Fulham vs Liverpool: Prediction, Lineups, Kickoff Time | Premier League 2025/26

On: January 2, 2026 11:37 PM

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Fulham vs Liverpool — Match Preview

A depleted Liverpool side travels to West London on Sunday, 4 January 2026, to face Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Reds, currently 4th with 33 points, are navigating a severe injury crisis—compounded by AFCON departures—that threatens to derail their title bid. Arne Slot’s men were held to a frustrating 0–0 draw by Leeds on New Year’s Day, highlighting their struggle for goals without Mohamed Salah and the injured Alexander Isak. Fulham, sitting 11th with 27 points, are equally hampered by AFCON, losing their Nigerian trio (Bassey, Iwobi, Chukwueze). However, Marco Silva’s side remains tough to beat at the Cottage and will see this as a golden opportunity to take a scalp against a vulnerable top-four contender.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Match Info

Competition: Premier League (Matchday 20)
Venue: Craven Cottage, London (Capacity: 29,589)
Date: Sunday, 4 January 2026
Kickoff: 15:00 GMT | 16:00 CET | 10:00 ET
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (ENG)

Fulham vs Liverpool — Match Stakes

Fulham (11th — 27 pts):

Win → Moves to 30 pts; potentially climbs into the top 8 and cements a European push.
Draw → Extends unbeaten run; a respectable result given the absences.
Loss → Drops them into the bottom half; momentum stalls after a solid festive period.

Liverpool (4th — 33 pts):

Win → Moves to 36 pts; keeps pressure on Arsenal and Man City in the title race.
Draw → Second consecutive stalemate; risks falling further behind the top 3.
Loss → A crisis result; exposes the squad depth issues and invites Chelsea/Man Utd to close the gap.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Team News

Fulham:

Bassey C. — Out (International Duty – Nigeria)
Iwobi A. — Out (International Duty – Nigeria)
Chukwueze S. — Out (International Duty – Nigeria)
Muniz R. — Out (Hamstring Injury – Top Scorer Missing)
Tete K. — Out (Thigh Injury)
Sessegnon R. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
King J. — Questionable (Knee Injury)
Tactical Shift: With the Nigerian core gone, Marco Silva will likely turn to Harry Wilson and Emile Smith Rowe to provide the creative spark.

Liverpool:

Salah M. — Out (International Duty – Egypt)
Isak A. — Out (Broken Leg – Season-Defining Injury)
Endo W. — Out (Ankle Injury)
Bajcetic S. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
Gomez J. — Out (Injury)
Leoni G. — Out (Knee Injury)
Scanlon C. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
Attack Decimated: Without Salah and Isak, Hugo Ekitike is expected to lead the line, flanked by Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Fulham

01/01 — 1–1 vs Crystal Palace (Premier League)
27/12 — 1–0 vs West Ham (Premier League)
23/12 — 1–0 vs Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
18/12 — 1–2 vs Newcastle (EFL Cup)
13/12 — 3–2 vs Burnley (Premier League)

Liverpool

01/01 — 0–0 vs Leeds United (Premier League)
27/12 — 2–1 vs Wolves (Premier League)
20/12 — 2–1 vs Tottenham (Premier League)
13/12 — 2–0 vs Brighton (Premier League)
10/12 — 1–0 vs Inter Milan (UCL)

Fulham vs Liverpool — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

06/04/2025 — Fulham 3–2 Liverpool (Premier League)
14/12/2024 — Liverpool 2–2 Fulham (Premier League)
21/04/2024 — Fulham 1–3 Liverpool (Premier League)
25/01/2024 — Fulham 1–1 Liverpool (EFL Cup)
11/01/2024 — Liverpool 2–1 Fulham (EFL Cup)

Fulham vs Liverpool — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Fulham (4-2-3-1)

Leno; Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Robinson; Palhinha, Pereira; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Traore; Jimenez

Liverpool (4-3-3)

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones; Diaz, Ekitike, Gakpo

Fulham vs Liverpool — Impact Bench

Fulham: Cairney (Control), Reed (Energy)

Liverpool: Elliott (Creativity), Gravenberch (Drive)

Fulham vs Liverpool — Tactical Analysis

Fulham

Marco Silva faces a headache with his “Nigerian Spine” (Bassey, Iwobi) gone. Calvin Bassey’s absence in defense is huge; Issa Diop must step up against Liverpool’s movement. Fulham will likely sit slightly deeper than usual and look to unleash Adama Traore’s pace against Andy Robertson. Without Rodrigo Muniz, Raul Jimenez’s hold-up play is vital to bringing the midfield runners into the game.

Liverpool

Arne Slot is in damage limitation mode. The loss of Alexander Isak (Broken Leg) removes their focal point, and Salah’s absence removes their reliable goals. Liverpool struggled to break down a low block against Leeds (0–0) and may face similar frustration here. They will rely heavily on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery to bypass the midfield congestion. Expect Mac Allister to play further forward to compensate for the lack of creativity upfront.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Key Battles

Jimenez vs Van Dijk — Physical duel; can Jimenez distract VVD enough to create space?
Palhinha vs Szoboszlai — The tackle machine vs the energy engine.
Traore vs Robertson — Pure pace vs experience; a dangerous matchup for Liverpool.
Leno vs Ekitike — Fulham’s GK against Liverpool’s replacement striker.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Spotlight Players

Fulham — Emile Smith Rowe

With Iwobi gone, “ESR” is now the main creative hub. He needs to find pockets of space between Liverpool’s lines to feed Jimenez or unleash a shot.

Liverpool — Hugo Ekitike

The pressure is immense. With Isak out long-term and Salah in Africa, Ekitike is the main man. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but he needs to deliver goals immediately to keep Liverpool in the title hunt.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Prediction

Fulham 1–1 Liverpool

Both teams are shadows of their full-strength selves due to AFCON and injuries. Liverpool have the quality in defense to keep Fulham quiet, but their attack looks toothless without its superstars. Fulham are stubborn at home and should have enough to grind out a point in a disjointed, low-scoring affair.

Fulham vs Liverpool — Betting Insights

Under 2.5 Goals — High Probability (Missing top scorers on both sides).
Double Chance — Fulham or Draw (Craven Cottage factor + Liverpool injuries).
Draw — Value Bet.