Liverpool back for more in London

By Zain Alvi | 30th October 2009

Liverpool back for more in London | read this item

Merely three days after their Carling Cup elimination against Arsenal in North London, Rafa’s Reds are back in London for another tough challenge. Following their 2-0 dominance of Manchester United last weekend, the critics were not completely silenced. After all, the Reds still face the challenge of proving their consistency, particularly after their failure to overcome an Arsenal side made up of fringe players.

Nevertheless, manager Rafa Benitez will rely on Fernando Torres to continue scoring the vital goals that have been the saving grace for Liverpool thus far. An early strike from the Spaniard at Craven Cottage should be enough to hand Liverpool the control of the fixture, but once again, it is the entire team’s responsibility to ensure that the hosts are not granted an easy way back into the game.

Speaking of the hosts – Fulham FC - it is obvious that their fortunes at the moment are in sharp contrast to those of Liverpool. The Cottagers do not have to regain momentum the way the Merseysiders do, for Roy Hodgson’s side recently went unbeaten, despite a six-day period where they played three key fixtures. After matching up to the likes of AS Roma and Manchester City, Fulham will now seek to stay on track in a campaign that seems quite promising. Conquering the Reds brought them Premier League survival a couple of seasons ago and doing the same this weekend will once again propel them forward.

Danny Murphy will certainly be the key to Fulham’s hopes of handing their visitors a fresh blow. The midfielder’s terrific form has continued to add credibility to Hodgson’s support for him as the club captain. With the likes of Clint Dempsey and Zoltan Gera providing strong technical support on the wings, Murphy is sure to create at least some problems for Liverpool come the matchday.

On the whole, all the indications suggest that this will be a cracker of a contest – perhaps the best that this weekend has to offer besides the North London derby. With that said, it is strongly recommended that those who have access to the game should certainly tune in to see who emerges victorious – Hodgson’s Cottagers, or Rafa’s Reds.