Visualized: Liverpool 2-1 Fulham

Previous Match Infographics: Bayern Munich (a), Burnley (h), Everton (a), Watford (h), Manchester United (a), Bayern Munich (h), Bournemouth (h) West Ham (a), Leicester (h), Crystal Palace (h), Brighton (a), Manchester City (a), Arsenal (h), Newcastle (h), Wolves (a), Manchester Utd (h), Napoli (h), Bournemouth (a), Burnley, Everton (h), Paris St-Germain (a), Watford (a), Fulham (h), Arsenal (a), Cardiff (h), Red Star Belgrade (h), Huddersfield (a), Manchester City (h), Napoli (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Leicester (a), Brighton (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Ham (h)

Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app. 



Yes, yes, we know.

This could and maybe should have been West Ham, United, Everton again. The recent away debacles, the recent away draws. Liverpool's struggles against a deep defense, Mohamed Salah's struggles. Liverpool scored, unlike the previous two away matches, but then Liverpool also conceded, thanks to an incredibly bad error from the two players who've revolutionized that Liverpool defense.

It wasn't great, and there seems little point in hammering some of the recent negative traits over and over and over and over.

So let's talk about some other stuff.

Like how Sadio Mané is on another planet right now.




11 of 11 from inside the box, with nine in the Danger Zone. Eight of 11 from clear-cut chances. An apex predator.

Five from right-footed shots, three from left-footed shots, and three from headers. Capable of finishing with either foot or his header, from crosses or from passes on the floor. Versatility personified. But only one from a set play: the opener at Bournemouth, from a corner but a second phase, the initial ball cleared but Alexander-Arnold's cross back in converted.

Every single goal in the first 30 minutes or the final ten. Six opening goals, three game-winners. Picking his moments.

And they've been crucial, not only in timing but also just in scoring, as Salah has three goals and one assist over those 11 games (and two of the goals came in the first game of this stretch), while Firmino has three goals and three assists.

Sadio Mané's doing work. It ain't gonna last forever, so enjoy it while it lasts.

It’s what happens when a lad with a career (very good) Shot conversion of 19% starts banging in 37% of his shots https://t.co/0yytOeCjZf

— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) March 20, 2019

Mané has scored 11 goals from 4.23XG off of his last 30 shots
That’s 37% conversion rate or 18% better than Messi

— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) March 20, 2019

We could also talk about how Liverpool got three points after a difficult Champions League knockout match, something they've not been able to do often under Jürgen Klopp.

To be fair, it's not just a Jürgen Klopp thing. Liverpool have struggled in league matches after European knockout ties for years now. Most teams have, most teams do.

But still.



Six wins following European knockout round matches, with four draws and four losses. An average of 1.57 points per game. 1.57 goals per game, 1.0 conceded per game. Not great.

But it's even more stark away from home. Including the penalty shootout loss at Wembley, which we're counting as both a draw and an away match for simplicity, Liverpool's away record after European knockout games is 2W-3D-4L. Which is an average of a point per game, scoring an average of a goal per game and conceding an average of 1.33 per game. Which is really, really not good.

So a win, any win, even if tortured, even if against the 19th-placed side in the league, is very much welcomed after the midweek exertions.

Or how Liverpool won the match in the final ten minutes, which most memorably happened at Everton back in December, but also against Palace in January, against United in December, and against PSG in November, with Sturridge's equalizer at Chelsea back in September also worth a mention.

Or how it's Liverpool's first league win away from home since beating Brighton on January 12.

Or how Liverpool have already equaled Klopp's previous high for a Premier League campaign. 76 points, the same as in 2016-17, and a point better than last season's total.

Or how Liverpool are back at the top of the table, albeit only by two points against City's game in hand, but they're there, rather than taking just one point and remaining level with City despite that game in hand.

So, sure, it was most definitely not the best match. Sure, there are still seven games to go, and an excellent chance that it still ends in tears. No matter. There was good – good that some of the frustration and the pressure has made us forget – and there was a win. Try to enjoy the ride.

Liverpool 2-1 Fulham

Goals:
Mané 26'
Babel 74'
Milner 81' [pen]

And breathe.

Good lord. I cannot believe Liverpool have gotten away with that.

The narrative was perfect. Just perfect. You couldn't write it better. And somehow, it doesn't come to fruition.

We start with the same old problems seen in basically every away match of 2019 except Wednesday. West Ham, United, Everton all over again. A mountain of possession, another deep defense that Liverpool strains to get past. Even when Liverpool open the scoring midway through the first half, unsurprisingly through Sadio Mané, with his 11th goal in the last 11 games.

But they don't get two. What looked certain to be a thorough whooping after 30 minutes looks a 1-0 grind at best by 60 minutes. Both pace and passing tail off as opportunities dwindle. Crosses and corners aren't finding Liverpool's players, and those are what Liverpool increasingly turn to. Firmino and Salah are particularly off-color, the former struggling to link up with his line-mates and the latter tackled in the final third time and time again.

Still, it's probably going to be okay, because the opposition ain't gotten shit going forward.

Until they do.

To be slightly fairer to Fulham, it felt possible for ten or so minutes before the goal, the home side starting to actually unsettle Liverpool. It felt more Liverpool complacency than anything else, but Sessegnon for Seri gives also Fulham another threat. Fulham have the ball in Liverpool's goal in the 65th minute, a counter-attack following Firmino's sloppy pass in the final third ending with Anguissa's shot redirected home by an offside Ayite, who then has a fast break shot blocked by Lallana.

But Liverpool steadies. And then Liverpool just absolutely Liverpools.

Milner, just on a substitute, hacks a Sergio Rico goal kick up and behind. A goal kick which came from Sadio Mané hitting the crossbar. Van Dijk leaves it for Alisson, who leaves it for van Dijk. Whose header back to Alisson is soft and with back spin and falls instead to Ryan Babel for a tap-in.

Let's go through that again. James Milner, Liverpool's most experienced player and one of the few title-winners in the squad. Virgil van Dijk, who we all rightfully called the best center-back in the world just three days ago. Alisson, who's literally saved Liverpool, the position Liverpool have had the most problem with for years.

And Ryan Babel, ex-Liverpool player and punchline, now a kitchen-sink option mercenary for a team near-certain to be relegated.

Oh, yeah, and Liverpool did this against the 19th-placed side in the division, on their third manager of the season, who'd lost ten of their last 11 matches, who'd only taken two points off top-ten sides: a draw against Watford back in September and dawn with Leicester in early December.

While smack in the middle of a title race where their competition just does not stop winning.

*chef kissing fingers emoji*

But then Liverpool go and ruin it less than seven minutes after Fulham's equalizer. Salah's into the box and gets it wrong again, his shot straight at Sergio Rico, but Rico palms it down rather than catches, Mané steals in, and Rico hugs Mané to the ground. And Milner, who'd started the calamity seven minutes earlier, absolutely nails the penalty down the middle. And we're done here, with Salah still somehow unable to score, a couple of efforts off-target and a clear-cut chance too close to Sergio Rico.

So, yeah. It is hard to think anything other than this is a different season than all the seasons before. A different Liverpool. A Liverpool that doesn't 4-4 with Arsenal or slip against Chelsea. It was not good and it doesn't really bode well and there are still those regrettable draws over the last two months but Liverpool still won and Liverpool go into the international break atop the league by two points.

There are still seven games left to break our hearts. Manchester City is only behind on games played, and can break said hearts through no further fault of Liverpool.

No matter. Ride the fortune as long as it'll last. And continue to believe that the best remains possible.

Visualized: Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Previous Match Infographics: Arsenal (a), Cardiff (h), Red Star Belgrade (h), Huddersfield (a), Manchester City (h), Napoli (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h), Leicester (a), Brighton (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Ham (h)

Match data from WhoScored, except average position from the SofaScore app. 



Why are Liverpool playing 4-2-3-1?

This is not a rhetorical question. I'm honestly asking. We almost never saw formation changes last season. 4-3-3 or bust, and a side built in that image, for that formation.

That hasn't been the case this season. We've seen 4-2-3-1 more often than 4-3-3 over the last month, but we've also seen a greater willingness to change the formation in general, as in the second half at Red Star when Liverpool switched to an eventual 4-2-2-2 when chasing the game.

Has it been because of the inconsistent attack? The misfiring midfield? Because of who's been available?

Yeah. A bit of all columns, I expect.

