Barclays Premier League

FT: LIVERPOOL 4 FULHAM 0

Liverpool are up to eighth in the table after brushing aside an abject Fulham side in as one-sided encounter as you are likely to see in the Premier League this season. The Cottagers barely turned up for the first hour, by which time Liverpool had opened up a three-goal lead and were coasting. Martin Skrtel netted the first after only eight minutes, being left unmarked at a corner and finishing with all the aplomb of a centre-forward. Steven Gerrard added a second with a neat finish after 36 minutes following a lovely pass from Stewart Downing, who capped an impressive personal display with a thumping strike for the third six minutes into the second half. Luis Suarez netted a fourth in added time. There were misses aplenty from the home side as well, none worse than the one by Daniel Agger when he somehow managed to lift the ball into the upper tier of the stand from just three yards out. Fulham are in for a long season and it once again looks as though they are going to have to rely on their home form to keep their heads above water.

GOAL: LIVERPOOL 4 FULHAM 0

Luis Suarez puts the seal on a perfect Liverpool display with a fourth with a close-range goal after Enrique sets him up from a short corner.

OFF THE POST

Fulham win a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Rodallega sees a swerving effort strike the outside of the post, via Reina's arm. The best moment of the match for the visitors.

STOPPAGE TIME

There will be a minimum of three minutes of added time.

SUAREZ DENIED

From the resulting free-kick, Suarez manages a shot on target, but Schwarzer makes a comfortable save.

FULHAM BOOKING

Karagounis is cautioned for tripping Sterling on the left edge of the Fulham box.

LIVERPOOL SUBSTITUTION

Liverpool's final switch sees Jamie Carragher replace Lucas.

SHOTS FROM BERBATOV

Berbatov musters a shot on target, but it is straight at Reina, who is rescued by his defence after spilling the ball. Another low shot by the Bulgarian moments later is held by the Liverpool stopper.

SCHWARZER SAVES

From the free-kick, the ball rebounds off Johnson to Gerrard, who sees his low shot hit the legs of Schwarzer. Again, the marking was non-existent. Schwarzer then denies Suarez after a weaving run.

FULHAM BOOKING

Dejagah is shown the yellow card for a mistimed tackle on Enrique. He got away with another scything tackle earlier in the half, so can have no complaints.

PENALTY CLAIMS

Sterling goes down in front of the Kop after contact from Riether. Mr Clattenburg rightly says no penalty, but fails to book the Liverpool man for what looked to be a dive.

LIVERPOOL SUBSTITUTION

Liverpool's second change sees Allen replace Shelvey. The earlier remarks about Sterling's introduction are applicable here, too.

EXPLAIN THE LOGIC

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said before this match that Sterling was in need of a rest. So why bring him on in a game which is already won and where the opposition are barely trying? It doesn't make sense.

LIVERPOOL SUBSTITUTION

Liverpool make their first change, it's Sterling for Suso.

JUST WIDE FROM DOWNING

Downing has looked like a full international today. He beats his man and lashes another crisp strike that is just wide of the angle of post and bar.

JOHNSON SHOOTS WIDE

Johnson collects the ball in an advanced position before skipping past one tackle and seeing his left-foot strike go just the wrong side of the post.

BETTER FROM FULHAM

Let's give Fulham some credit here. They look a far better outfit with two up front. Even Dimitar Berbatov now looks interested.

RARE FULHAM THREAT

Dejagah causes Liverpool some consternation down their left, delivering a cross that Reina beats away with difficulty.

FREI LOOKING LIVELY

Kerim Frei has looked very lively since coming on. So lively, in fact, you wonder why he is wearing a white shirt.

RODALLEGA HEADS OVER

Fulham win a rare corner. Baird delivers from the left and the unmarked Rodallega heads over, though to be fair to him the ball was slightly too high.

OVER FROM SHELVEY

Fulham give the ball way and Liverpool threaten again. Suarez feeds Shelvey, who cuts in on to his right foot and sees his shot deflected over the crossbar.

LIVERPOOL SUBSTITUTION

Fulham make a second change. Kerim Frei comes on for Richardson.

LIVERPOOL BOOKING

Johnson is shown the yellow card for a poor tackle on Richardson. He can have no complaints.

GOAL: LIVERPOOL 3 FULHAM 0

Stewart Downing scores his first Premier League goal for Liverpool, cutting in from the right and drilling a left-foot shot past Schwarzer.

BAD MISS FROM HANGELAND

Downing crosses from the right and Suarez shoots uncharacteristically wide from six yards, his run having gone untracked.

