 18 matches.
There are, of course, plenty of other Premier League matches going on today, and I will keep you updated with goals as and when they fly in from around the country.
The day Jamie Carragher is making his penultimate appearance for the Reds, youngster Lloyd Jones could begin his Liverpool career. The 17-year-old is on the bench today.
KICKOFF: Here we go! Liverpool kick us off at Craven Cottage, what will the next 90 minutes hold for both sides? Only time will tell!
Fulham have an early corner, but Duff's cross is cleared by the first man. It comes out to Karagounis, who shapes a fine cross into the box, but Liverpool defend it well and it goes out for a goal kick.
Liverpool's first attack creates a half-chance for the visitors. A sloppy pass gifts the ball to Henderson, who exchanges passes with Coutinho before whipping a corss into the box. It is intially not dealt with by Fulham and almost falls for Sturridge, but Schwarzer eventually collects it.
Another hint of an opening for Liverpool as Coutinho again pulls the strings. This time he gives it to Shelvey, who just can't get it out of his feet quickly enough to exploit the space he has on the edge of the box. In the end, his strike is well blocked by Hangeland.
UPDATE: There has been an early goal back up on Merseyside, and it has gone to Everton. Kevin Mirallas got the goal for the Toffees, who now lead West Ham 1-0.
Downing whips a fine cross into the box towards his fellow wing-back Glen Johnson, but Richardson defends it well and puts it behind for a corner, which comes to nothing. It is quite an even game at the moment, with Liverpool if anyone slightly on top.
UPDATE! There have been two quickfire goals elsewhere in the Premier League. First, Emmanuel Adebayor has grabbed what could prove to be a vital goal to take the lead against Stoke late on, while QPR have also taken the lead against Newcastle through Loic Remy.
Back in West London, Shelvey embarks on a good run into the Fulham box and looks like he has created space to shoot, but Riether gets across just in time to stop the young midfielder in his tracks.
Another half chance for the visitors as Johnson puts a cross into the box that Schwarzer struggles to deal with. It falls to Downing at the back post, but by the time he gets a shot away the defence has come across and the effort is blocked.
SAVE! That's the best moment of this game so far as Coutinho wriggles away from two Fulham challenges, albeit with a bit of luck, before firing a powerful strike towards goal. The ball is moving about in the air, but Schwarzer deals with it be pushing it away. Good effort from Coutinho.
FULHAM SUB: Martin Jol has been forced into an early change here as Richardson trudges off the field with an injury to be replaced by Urby Emanuelson. Not sure what is wrong with Richardson there, though.
UPDATE: There has been a second penalty in the match between QPR and Newcastle, and this time it has gone to the Magpies. Hatem Ben Arfa stepped up for Alan Pardew's side and made no mistake to make it 1-1.
Decent opening for Fulham as Emanuelson slips a ball behind Johnson that Kacaniklic races on to. He reaches the byline and looks to pull it back to Berbatov in the box, but Wisdom puts it behind for a corner.
Liverpool patiently probe for a way through and string together a fine spell of passes as they work their way upfield. Shelvey gives it to Sturridge, who lays it off to Coutinho who in turn gives it to Johnson. The full-back looks to swing it into the box and, to be fair, it is not a bad ball, but no-one is in there to take advantage of it and Schwarzer claims under no pressure.
The visitors are knocking the ball around very nicely, but they are also struggling to find a way through the Fulham defence. Good approach play and attractive football so far, but there has been little cutting edge from the Reds.
Kacaniklic picks the ball up just inside the Liverpool half and runs directly at the defence. He makes his way just inside the box before curling a good low cross towards Berbatov, who can't reach it but appreciates the idea.
Sturridge makes a good run behind the defence and Carragher finds him with an incisive pass. The England striker has a look up to see if he has anyone in support, which he doesn't, before attempting what I assume was a shot. It is a poor effort, however, as it trickles tamely out for a throw in on the other side of the field.
SHOT: Play opens up for Henderson about 30 yards from goal and he takes a touch before trying a long range effort. His strike is poor, however, as it flies a long, long way over the bar.