Because 4-2-3-1 isn't necessarily a "getting the best out of everyone" formation.

Yes, Liverpool have had midfield issues. Already. Oxlade-Chamberlain out for the season. Recent short-term injuries to both Henderson and Keïta. Fabinho has been needed, maybe sooner than Klopp had hoped. We've rightfully complained about the lack of creativity when Henderson, Milner, and Wijnaldum play together. Workmanlike rather than incisive. We've seen that Fabinho has been a stronger defender, better positioned, and a better passer from deep in the 4-2-3-1, with a double pivot midfield what he's most familiar with from Monaco. Changing Liverpool's formation has helped alleviate those midfield issues, if nothing else.

But, of course, it's not nothing else.

Liverpool's front three rightfully gets the headlines, both this season and last, but it's not just the front three. There were matches where they did all the attack: Roma, Porto, Watford, among multiple others. But there were matches where the midfield contribution was almost as important.

Even after Coutinho – with seven goals and six assists in the league – left in January, Liverpool continued getting help from midfield. Emre Can and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain combined for six league goals but, more importantly, 11 assists. Can and Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal and assists in the 4-1 win over West Ham. Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal against City in the Champions League. Even Wijnaldum's cruical goal at Roma, a hapax legomenon away strike which just about sealed the tie.

It can't always just be Salah, Firmino, and Mané. Whether they're off-form, or defenders can focus on those three with no regard for other attackers, or it's just one of those days. You need more than three. You need options.

Enter Xherdan Shaqiri. With two goals and two assists in his last five matches. With an eye for a through ball, an ability to run at defenders rather than just past them, capable of shooting from distance or setting up a teammate. A different type of attacker than Firmino, Salah, and Mané; a necessary fourth attacker who can conjure something when the other three can't or aren't. A much greater attacking threat than Wijnaldum, Milner, or Henderson. Or Keïta, at least so far.

Obviously, there are still issues. Liverpool's wins have been thorough, but none has truly made jaws drop and caused expletives to be uttered, even the four-goal performances against Cardiff and Red Star.

Salah has stuttered up top at times, more closely marked by the opposition's center-backs. His goal yesterday is evidence of a greater potential threat when storming down the flank, whether better positioned to get behind the back line or more capable of isolating a solitary defender. There's more room to run out wide, and Salah often needs room to run. That and he's less likely to be on the ball when the spear-head, with just 17 attempted passes and only 39 touches against Fulham, compared to 69 for Shaqiri, 62 for Firmino, and 61 for Mané.

Similar goes for Firmino, who's yet to even approach his peak this season. Dropping into midfield from the #10, his average position yesterday almost inside the center circle, obviously takes him further from goal. Where he's less likely to drag defenders away from Salah and Mané, where he's less likely to play the short, cutting, just-outside-the-box assist. But there were signs on Sunday, with five chances created, the most he's had in a match since the 5-2 win over Roma back in April. He didn't register an assist, but they were mostly dangerous chances: three of the five into the penalty area, one clear-cut chance for Salah, another nearly clear-cut for Robertson on the counter midway through the second half.



But, you ask, why doesn't Liverpool play Firmino up top, Salah out wide, and Shaqiri as the #10? They've all played those positions before.

My guess? Part of the reason for the 4-2-3-1 has been personnel, and part has been to fix underlying issues. But Liverpool have also used this formation against sides more likely to sit deep and defend. Salah, even if he's not thriving in this striking role, is more likely to stretch the defense from that position rather than out right. Shaqiri, with his eye for through-balls and ability in possession, seems more likely to create for the other attackers from the right wing when there are multiple defenders in front of him. See: his recent assists against both Red Star and Huddersfield. And Firmino is more likely to remain the first defender in this formation, better able than Shaqiri to cover more ground chasing opponents, to press from multiple angles.

It's obviously not perfect. Fluidity still eludes as often as not. We still expect more from Liverpool's attack. And Liverpool can still be exposed on counter-attacks, as in the long ball to Mitrovic leading to Sessegnon's clear-cut chance in the 24th minute, as in the move through Liverpool's underbelly that lead to Mitrovic's chance saved just before halftime.

But, on the whole, it's better than what came before. The narrow, too-closely-contested 1-0 win at Huddersfield in the 4-3-3 formation with Shaqiri in midfield. The dumpster fire first half at Red Star. Even the first half at Arsenal, although that's not a side that's sat deep like most others of late.

It's another arrow in Liverpool's quiver. And, so far, it's getting results.

Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Goals:
Salah 41'
Shaqiri 53'

A match in keeping with the rest of Liverpool's season so far.

Liverpool absolutely merited a win, but we're still nowhere near what Liverpool feels capable of. The attack's ragged more often than not. Clear-cut chances remain hard to come by. 4-2-3-1 still seems something of a band-aid, a way to fit both Fabinho and Shaqiri into a more comfortable formation despite sometimes feeling as if it's at the expense of Salah and Firmino, the former less influential up top, the latter dropping incredibly deep to link play.

And Liverpool remained lucky, as they've been for the majority of the season so far, both in their opening goal just before halftime as well as not already being behind before scoring it. For all of Liverpool's unsurprising possession, Fulham had the best chance of the opening half-hour, a goal kick from Sergio Rico, a flick-on by Mitrovic, Sessegnon somehow through Gomez's attempted tackle and one-on-one with Alisson only to push his shot wide. Play continued in a similar pattern, Liverpool possession and infrequent Fulham counters until a corner for the away side in the 40th minute, taken short, with a marginal – very, very marginal – offside decision ruling out Mitrovic's "goal."

Fulham are rightfully annoyed. It's just about offside, but you've seen them missed. And Liverpool are clever. Alisson immediately spreads play out to Alexander-Arnold. Look up, Salah's sprinting. Salah gets the pass, charging down the right flank – again, where he's far more likely to do damage. Salah's in behind, one-on-one with the keeper. And you know what happens in that situation.

And Fulham's game plan is boned. Teams have continued to bunker against Liverpool even after Liverpool takes a 1-0 lead this season – see: Palace, Brighton, Huddersfield, etc – hoping to capitalize on a counter or a set play or a mistake. The potential for 1-1 remains almost as good as 0-0 or 0-1 against Liverpool, especially at Anfield. A draw's all you've got the right to legitimately hope for anyway.

But now Liverpool start to turn the screws a bit more, especially after halftime. And it only takes eight minutes for 1-0 to turn into 2-0. Fulham, so close to opening the scoring on a set play. Liverpool, sealing the game on a set play. Alexander-Arnold's corner is cleared out to van Dijk, controlling on the left flank. Fulham start to come out. Liverpool see it and destroy it, Robertson's cross pin-point to an open Shaqiri on the back post, Fulham's defensive line shredded, a volleyed tap-in under no pressure.

2-0 is not 1-0. Liverpool *knocks on every piece of wood in arm's length* don't drop two-goal leads anymore.

From there, cruise control. Possession's easy. Fulham gets nothing, smothered and covered, limited to two shots from distance over the final 35 minutes, both from outside the box, Schürrle immediately blocked, Mitrovic nowhere close. Liverpool have a couple of chances, but Robertson and Firmino have shots saved and we get a bit more "close but no cigar" on a couple of counter-attacks. Same as it ever was: a little frustrating that Liverpool aren't out there slicing heads off, but more than good enough to get the needed result.

No matter the issues, Liverpool won, comprehensively if not dominantly. It was all but a formality when Liverpool scored a second, if not when Liverpool scored the first.

It was like Cardiff, but without both the opposition's consolation and Liverpool running up the score in the last five minutes. It was like Crystal Palace, the same result but that was away from home with this at Anfield. It was like Brighton, in a little too close for comfort for too long but never seemingly seriously in doubt.

It was Liverpool, still nowhere near what we think is Liverpool's best, but Liverpool absolutely good enough. Whether that will be enough in matches to come remains to be seen.

Liverpool v Fulham 11.11.18

7am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
3-2 Liverpool (a) 02.12.14
4-0 Liverpool (h) 11.09.13
3-1 Liverpool (a) 05.12.13
4-0 Liverpool (h) 12.22.12

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-2 Red Star (a); 1-1 Arsenal (a): 4-1 Cardiff (h)
Fulham: 0-1 Huddersfield (a); 0-2 City (a); 0-3 Bournemouth (h)

Goal scorers (league):
Liverpool: Mané 6; Salah 5; Firmino, Milner, Sturridge 2; Matip, Shaqiri, Wijnaldum 1
Fulham: Mitrovic 5; Schürrle 4; Seri, Sessegnon 1

Referee: Paul Tierney (LFC History) (WhoScored)

Guess at a line-up:
Alisson
Gomez Lovren van Dijk Robertson
Shaqiri Henderson Keïta
Salah Firmino Mané

There are no easy matches.

