Scott Parker: 'Fulham will face one hell of a battle against Liverpool'

| 06 March 2021

The defending Premier League champions have lost their last five matches.

Scott Parker expects Fulham to face "one hell of a battle" at Anfield on Sunday, despite Liverpool's recent poor run of form at home.

The Reds' defeat to Chelsea on Thursday was their fifth in succession – the club's worst run in their history – and they have won just three league matches since being top of the Premier League at Christmas.

Fulham had been unbeaten in five league matches when they fell to a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Tottenham. The Cottagers appeared to have scored an equaliser but fell victim to the controversial accidental handball rule and it was ruled out.

And although Parker feels his side have a chance against Liverpool, he does not expect the hosts to make life easy for them.

"Liverpool is an opportunity for us, but Thursday night was an opportunity as well," he said.

"I believe that was a big opportunity in the way that we're playing and I believe we could have got something out of the game, and on reflection we should have got something out of the game.

"Of course we understand that Liverpool are in a little bit of an indifferent way, or indifferent form, but they're still an unbelievable team.

"When we go to Anfield it's going to be one hell of a battle and one hell of a tough afternoon, so I think that's how it will pan out."

In the last meeting between the two sides, Fulham welcomed back 2,000 fans for the first and only time this season and managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Jurgen Klopp's men.

Liverpool would have gone top of the table with a victory at Craven Cottage in December, and the Fulham boss said he could not see any signs of the problems which have plagued the Reds since then.

"No, not really. I didn't see that," Parker said.

"The dynamics of teams and where teams are, and a long season and an unprecedented season, I think we all recognise that as well, and certainly that had a big factor on Liverpool as well and the standards they set themselves.

"But certainly from the previous game we played against them, we played very well – very, very well – and caused them problems. But, in saying that, they still have big quality and they produced that on the day."