Liverpool FC v Fulham FC: Preview

Kick Off - 8:30pm IST. Live on Star Sports HD 2 and starsports.com 

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from last weekend's defeat to Arsenal with victory over a struggling Fulham side on Saturday.

The 2-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium saw Brendan Rodgers' side slip five points behind the Gunners, who remained top of the Premier League, and allowed both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City to move closer to them.

However, the Reds will be confident of getting the better of Martin Jol's team at Anfield given their strong record on their own turf. The Merseysiders have won four and lost one of the Premier League encounters at home this campaign.

On the other hand, Fulham are struggling at the wrong end of the table. Having collected just 10 points from as many matches, the Cottagers are two points above the bottom three in 16th.

The London outfit have lost their last three competitive matches, conceding nine goals in the process. That wretched run followed back-to-back wins over Stoke City and Crystal Palace in the league.

However, Fulham will take some confidence from their past trips to Anfield. In their last five Premier League clashes at Liverpool, they have kept three clean sheets.

+Liverpool FC 

Liverpool has right back Glen Johnson up to full fitness after the England international missed last weekend's defeat at The Emirates with illness.

Fellow full-back Jose Enrique, who has missed three matches with a knee problem, has trained this week and is in contention.

After his first 45 minutes' action in nearly seven weeks after a shoulder operation, playmaker Philippe Coutinho is pushing for a starting place.

+Fulham Football Club 

Fulham right-back Sascha Riether will sit out his side's trip to Anfield as he starts his three-match suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct for stamping on Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj.

Striker Hugo Rodellega will be out for five to six weeks with a muscle injury in his left leg and defender Matthew Briggs will be sidelined for another six weeks following his hernia operation.

Manager Jol will have to wait on the fitness of central defender Brede Hangeland (sciatic nerve) and attacking midfielder Bryan Ruiz (back) before naming his final squad for Saturday's match.

Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool FC: Match Report

+Liverpool FC suffered their second Barclays Premier League defeat of the season as they went down 2-0 to +Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday evening.

The Gunners took the lead inside the opening 20 minutes when Santi Cazorla reacted quickest to blast home after he'd watched a header rebound off the post.

The Reds began the second period in positive manner as they sought an equaliser, but Aaron Ramsey's dipping 20-yard drive doubled Arsenal's advantage just before the hour.

Luis Suarez hit the base of the post as Liverpool looked to claim something from the game, but Arsene Wenger's men held out to remain at the top of the table.

The pre-match team news confirmed Liverpool were without the services of Glen Johnson due to illness.

Screening in Kahawa, Kochi

Jon Flanagan was the England man's replacement, making his first appearance for the Reds since the FA Cup tie with Mansfield on January 6 in what was an otherwise unchanged starting line-up. Meanwhile, the fit-again Philippe Coutinho was named on the substitutes' bench.

The game got underway with second-placed Liverpool trailing table-toppers Arsenal by just two points, with both teams having only lost once in the opening weeks of 2013-14.

Tomas Rosicky fired the evening's first effort with six minutes on the clock, finding space inside the box only to see his effort across the face of goal diverted wide by the palm of Simon Mignolet.

At the other end, Jordan Henderson bounded into the area only to miscue when well positioned to shoot.

The opening exchanges had been fairly even, with the visitors having settled into their stride positively in north London.

However, Arsenal took the lead with 19 minutes on the clock when Bacary Sagna found space down the right. The full-back's centre picked out of the head of Cazorla, whose initial attempt cannoned against the post before he swept home the rebound.

Liverpool almost mustered a swift riposte, but Kolo Toure's downward header from Steven Gerrard's free-kick was blocked by the boot of the sprawling Wojciech Szczesny, though the flag was raised for offside in any case.

Back came the hosts and Mignolet needed to get down to repel Ramsey's drive after a slick one-two with Rosicky.

Brendan Rodgers opted to make a change during the break, introducing Coutinho into the action in place of Aly Cissokho.

The manager will undoubtedly have been urging more from his players going forward during his half-time team talk, and that's what was delivered in a positive opening to the second 45.

First, Suarez escaped the attentions of Arsenal's defence to race into space in the right channel of the box before toe-poking off target. Then, moments later, he was again afforded space in a dangerous area and the No.7's cross to the back post was volleyed over by Henderson.

But the Reds' promising work was almost undone when Olivier Giroud beat Martin Skrtel to Toure's under-hit pass, but the striker's attempted chip found the side netting.

Arsenal didn't have to wait long to claim a second, however, when Ramsey connected with a half-volley that looped over Mignolet and found the back of the net from 20 yards on 59 minutes.

Victor Moses replaced Flanagan as Liverpool attempted to set about salvaging something from the clash, and they almost had a goal back when Suarez's outside-of-the-foot effort struck the base of the post from a tight angle.

Liverpool continued to toil in their endeavours to reduce the arrears, and Suarez spurned a gilt-edged chance in the dying moments as he side-footed wide when through on goal as Arsenal held on to clinch victory.

Courtesy: LiverpoolFC.com

Arsenal FC v Liverpool FC: Preview

+Arsenal and +Liverpool FC will look to underline their Barclays Premier League title credentials when they meet at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger's side are top of the table having going eight matches unbeaten in the top flight following their opening-day loss to Aston Villa. But the London outfit have lost their last two home matches against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League and Chelsea in the Capital One Cup.
Wenger made a host of changes for Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea as the Frenchman failed to secure his first win over Jose Mourinho. However, the Arsenal boss insisted the defeat would have no detrimental effect to their league form as they prepare for a stern test against the Merseysiders.

The likes of Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker, Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil are set to be restored to the starting line-up, while Mikel Arteta returns following a one-match suspension but Wenger still has several injuries to contend with, with midfielder Mathieu Flamini set to miss out once again due to a groin problem he sustained in the victory at Crystal Palace last weekend. Theo Walcott (abdominal), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Yaya Sanogo (back), Abou Diaby (knee) and Lukas Podolski (hamstring) all remain sidelined.

Playmaker Philippe Coutinho returns to the Liverpool squad following a shoulder injury but boss Brendan Rodgers has a doubt over left-back Jose Enrique (knee). Liverpool have not lost to Arsenal in the Premier League in their last three visits to the Emirates Stadium and the Anfield club will fancy their chances of avoiding defeat once again as they boast an unbeaten away record in the League this season.

Rodgers' free-scoring side have not lost in their last four matches in the top flight, scoring 12 goals in the process. Luis Suarez has scored six goals in four Premier League outings since returning from suspension and the Uruguay striker has also scored in his last two trips to Arsenal, a club who tried to sign him several times in the close-season.

Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have formed a formidable partnership and the England striker is the leading scorer in the Premier League with eight goals.

+Arsenal  (from): Fabianski, Szczesny,  Viviano, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Sagna, Vermaelen, Arteta, Cazorla, Eisfeld, Flamini, Frimpong, Gnabry, Miyaichi,  Ozil, Ramsey, Rosicky, Wilshere, Bendtner, Giroud, Park.

+Liverpool FC (from): Jones, Mignolet, Agger, Cissokho, Flanagan, Ilori, Johnson, Kelly, Sakho, Skrtel, Toure, Alberto, Allen, Coutinho, Gerrard, Henderson, Ibe, Lucas, Moses, Sterling, Sturridge, Suarez.

Match Appointments
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Assistants: S Burt, M McDonough.
Fourth Official: M Jones.

Match Telecast on +ESPN  and +ESPN HD from 2300 hrs.

Courtesy: PremierLeague.com