Tuesday was supposed to be easy. The lowest ranked team in Liverpool's Champions League group. A team Liverpool beat 4-0 two weeks earlier. A 0-2 loss, conceding twice in seven minutes before spending the next hour throwing water balloons at a brick wall and expecting damage to result. Little creativity, no potency.

There are no easy matches. You come correct or you pay for it.

That said, Fulham are not good. Incredibly not good, sitting at the foot of the table, having one just once in the league back at the end of August. Having drawn just twice, the last coming six weeks ago. Surprisingly not good, considering they spent more than any club except Liverpool last summer.

So how are Liverpool going to punish Fulham? How are Liverpool going to respond to Tuesday's failure?

We'll have a few more players to pick from than on Tuesday. Keïta, Henderson, Lovren, and Gomez are all available after injury and illness concerns. Shaqiri's back in the squad, left out for Red Star due to political concerns. Liverpool can revamp the faltering, workmanlike-and-little-more midfield – the biggest problem area so far this season – which *should* help Liverpool create more and better chances, although Liverpool will still need to finish them.

So does that mean Keïta comes in, a more willing and able late runner into the box, a more dynamic offensive player, a more thorough and forceful presser? Or Henderson, usually better in matches against the lesser lights, his passing and possession able to pin sides deeper and deeper. Or Shaqiri, the most creative midfielder so far, even if he's played as a winger or #10 more often in his short Liverpool career?

Maybe Liverpool stick with the 4-2-3-1 which worked reasonably well when hosting Red Star and Cardiff. Shaqiri can play as the #10 or on the right, Salah out wide or up front, Firmino as the #10 or up front – although Firmino's lack of form has almost been as big an issue as the midfield. Fabinho's looked far, far better in this formation and, in theory, could play next to either Keïta – who played in this formation at Red Bull – or Henderson.

Or maybe we get the more familiar 4-3-3, with either Fabinho again adjusting to Liverpool's preferred formation alongside two others or Henderson as the deepest midfielder, bracketed by two from Keïta, Wijnaldum, Milner, and Shaqiri.

Liverpool, unlike in the last couple of matches, have more options thanks to the return of a couple midfielders. And, as a lesser concern, I also wouldn't be surprised to see Gomez continue at right back, both with Alexander-Arnold out of form and with Lovren – not Matip – available after missing midweek. I say "lesser concern" because, despite conceding twice at Red Star, the defense still ain't broken. Conceding a corner – just the second of the season after Tottenham's very late consolation – and an incredibly fortunate shot from distance ain't the end of the world. Nor does it suggest underlying issues.

Fulham have underlying issues. In every phase of play. Fulham should be a lot better than they've been.

That's a good squad. Mitrovic and Schürrle in attack, with five and four goals respectively. Seri and Anguissa in midfield. Ryan Sessegnon – still only 18 – as a winger or full back. £100m spent last summer.

Mitrovic and Schürrle – the only players with more than one goal – aside, they should score more goals than they have. They be more coherent in passing and possession. They've the tools and players to press the opposition more but haven't. They've conceded in every match this season except the first League Cup round against League Two Exeter, they've conceded at least two in all but two league matches. Their Expected Goals Difference is second-worst in the league, their Expected Points is third-worst.

It is confusing. And you'd think that if results don't change soon, Slavisa Jokanovic will be out of a job.

After trialling multiple XIs and formations, Jokanovic went with what's seemingly the best fit at Huddersfield on Monday. 4-3-3, with Sessegnon – who'd been playing more often as a winger – back at left-back; Cairney, Anguissa, and Seri as a three-man midfield for the first time this season; and Vietto, Mitrovic, and Schürrle all up front.

And they lost 0-1, again unable to get going in attack, unable to break down a Huddersfield side that admittedly gave Liverpool similar problems, unable to turn a possession advantage into chances, and also conceding an unfortunate fairly early own goal.

That said, I'm still guessing the same XI as in that match. Maybe I'm playing Football Manager here, but these still seem Fulham's best players in the formation most likely to succeed. Bettinetti; Fosu-Mensah, Odoi, Marchand, Sessegnon; Cairney, Anguissa, Seri; Vietto, Mitrovic, Schürrle.

We've got a Liverpool with key players returning, possibly rusty, probably not match-fit, but still likely to help the side. We've got a Liverpool needing to respond to a setback earlier this week. We've got a Liverpool that's yet to perform to potential but still unbeaten, still only two points off first, still with 27 points from a possible 33, the best return at this point in many a year.

And we've got opponents who are bottom of the league, massively underperforming, coming off a loss to potential relegation rivals. At Anfield.

There's one way this should go. Whether it's another narrow win where we lament some things that didn't go right or an absolute whomping. It should be a Liverpool win all the same.

Visualized: Liverpool 3-2 Fulham

Previous Match Infographics: Arsenal (h), West Brom (a), Everton (h), Aston Villa (h), Stoke (a), Hull (h), Chelsea (a), Manchester City (a), Cardiff (h), Tottenham (a), West Ham (h), Norwich (h), Hull City (a), Everton (a), Fulham (h), Arsenal (a), West Brom (h), Newcastle (a), Crystal Palace (h), Sunderland (a), Southampton (h), Swansea (a), Manchester United (h), Aston Villa (a), Stoke (h)

As always, match data from Stats Zone and Squawka.


FYI: Here's the formation diagram usually included in match reviews, for thoroughness' sake.

The last time Liverpool scored an injury time winner? April 10, 2012: Andy Carroll at Blackburn. Yesterday's was the first of Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool tenure. Yes, Gerrard tallied a penalty to win 3-2 against Tottenham last March, but that was in the 82nd minute. Yes, Liverpool scored in the dying seconds against Chelsea last season and Everton this season to earn draws. But this was the first injury time winner in a very, very long time. And it could hardly have come at a better time.

It was in this fixture last season that Liverpool last came back from a deficit to win, going down 1-0 to Berbatov's 33rd minute strike before Sturridge's hat-trick. The last time Liverpool came back from two separate deficits to win? A 3-2 win at Bolton in August 2009, again overhauling an 0-1 and 1-2 deficit to get all three points thanks to Gerrard's late goal. That was 54 months ago. That was 175 league matches ago. That was a lifetime ago.

Luis Suarez is human after all. He put his first two shots on target yesterday, then failed to do so with the next six. He hasn't scored since his nail-in-the-coffin goal against Everton, 310 minutes ago. That's an epoch for Suarez. It's only his second-longest league drought since Rodgers became manager, failing to score in 479 minutes of league football between November 17 and December 22nd last season. And it's not for lack of trying.

Suarez has taken 16 shots since his last goal. Only 4 have been on-target: two yesterday, one against both Arsenal and West Brom. 25% shooting accuracy. After the Everton match, his accuracy for the season was 51.0%. I guess some regression was inevitable. Still, his range hasn't been far off: woodwork blasts against both Arsenal and Fulham, a handful of shots only narrowly off-target. And he's tallied assists against both West Brom and Arsenal, for Sturridge and Sterling, unselfish when his own shooting wasn't coming off. Yesterday saw Suarez as selfishly wasteful and frustrated as we've seen in a while, trying to single-handedly force something, with at least two shots coming when other players were in better positions.

But then there's Daniel Sturridge to pick up the slack. Sturridge has scored in all eight matches since returning from injury.

Tonight, @D_Sturridge tied the #LFC club record by scoring in his 8th consecutive game in all competitions (confirmed by @LFChistory!)
— Dan Kennett (@DanKennett) February 12, 2014

John Aldridge scored in 10 consecutive league matches between May and October 1987, spanning the two seasons, but Sturridge's eight in all competitions ties Aldridge in 1988-89 and Dick Forshaw, who did it in 1924. That's some heady company. Since joining the club, Sturridge has scored 30 goals and tallied seven assists in 37 matches. His record is 26 goals and six assists in 32 league matches. He's 24. Liverpool paid Chelsea £12m for him. Over the same span, Chelsea's strike force – Torres, Ba, and Eto'o – have scored 28 goals in all competitions, and just 10 in the league. It might be Liverpool's best transfer business in decades, and yes, I'm well aware than Suarez is now worth 3-5 times what Liverpool paid for him.

