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Liverpool travel to Fulham this evening looking to overtake Tottenham into 5th position in the Premier League.
The Reds have enjoyed a dramatic turnaround in form since Kenny Dalglish took over and qualifying for European football is a realistic possibility for them.
In theory they could still overtake Manchester City into the Champions League places, but after the indifferent form they showed earlier in the campaign, Liverpool fans will more than settle for 5th position.
As things stand, they are just a single point behind Tottenham having played the same amount of games. Victory this evening would put them in the driving seat for a Europa League place.
The fact that their form has been so good of late – they have lost just once in seven games and scored eight in their last two – does make it all the more strange that Dalglish’s future is still undecided.
The Scotsman only has a deal until the end of the season at the moment, with many expecting him to have been given a long-term deal by now. Especially considering the football Liverpool have played in recent weeks.
Being the professional he is though, Dalglish will only have one focus right now – picking up three points this evening.
They face a Fulham side very comfortable on home turf, with Mark Hughes’ side unbeaten at Craven Cottage in 2011. They are also on the back of two consecutive 3-0 victories in front of their own supporters.
This has helped the Cottagers move into the top ten in the Premier League and they could climb as high as 8th with three points over Liverpool tonight. With just three games to go this season, they will simply be aiming to finish as high as possible.
Looking at the team news for this one, Liverpool will be without long-term injury victim Steven Gerrard, but they have no fresh concerns. Jamie Carragher is set to make his 666th appearance for the club.
Fulham have been hit harder on the injury front this week with the news that Damien Duff will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing Achilles surgery. Clint Dempsey and Brede Hangeland are set to return though.
Overall, this is likely to be a very competitive and even contest. Both teams are in-form, scoring goals and aiming to finish as high in the league as possible.
