Liverpool will be looking to extend their best ever start to a Premier League season when they entertain Fulham at Anfield, kick-off at 15:00 hours (GMT). The Londoners, who are without an away Premier League win, will not fancy a trip north to Merseyside to face the joint-league leaders.

Fernando Torres returned to training on Friday with the Liverpool squad and coach Rafa Benitez was happy with the striker’s performance with Spain versus Chile in Wednesday’s international friendly. “I am really pleased that we had five players in the Spanish national team and Fernando did very well in the time he was on the pitch, scoring a good goal. He was sharp and that's really positive for us.”

The Cottagers have never won in any competition at Anfield, a record stretching back to 1934. The two teams have met 42 times, with Liverpool gaining 24 wins to Fulham’s 7. Both sides have drawn 11 times. The Reds on Merseyside have collected 16 wins and 5 draws in 21 matches.

The last meeting between Liverpool and Fulham took place at Craven Cottage and ended 2-0 to the Reds. The Merseysiders were without Gerrard or Torres for the league meeting as the Anfield club were preparing for their Champions League Semi-Final with Chelsea.

In the game at Anfield, Fernando Torres came off the bench in the 71st minute to inspire Liverpool to victory as Rafa Benitez's men left it late to see off Fulham. The Spain international broke the deadlock with a fine solo goal nine minutes from time before Steven Gerrard scored a penalty four minutes later to seal a 2-0 win.

Fulham, who currently lie in twelth place with 17 points, were founded in 1879, and are the oldest professional football team in London. During the Cottagers almost 130 years of history they have yet to win any important piece of silverware. The closest Fulham have come was the 1975 FA Cup Final when the Londoners lost 2-0 to city rivals West Ham.

In the summer of 1997 Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of the exclusive London store Harrod’s, bought Fulham FC. The Egyptian pledged that Cottagers would reach the Premiership within five years. It actually took the Londoners one year less, as Fulham won Division 1 in the 2000/01 season, and thus gained promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1968.

Following Saturday’s clash versus Fulham, the Reds take on Olympique Marseille on Wednesday 26 November with a place in the next round up for grabs.


Photo: J.A. Sirvent