UPDATE: It is all over at the Britannia, by the way. Spurs have beaten Stoke 2-1 thanks to Adebayor's late winner. Norwich have also taken the lead against West Brom courtesy of a Robert Snodgrass strike.
Duff looks to take on the makeshift wing-back of Downing, and the Liverpool man shows his naiveity by committing to a sliding challenge. He brings Duff down and gets a talking to from the ref. Fulham, meanwhile, have a free kick in a good crossing position.
SHOT! Ruiz's initial free kick is cleared by Lucas, but only as far as Karagounis. The midfielder does well to find Enoh under a lot of pressure, and Enoh tees it up for himself before sending a volley towards goal that Reina gathers comfortably.
GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Liverpool (Dimitar Berbatov)
That is far too easy for Fulham. Duff feeds a short pass to Riether on the right flank, and the full-back whips a good ball into the box that finds Berbatov unmarked in the middle. The Bulgarian is not going to miss a chance that easy and, sure enough, he nods past Reina to give his side the lead. There was a hint of offside against Riether, but Berbatov should not have been left in that much space, particularly with three centre-backs playing for Liverpool.
The bad news for Liverpool is that Fulham have never lost a match in which Berbatov has scored for them. That is his first goal since April 1.
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Liverpool (Daniel Sturridge)
Liverpool hit straight back! A long ball over the top from Wisdom finds Sturridge racing behind Hughes, but there is still a lot to do for the striker. He lifts the ball over the Fulham defender before faking a shot and taking it past Hughes again before lashing a fine finish past Schwarzer and into the roof of the net.
UPDATE: Elsewhere, Newcastle have come from behind to take the lead against QPR, Gouffran getting their second to make it 2-1 at Loftus Road.
CHANCE! Big chance for the hosts to regain the lead. Riether puts another fine cross into the box towards Berbatov. His is being tightly marked this time, but still manages to get in front of Wisdom. The Bulgarian tries to flick an effort goalwards, but it comes off the young Liverpool defender and goes behind for a corner.
Downing is struggling to deal with Duff and Riether down Fulham's right flank today. He isn't a natural defender, and Riether is marauding forward at every available opportunity. Riether's delivery has also been excellent so far today, and he is Fulham's most dangerous player at the moment.
We will have two minutes of added time in this half.
HALF TIME: Fulham 1-1 Liverpool
There is the half time whistle, which signals the end of an entertaining 45 minutes of football. Liverpool were on top for the majority of the half but it was Fulham who took the lead against the run of play. Berbatov's header when unmarked in the box broke the deadlock, but they weren't ahead for long as Sturridge levelled the sides a couple of minutes later.
Fulham struggled to get themselves into the game early on, but as the half wore on they started to threaten more and more. They were getting particular joy on the right flank as Riether bombed up and down the wing, whipping dangerous crosses into the box at every available opportunity. Stewart Downing struggled to deal with that avenue of attack in the first half and I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodgers help him out with a little support from other players in the second half.
The hosts' goal was undeserved at the time, but it was all too easy. Duff and Riether worked a simple two-on-one situation down the right before the latter picked out an unmarked Berbatov inside the box, and the Bulgarian made no mistake with a straightforward header.
Liverpool, meanwhile, had plenty of possession and were stringing together nice spells of passes, but they struggled to break through Fulham's defence. Often this season they have lacked a cutting edge despite dominating games, and it looked as if that would be the case again this afternoon.
However, they did respond very well to going behind against the run of play. Wisdom's long ball perhaps should have been cut out by Hughes, but from then on Sturridge did very well. He lifted the ball back over the Fulham defender before a smart turn and a fine finish. Sturridge's stock continues to rise at Liverpool.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, up in Manchester, United's final home game with Sir Alex Ferguson in charge has kicked off. I will keep you updated with any goals in that one.
LIVERPOOL SUB: There will be a change for Liverpool at half time as Jose Enrique replaces Andre Wisdom. The Reds may go back to a more conventional formation now, and Enrique should be able to help Downing on the left.
KICKOFF: Here we go again! Fulham get us back underway at Craven Cottage.