FULHAM SUBSTITUTION

Fulham have made one change at the break, Rodallega replacing Kacaniklic. I bet Martin Jol wishes he could have replaced all 11 after that first-half showing.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Fulham get the second half under way.

HT: LIVERPOOL 2 FULHAM 0

Liverpool are out of sight at the break against a Fulham side who are going to get embroiled in a relegation fight if they keep performing at this level. Martin Skrtel drilled home the opener on eight minutes after being left unmarked at a corner. Steven Gerrard made it two on 36 minutes after an excellent pass from Stewart Downing. It could and should have been more. Daniel Agger shot over an open goal from three yards out and Suso dragged an effort wide when he should have at least hit the target. Fulham? It's been a typical away display from the West Londoners. You could have picked 11 Christmas shoppers out of Harrods this afternoon who would have put on a better display than this.

SAVE FROM SCHWARZER

Suarez is denied by a save from Schwarzer at his near post. Shelvey, meanwhile, is down with a head injury.

SUSO MISSES GLORIOUS CHANCE

Suarez picks out the unmarked Suso, who drags a shot wide from the edge the box. It's a dreadful effort from the Liverpool man, following some amazingly bad marking from Fulham's snoozing backline.

COTTAGE INDUSTRY?

Having seen this apathetic display from Fulham in the first 35 minutes or so, it's incredible to think only four clubs have managed more than their 28 league goals this season.

GOAL: LIVERPOOL 2 FULHAM 0

Steven Gerrard doubles Liverpool's lead, making a run from deep to collect an incisive pass from Downing and slot into the corner past Schwarzer. Game over, without a doubt.

REITHER TO THE RESCUE

Suarez looks to have played in Suso with a delightful reverse pass, but Riether gets back to make an important challenge.

REINA CALLED INTO ACTION

Fulham mount a rare threat. Richardson advances down the centre and his swerving shot dips in front of Reina, who makes an awkward-looking save with his legs.

RONNIE WHO?

The Rosenthal miss for you young-uns who have never seen it before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzK9p6_CCqk

WHAT A MISS FROM AGGER

Daniel Agger manages one of the misses of the season, shooting over the bar from Suarez's cross from three-and-a-half yards. To say the goal was gaping was an understatement. It's Ronnie Rosenthal at Villa Park all over again!

WELL WIDE FROM SUAREZ

Suarez tries his luck from long range, but the effort is well wide of Schwarzer's right-hand upright.

THE OMENS ARE NOT GOOD

Fulham have failed to win in the eight Premier League games this season when they have conceded the opening goal, drawing three and losing five.

RIETHER LIMPING AGAIN

Sascha Reither's hamstring injury is playing him up again. The German looks like he is going to have to go off.

HANGELAND AT FAULT

Looking at the replays, it was Brede Hangeland who was culpable for that Liverpool opener. Not only did he leave his man, but he also clattered into his fellow defender Chris Baird.

DOWNING JUST WIDE

Stewart Downing lets fly with a 25-yarder that Schwarzer pushes into the side-netting. It was going wide anyway, and the match officials wrongly award a goal-kick.

REDEMPTION FOR SKRTEL

Martin Skrtel could score the winning goal in this fixture two seasons in a row. His own goal gave Fulham victory at Anfield last term, remember.

GOAL: LIVERPOOL 1 FULHAM 0

Downing plays a low cross into the area and Shelvey's flick cannons off a defender for a corner. The marking is appalling again from the set-piece. Skrtel brings the ball down the drills a right-foot finish into the net.

AGGER HEADS OVER

Enrique skips past a couple of Fulham defenders into the area and wins Liverpool their first corner. Daniel Agger is given a free header, but nods over from 12 yards.

IN SUPPORT OF BERBATOV

Martin Jol's selection appeared to suggest the visitors would play just the one up front, but it appears as though Karagounis has been given licence to roam forward.

FORTRESS ANFIELD NO LONGER

This is Liverpool's final home game of 2012. Amazingly, they have won just five games at Anfield in this calendar year. How the mighty have fallen.

HERE WE GO

Liverpool kick off, attacking the goal to our left.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool make two changes, with Joe Allen and Raheem Sterling dropping to the bench and Suso and Jose Enrique being drafted in. Martin Jol makes three changes. Out go Steve Sidwell, Damien Duff and Hugo Rodallega, in come Georgios Karagounis, Alex Kacaniklic and Ashkan Dejagah.