One disconcerting feature yesterday was that Liverpool failed to create a single chance from set plays. The only marginally threatening dead ball situation came from Suarez's direct free kick in the 51st minute, whistling wide of the far post – a shot from a speculative position at best – despite five corners and three free kicks in the attacking third. Liverpool have created 42 set play chances this season, and that doesn't include the direct free kicks that have ended in the back of the net. The only other matches where Liverpool failed to create a set play chance were at Stoke (scored five anyway), at Tottenham (scored five anyway), at Hull (Gerrard scored from a direct free kick), at Arsenal (Arsenal controlled all facets of the game), and at Villa (where Liverpool took just five shots). Funny how those were all away from Anfield. Set plays have often either sent Liverpool on their way (see: 5-1 Arsenal), or rescued Liverpool from what might have been a bad situation (see: 3-3 Everton). They certainly could have used them yesterday, as Liverpool still displayed the frightening tendencies we've seen away from Anfield with this XI, especially in the first 30 minutes.

Yes, Liverpool completed 399 more passes than Fulham. That's the biggest gap since beating Norwich 5-0 13 months ago, the second-biggest gap of Rodgers' tenure. Only 3-1 v Cardiff and 4-0 v Fulham (this season, and 5-2 at Norwich last season come close. Lewis Holtby completed more passes than any other Fulham player: 32. Every Liverpool outfield starter completed more than that. That hasn't happened under Rodgers' tenure either. But we've long since learned that passing and possession frequently don't necessarily lead to Liverpool best performances or results. See: Everton (h) and Arsenal (h), as you may remember, among others.



175 completed passes, 227 attempted, came in the attacking third. Liverpool have surpassed that total just three times under Rodgers: in the reverse fixture, utterly demolishing Fulham at Anfield; this season's 2-2 draw at Newcastle, with Newcastle down a man for more than half the match; and in the 1-3 loss to Aston Villa last season. Yesterday's match reminded me much more of the latter two rather than the first. It's absolutely progress that those two matches ended 1-3 and 2-2, while yesterday's ended 3-2.

But the pattern of play wasn't surprising, especially after Fulham got an early goal. Fulham were always going to defend deep – even if it wasn't as deep as against United, when they were away from home – and Liverpool were always going to monopolize possession. And the pattern was made even more dramatic by needing to chase the game. Needlessly needing to chase the game.

Yet again, I can't avoid mentioning, defensive errors. Yes, again. Liverpool have now committed 31 defensive errors this season – an average of 1.15 per match – with eight errors leading to goals. Arsenal have committed 26 defensive errors, Norwich 22; no other side has more than 20. 14 different players have committed at least one error: Mignolet (5); Gerrard (4); Toure, Skrtel, Henderson (3); Agger, Enrique, Sakho, Sturridge (2); Luis Alberto, Johnson, Suarez, Moses, and Lucas (1). Flanagan and Cissokho are the only defenders yet to commit at least one.

Those errors have cost Liverpool five points. From a draw to a loss at City, and leading to draws rather than wins against Villa and West Brom. Five points. I hesitate to remind that Liverpool are currently four points behind the league leaders. And it's "just" five points; errors against Sunderland, Stoke, and Fulham didn't ultimately change the result thanks to Liverpool's firepower in attack.

Almost regardless of where Liverpool finish this season – hate to be the bearer of bad news, guys, but I still don't think the title's happening – I'm fairly certain we're going to look back and rue those mistakes, wondering what might have been if not for injuries, idiocy, and a lack of defensive depth.

Liverpool at Fulham 02.12.14

3pm ET, live in the US on NBC Sports Live Extra

Last four head-to-head:
4-0 Liverpool (h) 11.09.13
3-1 Liverpool (a) 05.12.13
4-0 Liverpool (h) 12.22.12
0-1 Fulham (h) 05.01.12

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 5-1 Arsenal (h); 1-1 West Brom (a); 4-0 Everton (h)
Fulham: 2-2 United (a); 0-1 Sheffield Utd aet (h); 0-3 Southampton (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Suarez 23; Sturridge 15; Gerrard 6; Sterling 6; Skrtel 4; Coutinho 2; Agger, Flanagan, Henderson, Moses, Sakho 1
Fulham: Sidwell 6; Berbatov 4; Bent, Kasami 3; Parker 2; Dejagah, Kacaniklic, Richardson, Ruiz, Senderos 1

Referee: Phil Dowd

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Flanagan Skrtel Toure Cissokho
Gerrard
Henderson Coutinho
Sterling Suarez Sturridge

Aside from an unlikely return for either Agger or Johnson, both finally back in training, it's again hard to see any changes to the Liverpool XI. Joe Allen could come in for Coutinho, or even Henderson – who fractured his wrist against Arsenal – as suggested prior to Arsenal, but neither of those players deserve to be dropped on form.

Which means we're back to the "home v away form" concern for this XI and formation. What worked so well against Arsenal and Everton – conceding possession, pressing, counter-attacking – didn't work very well agains the likes of West Brom. Or Villa, for that matter, even after Liverpool altered the overly attacking first half formation.

Fulham doesn't have the midfield behemoths that West Brom had; Mulumbu and Yacob were at their club-swinging Neanderthalic best against Liverpool nine days ago. But against lesser opposition, this XI seemed caught in two minds: between pressing its attacking advantage and playing the counter-attack game that's suited them so well of late.

As Noel from Liverpool Offside wrote yesterday, Gerrard's at the center of it, outstanding against Arsenal and Everton, but not so much against Stoke, Villa, Bournemouth, or West Brom. He's been a microcosm of the team performance, trying to live in both worlds: initially sticking to the role required against Arsenal and Everton, but increasingly trying the glorious, trying to dictate play, when Liverpool have struggled to put them to the sword. Similar has been the case for Coutinho. The opposition drops back and defends deep, so Suarez and Sturridge push forward more, Gerrard and Coutinho push forward more, Henderson continues to run around because Henderson runs around, and then gaps open up, and then Liverpool does something stupid.

Needless to say, solving this issue will be the biggest concern. It's an issue that'll reoccur in the future, with trips to Cardiff, West Ham, and Palace, among others, to come. Liverpool are still trying to find that balance, a balance they've been looking for all season long. Injuries have dictated both tactics and formation for long stretches this season, and will continue to do so, but we still don't know Liverpool's best XI or best formation, no matter the opposition.

But let's not mince words. Fulham have been terrible this season, and are propping up the table for good reason. The most losses in the division. The worst goal difference in the division. The fourth fewest goals scored, with a couple more than Palace, Norwich, and Cardiff. They've conceded 55 goals in 25 matches – an average of 2.2 per game – which is 11 more than any other side.

Fulham were also one of the busiest over the January transfer window, allowing Berbatov, Brian Ruiz, Hughes, Taarabt, and Senderos to leave, bringing in Holtby (on loan), Mitroglou, Heitinga, Kvist, Dempsey, and two ex-United youngsters in Tunnicliffe and Larnell Cole.

Mitroglou didn't play against United – he *should* be fit enough to start tomorrow – but Heitinga, Kvist, and Tunnicliffe started, with Cole coming off the bench for the final 10 minutes. There's been a lot of turnover lately, and Meulensteen is unsurprisingly experimenting in the hopes of turning Fulham's season around. So, your guess is as good as mine for the Cottagers' XI tomorrow.

It'll almost certainly be some version of 4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1, as that's the formation both Meulensteen and Jol have used all season long. The back five at least seems likely to stay the same: Stekelenberg, Riether, Heitinga, Burn, Riise. Maybe Richardson drops into Riise's position, while it'd be strange to see Hangeland left out in consecutive matches, but Dan Burn was excellent against United and starting two tall, slow-ish players against Sturridge, Suarez, and Sterling seems a bad idea. Sidwell and Holtby will start in midfield, joined by either Parker or Kvist. The flanks? It could be any from Richardson, Tunnicliffe, Duff, Kasami, Kacaniklic, Dejagah, Dempsey, and Cole. Up front? Mitroglou if fit; if not, probably Bent but maybe Tankovic again.

This seems the archetypal trap game. Just as the trip to West Brom was. Just as the trip to Hull was after the encouraging 3-3 draw at Everton, just as hosting Villa was after scoring five at Stoke.

