Fulham lost 2-1 away at the Emirates while Liverpool took another leap towards the title with a 1-0 victory in the Merseyside Derby. The reverse fixture was an entertaining 2-2 draw at Anfield which included 7 yellow cards and a straight red for Andy Robertson. Another feisty affair would be welcomed this Sunday. Fulham are sitting in 9th with a serious chance at European places and Liverpool effectively need 4 wins to guarantee the title. A lot on the line, and plenty of motivation for fouls to fly. Madrid bound Alexander Arnold is the main absentee for the away side while Harry Wilson and Reiss Nelson miss out for Fulham.
The first bet includes two of the most solid angles for each side throughout the season. Surprisingly, there was a rare blank from Szoboszlai in the derby on Wednesday but it's not a trend I see continuing. The Hungarian work horse has made a foul in 20/23 league starts this term and should hopefully return to his usual kicking ways on Sunday. Some decent opponents in Fulham’s midfield with Lukic (1.14 fouls drawn per 90) and Pereira (1.21) both floating around similar areas.
Big Calvin Bassey makes up the second half of the double. The centre half is an absolute powerhouse and LOVES a duel in any area of the pitch. He’s often seen marauding up the pitch with the ball with opposition players bouncing off him left, right and centre. Sometimes, the only way to stop him is to simply drag him down. He has been fouled in 6 successive league starts and 19/27 total. He averages 1.08 fouls drawn per 90 minutes. Liverpool’s aggressive press will give him plenty of opportunities to go down.
For the longer odds shot, I have picked a foul matchup that really stands out as value. With Szoboszlai operating as number 10 for Liverpool and Lukic a holding midfielder for Fulham, the pair should end up in combat throughout the 90. As mentioned in bet one, Lukic himself draws 1.14 fouls per 90 minutes and Szoboszlai has committed an offence in 20/23 starts. The price of 5.0 seems generous with the pair's respective data and the high likelihood of them encountering each other. As a little bonus punt, Szoboszlai is 45/1 to commit 2 fouls on Lukic. I’ve seen worse bets…