Ex-Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has predicted a one-way victory for Liverpool when they host Fulham at Anfield this weekend. The two teams will lock horns in the Premier League on Sunday, December 3.
Liverpool are third in the standings with 28 points from 13 matches, one behind second-placed Manchester City and two adrift of leaders Arsenal.
They are in a somewhat middling run of form, having won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five matches across competitions.
The Cottagers, meanwhile, are 14th in the table with 15 points from 13 games. They have won twice, drawn once and lost twice in their last five contests in all competitions.
While neither team’s form guide screams consistency, Berbatov hinted that the hosts’ quality could be too much for Fulham on Sunday. The Bulgarian, who scored 56 times for Manchester United between 2008 and 2012 and won two Premier League titles, wrote in his prediction column for Betting.Betfair:
“Liverpool are in third place and two points from the top of the table, so everyone knows they need to keep winning to stay close. Fulham, on the other hand, if they’re not careful, they could be in trouble. For now, they’re finse, but Liverpool will be too much for them. Prediction: 3-1.”
Berbatov notably joined Fulham after leaving United, scoring 20 times in 54 matches across competitions in two years with the team.
Liverpool enter this match on the back of a resounding 4-0 win over LASK in the UEFA Europa League in midweek. Jurgen Klopp’s men drew 1-1 with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in their last Premier League match.
Fulham, meanwhile, beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 in a thrilling league encounter at Craven Cottage last weekend. Prior to that, they suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Aston Villa.
Liverpool and Fulham clashed twice in the Premier League last season. While their first encounter ended in a draw, the Reds registered a narrow victory in the other meeting.
The two teams notably met at Craven Cottage on Matchday 1 of the 2022-23 season back in August last year. Aleksandar Mitrovic, now at Al-Hilal, scored the opener in the 32nd minute, but Darwin Nunez came off the bench to equalize 19 minutes into the second half.
Mitrovic netted again in the 72nd minute, this time from the penalty spot. However, Nunez assisted Mohamed Salah just eight minutes later to ensure an entertaining match ended 2-2.
The reverse fixture at Anfield took place in May this year. Salah scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after Nunez was fouled by Issa Diop.
Liverpool went on to finish the season fifth in the league with 67 points, four adrift of fourth-placed Newcastle United. Fulham, meanwhile, finished a respectable 10th with 52 points.