Liverpool sent out a warning to the rest of the league in those first 20 minutes against Arsenal on Saturday. But those performances don't happen often, even from the best sides in history. However, when this Liverpool becomes consistent – not hitting Saturday's heights, just able to perform week in and week out – then the rest of league will actually heed that warning.

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Meta: As with Norwich (and a couple other matches this season), I'll be working during the match. So, as with Norwich, most likely no match review. It'll be combined with Thursday's match infographic. Stupid weekday fixtures.

Visualized: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Previous Match Infographics: Arsenal (a), West Brom (h), Newcastle (a), Crystal Palace (h), Sunderland (a), Southampton (h), Swansea (a), Manchester United (h), Aston Villa (a), Stoke (h)

As always, match data from Stats Zone and Squawka.


As mentioned in the match review, it was a match for high-water marks. The most passes attempted and completed, both in total and in the attacking third, under Rodgers. The third highest passing accuracy – 89.6% – bettered in just the two matches against Norwich (90.1% and 90.3%), and the second highest possession average, behind the 1-3 loss against Villa. The second-most shots Liverpool have taken, behind only 35 in the 5-0 win against Swansea. The second-fewest shots allowed, again behind the 5-0 win against Swansea, but it was also the only match where Liverpool's allowed just one shot on target. And it was from outside the box, easily saved by Mignolet with the Belgian barely having to put down his martini and get out of his lawn chair.

a team has had a shot differential of +28 or more on 6 occasions in the last 5,000 Premiership games #LFC #FFC @DanKennett @benjaminpugsley

— James Grayson (@JamesWGrayson) November 9, 2013

Oof. Liverpool are responsible for two of those six: Saturday against Fulham, and last season against Swansea.

Pretty much everything went Liverpool's way, but two facets stood out. First, the importance of an early goal. Liverpool have played 49 league matches since Rodgers took over. When Liverpool score first, Liverpool's record is 21W-3D-2L. It's 2W-12D-9L when Liverpool don't score first, whether conceding an opener or playing out a 0-0 draw (there have been five of those). And if Liverpool's opener comes in the first half, their record is 20W-3D-1L, with the lone loss at Stoke after Gerrard's 2nd minute penalty.

All four of Liverpool's open play shots before the first goal came from outside the box, demonstrating that Fulham's game plan at least kinda sorta worked, for a little while. That deep defense at least forced Liverpool into shooting from marginal positions; after all, only one of Liverpool's 32 shots came from inside the six-yard box. Too bad Fulham's set play defense foiled that strategy. Agger's 1st-minute chance came from a corner, then came Liverpool's opener from a free kick, swiftly followed by a second from a corner. Those goals opened up the game, opened up just enough space for Suarez to conjure a third ten minutes later and a fourth soon after halftime. From 4.4 minutes per shot before the opener to 1.63 shots per minute between Liverpool's first goal and Liverpool's fourth.

Set plays broke the dam wide open. Compare Saturday with Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Newcastle. Liverpool wasted four free headers on set plays – Suarez, Skrtel, Sakho and Toure – between the 20th and 33rd minutes. Had Liverpool taken one of those four chances, especially if it was one of the two which occurred before Cabaye's opener, that match would have played out in a very different manner, a manner which probably wouldn't have led to two points dropped.

The second stand-out was Liverpool's right flank. Johnson and Henderson overwhelmed Richardson and Kacaniklic (then Kasami after halftime). Liverpool heavily targeted that flank, with 47% of its attacks on that third of the pitch, compared to 30% centrally and 23% down the left (via Who Scored). Liverpool often tilt to that side, whether Johnson's playing or not, but Saturday saw the highest discrepancy of the season so far. Johnson to Henderson and Henderson to Johnson were Liverpool's most-frequent pass combinations by some distance; Johnson attempted and completed more passes than any fullback in a single match under Rodgers. 10 of Fulham's 14 unsuccessful tackles were on the right half of the attacking third, and 16 of Liverpool's 24 created chances were from that side of the pitch, although that total includes three corners and the free kick leading to Fulham's own goal.

Cissokho's anonymity widened that gap, but it's comforting to see Enrique complete more passes in 30 minutes than the Frenchman did in 60. For all his faults, he'll ensure that Liverpool aren't always so one-sided. Not that it matters much when Liverpool's one side is so potent, against a side that's almost wholly impotent.

Johnson makes a massive difference to Liverpool's attacking prowess, especially in matches where Liverpool pour forward at will, but credit to Henderson as well, arguably the man of the match while playing on the right of a 4-2-2-2, with his second-highest passing total under Rodgers despite starting out wide, creating more chances than any player but Suarez, tallying a wonderful assist for Liverpool's third, and pressing Richardson into the mistake that led to Liverpool's fourth.

Liverpool's formation was most easily described as 4-2-2-2, but Henderson and Coutinho are hardly wide players. Both cut inside early and often, allowing Liverpool to overwhelm Fulham's midfield, retain near-constant possession, and make space for the fullback(s) bombing forward. They dragged defenders out of position, creating room for the more-than-mobile Suarez and Sturridge to operate. It might not be the formation of choice when Liverpool faces stronger opposition, but it worked incredibly well against Saturday's opposition.



But yes, Fulham made it fairly easy for Liverpool, barely attacking when the score was level, easily breached on two set plays, then sitting back in half-hearted damage control once Liverpool assumed an unassailable lead. None of Fulham's tackles and just one of their interceptions – barely – came in Liverpool's half, allowing Mignolet to complete 16 of 18 passes. Not every side can press like Southampton, Swansea, or Arsenal, but Fulham didn't even try. Liverpool still have a fair few flaws, but cutting open a packed parked bus defense usually hasn't been one of them since Sturridge and Coutinho signed.

Meanwhile, eight of Liverpool's 25 tackles – including one from Henderson which led to the fourth goal – and four of Liverpool's 13 interceptions came in Fulham's half, many of them on that crucial right flank. Pressing makes a massive difference, whether it's early in the match when the scores are level or when you're already three up in the 54th minute. This Liverpool front six, to a man, can be very, very good at it.

Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Goals:
Amorebieta OG 23'
Skrtel 26'
Suarez 36' 54'

Liverpool are really good at really beating really bad teams. But that's not been a problem for nearly a year now.

Rodgers retained the formation that finished the match at Arsenal while restoring Daniel Agger to the side. And Liverpool dominated from the opening whistle; Johnson, fit again after missing last week's match, was especially dominant down the right flank. But despite comprehensive Liverpool possession, Fulham did well to limit Liverpool's chances from open play, parked deep and determined in its defensive third. Too bad that resilience didn't extend to set plays.

Liverpool nearly scored with its first corner, with Agger volleying over from six yards within a minute. Then, Liverpool opened the scoring with its first free kick in the attacking third, as Amorebieta redirected Suarez's header from Gerrard's delivery. Three minutes after that, Liverpool scored with its second corner, as Skrtel easily avoided Amorebieta's "defending" for a bullet free header. Set plays are important. Being good at set plays is really important, and for all the complaints we've had about Gerrard when Liverpool has disappointed this season, his deliveries from set plays are as good as ever, if not the best they've ever been.

And that's all folks. Liverpool weren't throwing away an early two-goal lead, not against this opposition. Cue fat lady, drop curtain, pick your scoreline. Suarez added a third in the 36th, finishing Henderson's wonderful throughball with aplomb, then the fourth after pressing in Fulham's half led to a turnover and Gerrard's throughball in the 54th, his seventh and eighth goals this season. I shouldn't be amazed by Luis Suarez anymore, but I'm amazed that he's joint-top scorer despite missing the first five league matches. If there's any justice in the world, the dubious goals panel will give him consecutive hat-tricks at Anfield whenever they next meet.

From there, Liverpool simply smothered the match into oblivion, retaining possession until an opportunity presented itself, but annoyingly spurning those opportunities for a fifth, sixth, or seventh. Liverpool's comfort allowed Rodgers to make encouraging substitutions, finding 30 minutes for the much-missed Enrique, bringing on Allen for Gerrard with more than 10 minutes to play, and resting Sturridge for Moses with the striker likely to start both of England friendlies over the next two weeks.

There really is no exaggerating how bad Fulham were.