CHANCE! An early chance for Liverpool as a cross is end into the box towards Sturridge. Emanuelson is near him, but chooses, for some reason, not to make any aerial challenge. Luckily for the Fulham man Sturridge can't get above the ball and subsequently his effort goes high over the bar, but that was a risky move from Emanuelson.
Sturridge gets away from his man and carries the ball a long way into the Fulham box. He has passes available to him but chooses to go alone. In the end, he can't get a shot away and eventually passes, but the danger has passed and Fulham manage to get it clear.
Henderson clips a ball over the top towards Sturridge, but it just has too much curl on it which takes it behind the striker. Good idea from Hendersona nd it very nearly came off. Sturridge, meanwhile, looks very sharp at the start of this second half.
YELLOW CARD! The ball pops loose from Glen Johnson and he puts in a strong challenge on Enoh in a 50/50. The Fulham man is left in a heap on the floor and Johnson picks up a booking for the tackle. The replay isn't exactly pretty, but Johnson did get the ball first.
SHOT! Kacaniklic breaks away and runs straight at an isolated Carragher. Berbatov is sprinting up the left in support, but Kacaniklic chooses to use him as a decoy runner before dragging an effort wide from the edge of the box. Berbatov is not happy.
Kacaniklic runs on to a lovely touch from Berbatov, and the Fulham midfielder somehow stumbles and bundles his way through about four challenges before Liverpool finally take the ball off him.
Coutinho finds space to shoot from just inside the box, but his goalbound strike is well blocked by Hangeland. The rebound falls to Shelvey, but he can only head it wide.
Great run from Johnson! He takes it past three Fulham players, showing very good strength, pace and skill in the process before cutting it back inside, only to see his cross cleared away. Very positive run from the full-back, though.
Fulham started this half very slowly, but they are beginning to come back into the match again now. So far it is taking a similar pattern to that of the first half, with Liverpool seeing more of the ball but struggling to break Fulham down.
SHOT! Berbatov feeds Ruiz about 25 yards from goal, and he only has one thing in his mind as he takes a touch and shoots. His effort takes a deflection on the way through, though, and goes out for a corner.
PENALTY SHOUT! Big penalty shout for Fulham! Ruiz takes it past Coates inside the box before flicking a cross in. It certainly hits Lucas on the arm, and his arm is some way ahead of his body, but the referee says no penalty. The only reason I can see for that decision is the distance between Lucas and Ruiz. The Brazilian was very close. Borderline decision, and I've certainly seen them given.
GOAL! Fulham 1-2 Liverpool (Daniel Sturridge)
Straight after the penalty was turned down, Liverpool go up the other end and score! Coutinho's strike deflects perfectly into the path of Sturridge, who takes the ball in his stride with his first touch before slotting the ball coolly past Schwarzer with his second. The Fulham fans are livid!
CHANCE! Sturridge should have a hat-trick! Again he races through on goal and finds himself in an almost identical position to the one he has just scored from, but this time his shot is too close to Schwarzer, who makes a good save. That should have been 3-1 and Sturridge should be taking the match ball home!
UPDATE: Goals are flying in up and down the country too. Everton are now 2-0 up against West Ham thanks to Mirallas's second goal, while Grant Holt and a Gareth McAuley own goal have given Norwich a 3-0 lead over West Brom. Phil Bardsley has also scored what could be a huge goal to give Sunderland the lead against Southampton.
CHANCE! Oh my word how is this not 3-1?! Sturridge should really have a hat-trick again. He races down the right before cutting inside and finding himself in the same position as his second goal and recent miss. He has Coutinho and Shelvey in attendance, both of whom would have an easy tap-in should Sturridge square it, but the strike wants his hat-trick and is againt thwarted by a good save from Schwarzer. More good goalkeeping, but Sturridge should have scored, or passed it at least.
FULHAM SUB: Martin Jol decides that this is the time to bring another striker on as Mladen Petric replaces Kacaniklic.
CHANCE! Another huge chance for Liverpool to get a third goes begging! Downing's cross finds Shelvey at the back post and the youngster takes it down on his chest, but loses his footing just as he is about to pull the trigger. He recovers slightly and manages to squeeze a shot that is deflected behind for a corner, but it should have been so much better for the Reds.
