Chelsea booked their place in the final, but who will they face at Wembley? Liverpool hold a 2-1 advantage over Fulham, as the tie flips over to west London tonight.
Marco Silva’s side got off to the perfect start at Anfield, when Willian finished neatly in front of the Kop end to give the visitors a shock lead in the first leg. Liverpool were not at their brilliant best, but turned to the bench to bring on Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo. From there, the tie changed.
Curtis Jones’ audacious effort beat Bernd Leno via a deflection off Tosin and the game was level. Jurgen Klopp’s side did not stop though and moments later, Gakpo was found at the near post and made it 2-1. Leno was heroic in keeping the margin to just one goal, and ultimately kept Fulham still in with a chance.
Embed from Getty ImagesLiverpool have found it tricky at Craven Cottage in their last two visits, having to come from behind both times to rescue a point. This time, they take a lead going into the second leg. Fulham may have to be more attacking minded, perhaps pointing to captain Tom Cairney starting in midfield instead of Harrison Reed.
The reliable Joao Palhinha will most likely sit at the base of midfield – the Portuguese has been crucial for Silva’s side since he joined in the summer of 2022. Fulham’s forward threats will come in Willian, Bobby De-Coredova Reid and Raul Jimenez. Former Liverpool winger Harry Wilson may get the nod ahead of Reid, if Fulham want to have a more attacking impetus.
As for Liverpool, they are still without Mohamed Salah, however Andy Robertson could feature for the first time since October. Trent Alexander-Arnold is still sidelined, whereas Dominik Szoboszlai may return from injury. Liverpool were rampant in their last game, beating Bournemouth 4-0 and Klopp’s side will have their eye on yet another Wembley final as there are still four trophies up for grabs this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesFulham will hope to find an early goal and level the scoreline, however Liverpool have a very impressive defensive record. Fulham have managed to score four goals against their opponents in their previous two games, but went on to lose both.
The hold up play of Jimenez could be crucial, with the skill of Willian on the left too. Antonee Robinson is a full-back who loves to bomb forward and create overlapping runs. He could be up against 20 year-old Conor Bradley. Liverpool have plenty of quality all over the pitch and have the capability to blow teams away. It is going to be a tough night for Fulham, but home advantage could be a deciding factor.
Prediction: Fulham 2-2 Liverpool (AET) – Liverpool progress
