Reds run riot in Fulham rout

Liverpool couldn’t have responded to defeat at Arsenal in a better way.

Dominant from start to finish, the Reds fired four past the Gunners’ London neighbours Fulham to provide the perfect preparation for their trip to Goodison Park after the international break and leave Cottagers’ manager Martin Jol expecting to receive his P45 imminently.

After Amorebieta’s own goal opened the floodgates, Skrtel and Suarez scored soon after to put Liverpool 3-0 up at the interval. With three points in the bag, it was simply a case of how many the Reds could score in the second period. Suarez bagged his second and the Reds’ fourth ten minutes after the restart, with the only disappointment being his failure to net a second consecutive hat-trick at Anfield.

Reverting to 4-3-3 after Arsenal picked holes in the Merseysiders’ 3-4-1-2 formation in the first half last weekend, Rodgers handed a return to the side to vice-captain Daniel Agger. In midfield, Coutinho operated on the left flank, with Henderson on the opposite side and Lucas and Gerrard occupying the centre of the pitch.

When the game kicked off following a minute’s silence the day before Remembrance Sunday, the hosts began on the front foot and never surrendered their position in the ascendancy. Agger volleyed over, Coutinho shot wide and Suarez saw his strike saved by Stekelenburg before the visitors created anything of note. Their one sight of goal came on the quarter of an hour mark, when an admittedly brilliant cross-field ball from former Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov sparked a counter attack that culminated in Kasami’s shot being deflected behind.

Following a few below-par performances, which had prompted some to call for the skipper to sit out this match, Steven Gerrard was back on form yesterday afternoon and, excluding Luis Suarez from the reckoning, was clearly man of the match. Pinging pinpoint passes across the pitch to open up Fulham’s defence, Gerrard’s deliveries played a crucial role in all four goals.

First, it was his menacing inswinging free kick that Fernando Amorebieta headed into his own net under pressure from Luis Suarez. Then, tall Slovak Martin Skrtel reached the number eight’s accurate right wing corner to power a header home and double the Reds’ lead.

Suarez tries to claim the opening goal

Skrtel scores the second

Coutinho then tested Dutch keeper Stekelenburg twice and Sturridge fired wide, as Liverpool piled on the pressure, before Gerrard was instrumental in setting up the third goal that removed any doubt about the contest’s outcome. After expertly nutmegging the dumbfounded Berbatov, Gerrard magnificently switched play to Henderson. His perfect pass put Suarez through on goal and the Uruguayan, who had to receive special permission to play in this fixture from his national team ahead of their World Cup play-off versus Jordan, made no mistake from close range.

Unlike earlier on in the season, Liverpool didn’t take their foot off the accelerator in the second half. In fact, only two minutes into the second period the Reds should have added a fourth, as Stekelenburg stopped Suarez, made an amazing save from Sturridge’s rebound and then saw the number seven fire over the bar when the ball fell to him in a good position, all in the space of thirty seconds.

It didn’t take long for that fourth to be bagged, though, as Suarez sent a clinical finish into the net after receiving the ball from, you guessed it, Steven Gerrard.

Unfortunately Suarez's prediction of a hat-trick proved inaccurate this time

The final half hour proved to be a mere formality, consisting of Coutinho’s pursuit of a goal and Suarez’s search for a third. Unfortunately, neither achieved their goals despite their best efforts, but overall there was nothing Kopites could complain about after a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of exceptional football from the home side, who returned to second place in the table.

Enjoying over two-thirds of possession and having 32 shots, ten of which were on target, Liverpool’s utter dominance was evidenced by the statistics, although it was also as clear as day to even the most casual of observers. The task facing the Reds now is replicating this display in every home match so that Anfield once again becomes the bastion of invincibility the great Bill Shankly envisaged it as.

YNWA