32 shots is Liverpool's second-highest total under Rodgers, behind the 35 taken in the 5-0 against Swansea last season, and the most taken in a Premier League match this season. Only Liverpool's errant shooting (as well as Mike Jones ignoring three potential penalties) prevented a larger scoreline, putting just 31% of its shots on target after averaging 40% through its first 10 matches. Coutinho was especially profligate, taking nine shots – another high for the season – but only putting four efforts on target, three of which were easy saves. Which is marginally understandable for a player making his first start in nearly two months. Like against Arsenal, he's clearly a bit off match sharpness, but still able to demonstrate the threat in those boots.

Today also saw the most passes Liverpool have attempted or completed under Rodgers, both in total and in the attacking third. Only both matches against Norwich last season came close, the only two matches where Liverpool have had a higher pass accuracy. 68.5% possession is the second-highest under Rodgers, behind 72.1% against Aston Villa last season – a match, I hesitate to remind, that Liverpool lost 1-3.

Liverpool looked impressive reverting to four at the back. The midfield was untroubled, while Johnson's return made a massive difference to Liverpool's effectiveness out wide, combining excellently with Henderson. Agger's ability on the ball improved Liverpool's ability to play out from the back, although Fulham barely bothered to stop Liverpool from building attacks in its own half. Conversely, Liverpool's pressing, especially from Henderson and Coutinho but often joined by Lucas and Gerrard, disjointed Fulham both in the first half and when Liverpool were supremely comfortable after scoring the fourth, most notably on Liverpool's fourth goal. But Liverpool's midfield was never remotely threatened by the Sidwell/Parker duo, exacerbated by playing Kacaniklic – usually a winger – in the hole behind Berbatov, then bringing on the wholly invisible Bryan Ruiz for him at halftime.

Yeah, Fulham were indescribably ineffective, indescribably awful. This was the sort of match that gets a manager fired.

So it's hard to gauge just how good this XI or this formation will look against even marginally competent opposition, let alone Liverpool's competition for Champions League places. But that's a worry for the future. You can only beat what's in front of you, and Liverpool certainly did that today, ensuring they'll go into yet another international break in second place.

Liverpool v Fulham 11.07.13

10am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports Live Extra

Last four head-to-head:
3-1 Liverpool (a) 05.12.13
4-0 Liverpool (h) 12.22.12
0-1 Fulham (h) 05.01.12
0-1 Fulham (a) 12.05.11

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-2 Arsenal (a); 4-1 West Brom (h); 2-2 Newcastle (a)
Fulham: 1-3 United (h); 3-4 Leicester (a); 0-2 Southampton (a)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Sturridge 8; Suarez 6; Gerrard 2; Moses 1
Fulham: Bent, Kasami, Sidwell 2; Berbatov, Kacaniklic, Ruiz, Senderos 1

Referee: Mike "Beachball" Jones

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Johnson Skrtel Sakho Cissokho
Gerrard Lucas Henderson
Coutinho
Sturridge Suarez

So, now that Coutinho's fit enough to start, how will Liverpool line up?

The goal seems simple: get the best out of Liverpool's best players. That's why the 3-5-2 made sense, even if Liverpool's midfield often looked less stable than a towering house of cards. Whatever formation is chosen, Suarez and Sturridge seemingly have to stay partnered up top. Which means that there are two probable options. Either Coutinho slots in where Moses played when Liverpool were more a 3-4-1-2 than 3-1-4-2, or one of the three center-backs makes way for a 4-3-1-2/4-4-2 diamond.

At the least, it'll be nice to see Liverpool with one, maybe even two of its first-choice fullbacks. Johnson is available after missing last week with an infection, while Enrique is back in training and may be available after missing the last three league matches with a knee injury. It's no exaggeration to suggest that Liverpool's first-choice fullbacks are often essential to Liverpool playing well. Last week's match at Arsenal, despite the strength of the opposition, demonstrated that fairly well. Since Rodgers took over, Liverpool have averaged 1.87 points per match when Enrique starts and 1.76 points per match when Johnson starts. When Johnson doesn't start, it's 1.29 points per match; when Enrique doesn't start, it's 1.35 points per match.

Despite all the clamor earlier in the week, it appears Gerrard will also start despite picking up a hip knock against Arsenal. Which means that Liverpool's midfield – much to the chagrin of many – will most likely remain unchanged. There are obviously valid arguments for leaving out one of Gerrard or Lucas. Would I like to see Gerrard rested for some combination of Henderson-Allen-Lucas? Sure. But I doubt it'll happen, and, to be fair, the system's worked fairly well against sides that Liverpool's expected to beat: Sunderland, Palace, West Brom. Fulham should fall into the same category.

And for all the 3-5-2's faults, the system has gotten the best out of Suarez and Sturridge, last week's loss at Arsenal exempted. That's no small matter. If Rodgers wants to retain that system, there's seemingly an easy way to do so, especially if Enrique's still absent. Henderson on the right, Johnson on the left, Lucas and Gerrard as central midfielders, and Coutinho in the hole. The Brazilian should be much better after a week of training than he was against Arsenal: incisive and dangerous, but often over-hitting the crucial pass due to a lack of sharpness.

For the most part, Fulham have been dire away from home this season. Yes, they've won two of five matches, handily beating last-place Palace and squeaking past Sunderland and yes, their three losses came against Newcastle, Chelsea, and Southampton, none of which are easy fixtures. But aside from the 4-1 win at Palace, they've struggled to create chances – good chances, bad chances, any chances – on the road, held scoreless in the three away losses and failing to create a single chance in the most recent at Southampton. They've created the fewest chances of any side in the league so far this season.

Sascha Reither, a very good right back, is suspended for stamping on Januzaj in Fulham's last match, while Hangeland, Rodallega, and Briggs will miss out through injury. Their expected XI is most likely Stekelenberg; Hughes, Senderos, Amorebieta, Richardson; Sidwell, Parker; Dejagah, Ruiz, Kasami; Berbatov.

Fulham could start with both Bent and Berbatov up front, shifting Ruiz to the flank with one of Kasami/Dejagah/Kacaniklic on the other side, but I expect Jol will be more conservative away from Craven Cottage. As per usual, Liverpool will be most threatened by the opposition's counter-attacks, with the wingers and Ruiz capable of breaking quickly and carrying the ball at their feet, while Berbatov's perpetually capable of languidly conjuring rabbits from his hat.

But both Sidwell and Parker can be drawn out of position, typically charging around the middle third in search of the ball. You know, quintessential English midfielders. Both Senderos and Richardson are guilty of switching off and committing errors. Berbatov and Bent go missing; Dejagah, Kacaniklic, Taarabt, and Kasami are only inconsistently brilliant. Fulham frustratingly foiled Dalglish's 2011-12 side, but Rodgers' Liverpool outgunned them in both meetings last season thanks to Suarez in the first meeting and Sturridge in the second.

This is a match that Liverpool should win, no matter the formation, no matter the personnel. Liverpool have earned their deserved reputation as flat-track bullies over the last year or so. And coming off a loss to Arsenal and with trips to Everton, Tottenham, City, and Chelsea in the next six weeks (after yet another international break), it's a match that Liverpool very much need to win.

No pressure, then.

Visualized: Liverpool 3-1 Fulham

Previous Match Infographics: Manchester City (h), Arsenal (h), Manchester United (h), Norwich (a), Stoke (h), Reading (h), Everton (a), Newcastle (h), Chelsea (a), Wigan (h), Swansea (a), Tottenham (a), Southampton (h), West Ham (a), Aston Villa (h), Fulham (h), Stoke (a), QPR (a), Sunderland (h), Manchester United (a), Norwich (h), Arsenal (a), Manchester City (a), West Brom (h), Swansea (h), Wigan (a), Tottenham (h), Southampton (a), Aston Villa (a), West Ham (h), Reading (a), Chelsea (h), Newcastle (a), Everton (h)

As always, match data from Stats Zone and Squawka.



Liverpool have completed more than 475 passes just two other times since completing 627 in the 5-0 win against Norwich on January 19 (Sturridge's first league start): 480 in the 5-0 against Swansea and 491 in the 0-0 against West Ham. Yesterday also saw Liverpool's highest passing average since that match against Norwich, completing 87.7% of their passes at Fulham.

In the 22 matches before Sturridge's first league start, Liverpool averaged 527 attempted passes and 449 completed passes per match, for an 85.2% success rate. In the 15 matches since, that average has dropped to 506 attempted passes, 416 completed, and a success rate of 82.2%. And in the 11 matches since Coutinho's first league start, it's an average of 499 attempted passes, 406 completed passes, and an 81.4% success rate. Liverpool have become a more direct side as the season's gone on, pushed further along that path by the two massively influential January signings.