TODAY'S TEAMS

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Shelvey, Fernandez Saez, Suarez, Downing. Subs: Jones, Sahin, Henderson, Carragher, Allen, Sterling, Wisdom. Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise, Kacaniklic, Karagounis, Baird, Richardson, Dejagah, Berbatov. Subs: Stockdale, Senderos, Kasami, Briggs, Rodallega, Frei, Tavares. Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)

PREVIEW

There were signs that Brendan Rodgers was starting to turn things around for Liverpool when they snatched an unlikely win at West Ham a fortnight ago. In the top half of the table for the first time this season, home games with Aston Villa, Fulham and Sunderland and trips to Stoke and Queens Park Rangers coming up, the outlook was decidedly rosier than it had been in a while. But their dismantling by Villa in front of their own fans last Saturday meant that the gloom has descended over the red half of Merseyside again. In fairness, Liverpool are only seven points off the Champions League places, but another shock defeat at home today and the words crisis at Christmas will not only be applied to that worthy charity that does so much good work to help the homeless. The Reds have only won one league game this season by more than a single-goal margin, and what the Kop need to see above all else (apart from a victory, of course) is a convincing display going forward. Fulham, for their part, need to do something about their quite dismal away form. They have won 17 times in their last 282 outings on the road, not something that is likely to tempt many Cottagers fans away from doing some last-minute shopping in the West End this afternoon. The game kicks off at 1730GMT, so join us around 30 minutes beforehand when we should have the confirmed team news, which will be followed by a match commentary.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ten of Liverpool's 23 goals this season have come from Luis Suarez, who has had to take on the goal-scoring burden almost single-handedly after being left with no recognisable strike partners. Steven Gerrard is not quite the player he once was, but a goal and an assist in his last two outings means that the England midfielder is someone Fulham should definitely be keeping an eye on. The visitors will again be looking to Dimitar Berbatov, who boasts a hat-trick against Liverpool from his Manchester United days. Damien Duff was instrumental in Fulham's last win, over Newcastle, having a hand in both of their goals and turning in a very impressive performance.

HEAD TO HEAD

Liverpool have the better head-to-head record in league meetings between the sides with 27 wins to 10 by Fulham and 13 games being drawn. At Anfield, Liverpool have 17 wins to one by the Cottagers, with a further seven meetings ending up all square. The corresponding match last season resulted in that historic first win for Fulham on this ground, the all-important strike coming from Martin Skrtel, who put through his own goal after just five minutes. That result duly completed an equally noteworthy first league double for Fulham in this fixture, as they had beaten Liverpool 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Dec. 5, courtesy of a Clint Dempsey goal five minutes from time. That match is best remembered for what Liverpool considered to be the controversial sending-off of Jay Spearing for his challenge on Mousa Dembele.

FORM GUIDE

Liverpool lie in 12th place, with 22 points from 17 games, two points more than Fulham, who sit directly below them. Liverpool suffered a damaging home defeat by Aston Villa last time out, their third at Anfield this season. The Cottagers' habitual away woes continue, with only one win from nine on the road, that coming at Wigan on Sep.22. Since then they have lost two and drawn four away from home. Only Southampton have conceded more than their 18 goals away from home.

EARLY TEAM NEWS

Jose Enrique could return to Liverpool's defence having recovered from a hamstring injury. Midfielder Nuri Sahin is fit after surgery on a broken nose but winger Oussama Assaidi is out with a knee problem. Raheem Sterling, who signed a new long-term deal on Friday, is in need of a rest according to his manager, and may find himself relegated to the bench today. Fulham's back-up goalkeeper Neil Etheridge is out with a leg injury, so David Stockdale has been recalled from his loan spell at Hull to provide cover to Mark Schwarzer. Steve Sidwell is banned while Mahamadou Diarra (knee) and Bryan Ruiz (hamstring) are missing. Sascha Riether suffered a back problem against Queens Park Rangers last weekend, but should be fit.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Taking charge of today's game is Mark Clattenburg, who has been a member of the elite panel of Premier League referees since 2004. This is the ninth top-flight appointment of the season for the Tyne & Wear official, who has produced 31 yellow cards and dismissed four players, Queens Park Rangers midfielder Samba Diakite, Manchester City's James Milner and Chelsea duo Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres against Manchester United. The furore surrounding that game has thankfully died down, with Clattenburg having enjoyed two uneventful league outings since his return. His assistants today are Stephen Child and Simon Beck, while Andre Marriner is the fourth official.