Liverpool, fresh off a surprising 2-0 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup, faces Fulham at Anfield. Despite missing key players like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool capitalized on Arsenal's inefficiency and emerged victorious through an own goal by Jakub Kiwior and a injury-time strike by Luis Diaz.
This success adds to Liverpool's pursuit of a quadruple of honors this season, with realistic ambitions in the Premier League and Europa League. They are set to participate in the EFL Cup semi-finals for the 19th time, having eliminated Leicester City, Bournemouth, and West Ham United in previous rounds. Notably, Liverpool has never been defeated in the first leg of a semi-final at home.
Fulham, on the other hand, secured a 1-0 victory against Rotherham United in the FA Cup, with Bobby Decordova-Reid scoring the decisive goal. Despite being considered underdogs, Fulham aims to continue their impressive EFL Cup run, having already defeated Everton in penalties in the quarter-finals.
This semi-final appearance marks a significant moment for Fulham, who have not reached this stage in the competition before. Their previous best was quarter-final exits in 1968, 1971, 2001, and 2005. The Cottagers face a tough challenge against Liverpool, against whom they have lost all five previous EFL Cup clashes, including a recent 4-3 thriller in the Premier League.
If Fulham manages to upset the odds and progress, they will face either Middlesbrough or Chelsea in the showpiece contest. Despite the tough competition, Fulham is determined to make history in this EFL Cup campaign.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Liverpool manager Klopp didn't mince words when discussing Van Dijk's recent illness, bluntly stating that the Dutchman looked terrible during training last week. Fortunately, Van Dijk has recovered and is fit to play this week.However, Klopp faces the setback of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to a knee injury for the next few weeks. Additionally, several key players, including Dominik Szoboszlai, Andrew Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, and Joel Matip, remain sidelined.
Salah and Wataru Endo won't be available for the semi-final due to their commitments in continental competitions. With limited options for changes, Klopp might consider bringing in Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch, and Diogo Jota to freshen up the lineup.
Fulham is also dealing with depleted ranks due to AFCON call-ups. Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, and Fode Ballo-Toure have joined their national teams. However, Ballo-Toure has struggled to find game time. No new injuries surfaced after the Rotherham match, but Adama Traore and Tim Ream missed that game. Only Ream has a slight chance of returning this week.
Silva is likely to reintroduce Bernd Leno, Joao Palhinha, and Raul Jimenez to the starting lineup after they were rested against Rotherham. Former Liverpool player Harry Wilson, with one goal and one assist in this season's EFL Cup, is expected to play a key role in the attack for Fulham.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Jones, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Jota, Nunez, Diaz
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson; Cairney, Palhinha; Wilson, Pereira, Decordova-Reid; Jimenez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 2-1 Fulham
Fulham has demonstrated attacking prowess at Anfield earlier this season, but even in the absence of Salah, Liverpool has enough offensive expertise to gain a slight edge over Fulham, especially with the Cottagers missing two crucial center-backs.