Incidentally, Liverpool's goals per game average over the first 22 matches was 1.59, averaging 1.41 points per game. In the last 15, it's 2.33 goals per game and 1.8 points per game. Liverpool are often a better side when they're a more direct side. It's probably not coincidence that none of Liverpool's three goals yesterday featured more than two passes. Both of Liverpool's assists came from long passes inside its own half, from Wisdom and Coutinho, while the second goal started with a Johnson long ball from Liverpool's half which Coutinho picked up after Hangeland won the aerial duel.

Liverpool attempted and completed a similar number of passes in the first and second halves, but the type and position of the attacking third passes helps demonstrate the difference in style brought about by the change from 3-6-1 to the more familiar 4-2-3-1. Liverpool weren't restricted to the flanks like they were in the first half, completing more passes in the middle of the pitch and penalty box, creating five chances in the first half and nine in the second. The difference in the quality of those chances is also evident from where the shots took place; not only did Liverpool take more than twice as many shots, but they took them closer to goal, where there's often a better chance of scoring.

The change in formation also brought Sturridge into the match. Despite his excellently taken opening goal, he struggled to get on the ball in the first half, but was much more influential in the second, evident in both passes attempted and passes received.

Of course, it shouldn't be surprising that Liverpool, as well as individual players, played better and looked more comfortable in the more familiar system.

Liverpool 3-1 Fulham

Goals:
Berbatov 33'
Sturridge 36' 62' 85'

An unfamiliar formation, lined up in a 3-6-1, and an end-of-season tempo led to Liverpool passing and possession without reward for the first half an hour, an unwelcome reminder of the toothlessness which was all too frequent at the start of the season.

That ended up leading to a Fulham goal against the run of play, another all-too-common occurrence which Liverpool's done well to avoid in recent months. Liverpool still struggle with crosses at the best of times, and when an arguably offside overlapping Sascha Riether was left open by Downing and Henderson, he placed a perfect ball in for Berbatov to nod home, finding space between Wisdom and Carragher with the latter waving for an offside flag that didn't come.

Déjà vu all over again. But déjà vu which didn't last long thanks to Daniel Sturridge. Fulham fans were still celebrating Berbatov's strike when Sturridge deftly controlled Wisdom's ball over the top, danced around Aaron Hughes, and rammed a shot over Schwarzer into the roof of the net. It was more proof that Liverpool's frequently more potent when Liverpool are more direct rather than ponderously trying to pass throw the defense. Which, to Rodgers' credit, is a lesson he's learned over the last few months. Fulham's opener was its first lead in 573 minutes of football. And it lasted all of three minutes.

The rest of the half saw similar to the opening half an hour, highlighted by another Fulham chance from another Riether cross, this time well defended by Wisdom, with Berbatov unable to get a shot on goal after getting in front of the young center-back.

Also to Rodgers' credit, he made a halftime change which markedly improved the side. Enrique replaced Wisdom – who hadn't done poorly – switching back to the default 4-2-3-1 formation with Downing returning to the right wing and Henderson alongside Lucas. And it nearly paid dividends immediately, as Enrique charged down the flank and crossed for Sturridge, who out-jumped Emanuelson but could only sky his free header straight up.

The tactical change completely changed the game, and Liverpool were well on top. The away side were finally able to get multiple players into the box; Coutinho was much more influential, combining well with Sturridge. The striker set up Brazilian's blast in the box, blocked by Hughes, with Shelvey heading the rebound narrowly wide, followed swiftly by a buccaneering run by Johnson around three defenders before a fourth luckily cut out the full-back's cutback. It seemed a matter of time before Liverpool got the go-ahead goal.

Of course, because it's still Liverpool's, they didn't make it easy on themselves. And then we saw the fine margins which separate victory from defeat, and the kind of decisions which make those margins. Fulham could have easily won a penalty on the hour when Ruiz crossed off Lucas' arm from a yard out after Liverpool couldn't clear a corner, waved away by Halsey for ball to hand. It was one of those "seem 'em given," especially when it's Liverpool. A minute later, Fulham should have won a free kick just outside the box when Coates apparently fouled Ruiz on the break, again waved off.

And then, just like that, Liverpool were ahead. A slalom counter down the pitch, Coutinho's slipping shot deflected straight into the path of a just-onside Sturridge, perfectly placed around Schwarzer from eight yards out. It's better to be lucky than good, and it's even better to be lucky and good.

Because, no matter that fortune, Liverpool again refused to make things easy for themselves, as the away side seemed determined to wasted multiple chances by inches. Liverpool could have scored the third goal five times over in the 20 minutes after taking the lead. Sturridge almost immediately got his hat-trick, squandering what looked his easiest chance after robbing Hangeland but then selfishly shooting straight at Fulham's keeper. Five minutes later, thinking only of that possible hat-trick, he again has an effort saved by Schwarzer with both Shelvey and Coutinho open for a tap-in. Shelvey slipped when shooting after controlling Downing's fierce early cross, deflected just wide of the near post with the rest of the goal gaping. Borini soon replaced Shelvey, but in the space of a minute, cannoned a shot off the woodwork after cutting inside from the left, then saw Schwarzer make another excellent save after Sturridge's back heel put him through on goal.

Last season, Fulham would have punished Liverpool's profligacy as so many other sides did. And they almost did today if not for Reina's heroics. Fine margins, and all. First, Reina parried Berbatov's shot after Henderson unbelievably passed the ball straight to him in Liverpool's half. His save from the resulting corner was even better – yes, Liverpool nearly conceded from a corner – somehow tipping Hughes' header around the post. And in the 84th minute, Riise, on as a substitute, was allowed a free kick from 25 yards out, rocketing a shot under the wall that Reina coolly smothered.

But a minute after that, Liverpool finally got that third, and Sturridge got his hat-trick: another incredible throughball from Coutinho, this one chipped with the outside of his foot, with Sturridge beating Schwarzer to the ball and chipping over the on-rushing keeper to nestle into the net. Game over, and with all the last season déjà vu exorcised.

Today saw the peaks and valleys that Daniel Sturridge provides. All three of his goals were outstanding, taken with both his left and right feet. He took seven shots and put five of them on target. He's the fastest to 10 Premiership goals in Liverpool history, needing just 13 games to reach the mark; it took both Torres and Fowler 18. He also cleverly set up outstanding openings for Borini and Downing thanks to smart back-heels when Liverpool were pushing for the needed third.

But he was anonymous until his opening goal – which we can partly blame on the unfamiliar formation – only noticed for wasting an excellent chance in the 26th. And there were those squandered opportunities after scoring his first then second goals. Still, if he's scoring those goals, tallying hat-tricks, not-quite-but-still-kinda winning matches singlehandedly, then it's easy to forgive the selfishness and the misses.

Of course, Liverpool's other January addition played a starring role, again the creative hub, again providing the assists – his fifth and sixth in 10 matches. No player created more chances, no player made more successful attacking third passes, and, surprisingly, no player made more tackles. And some credit goes to Rodgers for making the needed halftime changes, especially in bringing on Enrique, who vastly improved Liverpool's defense.

Today's win is Liverpool's fourth comeback win in the league after conceding the first goal, the third in the last two months. They had just one last season: a 3-1 win over Newcastle at the end of December. And it's the first time this season that Liverpool have won a league game by two goals. Liverpool not only showed the fortitude and resiliency needed to overhaul a setback, helped by mid-game tactical changes, they won a narrow game, scoring the crucial goal to seal the victory in the final minutes rather than hanging on by fingernails.

That's not happened often enough this season. We've rightfully gloated in romps over lesser opponents, the 3-0s, 4-0s, 5-0s, 5-2s, and 6-0s. Today's three points admittedly don't mean anything to Liverpool's league position, but the way those three points were earned mean very much to Liverpool's confidence and progression going forward.

Liverpool at Fulham 05.12.13

10am ET, not live on TV in the US. Delayed on FSC at 2:30pm, but otherwise, streams.