SAVE! Henderson inexplicably passes the ball straight to Berbatov, who turns with it and fires goalwards from the edge of the box. His shot is creeping in, but Reina gets across well to make a good save.
GREAT SAVE! From the resulting corner Reina is called upon yet again. Hughes has a free header and flicks it towards the bak post, but Reina gets a fine hand to it to push it away. Hughes must have thought he had scored!
LIVERPOOL SUB: Fabio Borini will get a chance to continue his recovery from injury here as he replaces Shelvey.
CLOSE! Coutinho fakes a shot on the edge of the box before cutting back inside and firing an effort towards the near post that takes a deflection on its way through. Schwarzer was worried there!
OFF THE POST! I have no idea how Liverpool haven't put this one to bed yet! Borini runs straight at the full-back before cutting inside onto his right foot before curling a superb effort that bounces back off the inside of the post. Very good effort from the sub there.
CHANCE! Liverpool have yet another chance! Sturridge produces a superb piece of skill to flick it through to Borini, but Schwarzer is again out to make a fine save. The Fulham keeper is the only thing keeping them in this game at the moment.
OFF THE POST! It is Downing's turn to race through on the Fulham goal. He tries to beat Schwarzer at his near post from an impossible angle, but his effort deflects onto the outside of the post.
FULHAM SUB: John Arne Riise comes onto the field amidst applause from all four sides of the ground. The Liverpool fans chant his name, they haven't forgotten his career here.
SAVE! The Liverpool fans wouldn't have been chating Riise's name if that one went in! Fulham get a free kick 30 yards from goal and Riise is standing over it. He was famed for these sorts of efforts at Anfield and, sure enough, he fires a powerful low effort that was well held by Reina.
GOAL! Fulham 1-3 Liverpool (Daniel Sturridge)
There is the hat-trick for Sturridge, and it's about time! Coutinho sends a magnificent through ball to the striker with the outside of his boot, and Sturridge races on to it, beating Schwarzer to the ball and lifting it over the Fulham keeper and into the net. That is a great way to finish a hat-trick and a superb individual performance. This one is over.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Coutinho's last meaningful action is that superb through ball as he is replaced by Conor Coady, who is making his Premier League debut.
UPDATE: Manchester United have taken a 1-0 lead into half time against Swansea thanks to a Javier Hernandez strike, while Norwich now lead West Brom 4-0. Southampton have also levelled the sides against Sunderland.
There will be three minutes of added time here at Craven Cottage. Time for another goal?
This one seems to be drifting out into a 3-1 win but, in truth, it could have been a lot more for Liverpool. Sturridge has been the man of the moment, and could have got a few more than the three he managed.
FULL TIME: Fulham 1-3 Liverpool
There we have it. The referee brings an end to a dominant second half for Liverpool as they beat Fulham 3-1 courtesy of a Daniel Sturridge hat-trick. Berbatov opened the scoring for the hosts, but they were blown away in the second half and it could have been a lot worse but for some fine saves from Mark Schwarzer.
Fulham had chances of their own, however, and things could have been a lot different had Mark Halsey awarded a penalty for a handball against Lucas. It certainly struck the Brazilian's arm, but there wasn't much distance between the two players. Even so, I've seen them given and was surprised that Halsey waved play on.
Fulham can have no complaints at the final score, however. They were well beaten and Liverpool were the better side throughout. Sturridge played the starring role, but there was also a cameo for Philippe Coutinho as the two January signings again impressed for Liverpool.
In terms of the table, Everton's win today means that Liverpool will finish seventh this season, regardless of what happens on the final day, while results elsewhere have seen Fulham drop to 15th. They will be hoping for Wigan to lose tomorrow in order to secure their safety.
Right, that's it from me this afternoon! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for a very entertaining match here at Craven Cottage. It is Liverpool who are celebrating at the end of the day as they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. I will leave you with Subhankar's match report, and be sure to stick around for match analysis, which should be on site within half an hour. If you still want more live football, you can follow the second half of Fergie's last home game in charge of Manchester United here. From me, though, it's goodbye!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