Last four head-to-head:
4-0 Liverpool (h) 12.22.12
0-1 Fulham (h) 05.01.12
0-1 Fulham (a) 12.05.11
5-2 Liverpool (a) 05.09.11

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 0-0 Everton (h); 6-0 Newcastle (a); 2-2 Chelsea (h)
Fulham: 2-4 Reading (h); 0-1 Everton (a); 0-1 Arsenal (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Suarez 23; Gerrard 9; Sturridge 7; Henderson 5; Agger, Downing 3; Coutinho, Enrique, Skrtel, Sterling 2; Borini, Cole, Johnson, Şahin 1
Fulham: Berbatov 13; Ruiz 5; Sidwell 4; Duff, Kacaniklic, Rodallega 3; Baird 2; Karagounis, Richardson, Riether 1

Referee: Mark Halsey

Guess at a line-up:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Carragher Enrique
Henderson Lucas
Downing Coutinho Borini
Sturridge

At the least, Liverpool will be replacing at least two near ever-present starters for the next two matches. By now, I assume you've read that both Gerrard and Agger have been shut down for the season, the former now the third Liverpool player to undergo shoulder surgery this season, the latter receiving "proactive back injections."

Agger will seemingly be replaced by Skrtel or Coates, and probably by the former. Skrtel's hardly featured since Carragher's return to the XI; his only starts since January were in losses at Zenit and Southampton, plus a 10-minute substitute appearance in last week's derby. But Coates hasn't been seen at all since the 2-3 loss to Oldham in the FA at the end of January. The last time Skrtel started a match that Liverpool won was on January 2, when Liverpool beat Sunderland 3-0. The last time Coates started a match that Liverpool won was the 2-1 FA Cup victory at Mansfield Town four days later. It's been a while.

There also appear to be two options for replacing Gerrard: either Henderson or Shelvey starts with Lucas in midfield. The official site hints that it'll be Shelvey, which would see Liverpool most likely keep the same front four, although Borini could possibly replace Henderson as well. The other options are Henderson in Gerrard's role, with Borini taking his left-sided berth, or with Shelvey as the central attacking midfielder and Coutinho on the left.

With two quasi-meaningless games to play, Rodgers may make more changes – Suso, Wisdom, Assaidi, maybe even Coady for Lucas – to give the young and/or out-of-favor more playing time, but I'd be surprised if Rodgers went that route. Liverpool are still building a side, building a style, and two end-of-season quasi-meaningless games will still help them accomplish that. If handled correctly. It's one thing to allow crucial players needed surgery/treatment with the season basically over, but wholesale lineup changes are quite another entirely.

Fulham are winless in their last six matches, with five losses and a draw. The two goals tallied in the last Saturday's home defeat against to Reading were the club's first goals in more than 300 minutes of football, previously held scoreless in losses to Everton, Arsenal, and Chelsea. Losses which have made them one of three teams to lose four Premier League matches in a row this season, along with Norwich in December and Reading on two separate occasions.

Karagounis and Petric are doubtful, Davies, Dejagah, and Diarra are out injured, and Sidwell is suspended. Given Fulham's problems in central midfield, Karagounis will probably start if at all possible, but if not, it seemingly will have to be Emmanuel Frimpong who partners Eyong Enoh, who's on loan from Ajax. In a pinch, Kieran Richardson can also play in central midfield, but he hasn't started in that position since… Liverpool beat Fulham 4-0 in December. Chris Baird also started in midfield in the reverse fixture, but he hasn't played since February 23, and has signed a pre-contract agreement with West Brom to join them after the season.

Which makes Fulham's most likely XI Schwarzer; Riether, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise; Enoh, Karagounis; Emanuelson, Ruiz, Kacaniklic; Berbatov. As mentioned above, Frimpong, Richardson, or possibly Baird could start in place of Karagounis if need be, while Duff could feature on the flank rather than Emanuelson or Kacaniklic, although the latter two have started more matches recently. Incidentally, two of those suspected starters are ex-Liverpool players: John Arse Riise (I wanna know…) and Alex Kacaniklic. Which always makes me nervous.

We're finally in the home stretch. There are just two matches left in this roller coaster season, where Liverpool struggled at the start and continue to struggle against the top sides, but have also shown massive improvement in both scoring goals and beating teams below them in the table. All season long, we've seen incremental progress. Too incremental in some cases, but progress all the same. No matter how unimportant the next two matches appear, Liverpool still need to finish as strongly as possible to help cement that progress going into next season. A match against as side gasping for air as the season ends, followed by a final match against the side currently in 20th place, seems a good way to do so.

Visualized: Liverpool 4-0 Fulham

Previous Match Infographics: Manchester City (h), Arsenal (h), Manchester United (h), Norwich (a), Stoke (h), Reading (h), Everton (a), Newcastle (h), Chelsea (a), Wigan (h), Swansea (a), Tottenham (a), Southampton (h), West Ham (a); Aston Villa (h)

As always, match data from Stats Zone and Squawka.



Unsurprisingly, Liverpool's passing totals were typical. Since beating Wigan, when Liverpool attempted "just" 418 passes (completing 353), Liverpool have attempted between 533 and 564 passes in the six matches, completing between 455 and 496. Whether losing to Villa or Spurs or beating West Ham and Southampton, Liverpool's passing totals and accuracy have remained fairly consistent, within that narrow range. The win over Wigan and draw against Everton were the only matches where Liverpool have attempted fewer than 450 passes.

One difference stood out. Compare Reina's passing against Fulham to that against Villa last week. It's a small sample size, assuredly with other variables, but when Reina has time to distribute from the back, Liverpool's results have been vastly improved. Liverpool have 4W-1D-1L when Reina completes 20 or more passes. When Reina completes fewer than 20 passes, Liverpool's record is 1W-3D-4L. Incidentally, Jones never completed more than 14 passes in the four league matches he started (three draws, one win). Reina's shot-stopping has been problematic (to say the least) this season, but his distribution remains excellent, crucial to the way Liverpool want to play.

Downing is just the fifth Liverpool player to register five chances created in a league match this season, along with Gerrard, Suarez, Sterling, and Johnson. Johnson did it against Southampton; Sterling against Reading; Gerrard against Fulham, Southampton, Swansea, Norwich, and Arsenal; and Suarez against Fulham, Newcastle, and Reading. Saturday was the first time that three Liverpool players created five or more chances in a single; while Liverpool have become known for spurning scoring opportunities, it'd be pretty amazing if Liverpool created 15 chances through three players and still somehow failed to win. All season long, we've said that as Gerrard and Suarez go, so go Liverpool. But if a third player can step up in attack – whether Downing, Sterling, or Johnson – Liverpool's odds drastically improve.

Just six of Liverpool's 23 shots came from outside the box. Against Villa, it was 14 of 29, with only one on target. Similar goes for a fair few of Liverpool's earlier disappointing draws: 12 of 23 against Newcastle (one on target), eight of 18 against Stoke (two on target), and 10 of 23 against Sunderland (one on target). Matches like the 5-2 win against Norwich, where Liverpool scored with three of its six shots from outside the box, are the rare, rare exception. Liverpool are infrequently potent, but they're usually more potent when taking shots from inside the penalty area.

In addition, Liverpool scored with its first shot on target, something that's only happened four other times this season: the 2-2 draws against City and Everton, the 5-2 win at Norwich, and the 3-2 win at West Ham. Liverpool scoring early, especially when it's the first shot on target, usually leads to decent results. As said in the match review, Liverpool have scored in the first ten minutes in just three matches this season: the 5-2 at Norwich, 5-3 at Young Boys, and the 4-0 win over Fulham. When goals come very early, goals also seem to come very often.

Saturday's match was just the second time since the start of the 2010-11 season where Liverpool scored from two corners in a single league match; the other was in the 2-0 win at Aston Villa last December. Liverpool also did it against Brighton in the FA Cup last season and Young Boys in the Europa League this season. Suarez's injury time goal was also Liverpool's first short corner goal in nearly a year, since Maxi scored on Boxing Day against Blackburn. And if that one doesn't count – as the short corner was initially cleared, only for Adam to fire a dangerous cross back in – the last short corner to lead to a goal was Ngog against Rabotnicki in September 2010. Needless to say, it's rarely a successful tactic for the Reds.

Finally, it was the first time Liverpool registered more tackles and interceptions than its opponent this season. The opposite is usually the case: Villa, West Ham, Spurs, Southampton, Swansea, Sunderland, United, Arsenal, and West Brom all had more tackles and interceptions. Liverpool had more tackles against Wigan, Reading, Newcastle, and Everton; more interceptions against Norwich, Chelsea, and City. At the same time, nine of 21 tackles and six of 19 interceptions in Fulham's half, demonstrating the effective of Liverpool pressing the opposition.