Can Skrtel claim Fulham hat-trick?

The Slovakian has netted in each of his last two matches against the Cottagers - both at Anfield in 4-0 victories. His double against Arsenal on Saturday was the first time in his career he's scored two goals in a game for Liverpool.

As mentioned, earlier this season the Reds beat Fulham 4-0 at Anfield. Fernando Amorebieta (OG), Skrtel and Luis Suarez scored in the first half, with Suarez adding his second before the hour mark. Martin Jol was in charge of the Cottagers at the time.

Last season's meeting at Craven Cottage saw Liverpool come from behind to win 3-1. Within three minutes of Dimitar Berbatov opening the scoring, the Reds equalised through Daniel Sturridge on 36 minutes. The striker then went on to complete his hat-trick in the second half.

It was the first time in his career that Sturridge had scored three times in a single game.

Only three of the Reds' starting XI in this fixture last May are likely to be involved today - Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson and Sturridge. Glen Johnson and Lucas Leiva are both injured.  

Overall in the Barclays Premier League, Liverpool have won seven and lost five at Fulham, while home and away they have won 15, drawn four and lost six of the 25 meetings.                                          

Liverpool's biggest win over Fulham in the league came in November 1955, when they won 7-0 at Anfield.      

Their heaviest top-flight victory over tonight's opponents came in March 2006, when they won 5-1 at home. 

There has not been a draw between the teams at Fulham in the Premier League.

The last draw on this ground was in December 1967, when the late Tony Hateley scored in a 1-1 stalemate.

Liverpool's biggest loss at Craven Cottage came in both October 2009 and April 1956 - losing 3-1.

The Reds have won the last three league meetings, scoring 11 goals in the process.

They have kept nine clean sheets in the last 15 games with Fulham home and away but only two in the last 10 at Fulham.

Liverpool have won four and lost two of the last six league visits.

Last season, Sturridge became the second Reds player to score three in a game at Craven Cottage - the other being Maxi Rodriguez, who achieved the feat in a 5-2 win in May 2011. The only other Liverpool man to score a league hat-trick against Fulham was Billy Liddell in September 1954 at Anfield.

The Reds have had four players red-carded against Fulham in the Premier League era, all at Craven Cottage - Josemi (2004), Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher (2009) and Jay Spearing (2011).

More substitutes (11) have scored for Liverpool against Fulham than against any other team in the Reds' history.

Liverpool are aiming for a second successive league double over Fulham and their fifth in the Premier League.

A year ago yesterday, Coutinho made his Liverpool debut as a substitute against West Bromwich Albion at Anfield. He has made 36 appearances, scoring five goals in total.

Mamadou Sakho celebrates his 24th birthday on Thursday.

Kolo Toure could play his 450th career club game.

Suarez, with four, has scored more goals against Fulham in the Premier League than any other Reds player - Sturridge is one of three players with three.

Suarez holds the club's Premier League record of scoring 12 away goals in a season. Both he and Sturridge this season have scored seven.

Sturridge has scored in Liverpool's last five league games - the first since Dirk Kuyt in 2010-11 to achieve the feat. The last to find the net in six in succession was John Aldridge in 1988-89, who notched in eight in a row.

Fulham, in November, are the last team to prevent the England striker from scoring; he has netted in his last seven in league and cup either side of his injury.

Sturridge has found the net in 16 of his 20 appearances this season and in 14 different league games. He is only five off Robbie Fowler's Premier League club record of scoring in 19 league games in a campaign. Suarez has scored in 12.

Henderson has started every league game since the end of March and the last league game he missed was the Reds' home match with Fulham in December 2012. He has appeared in all of Liverpool's last 45 league fixtures.

The Reds have picked up 16 points on the road this season (four wins, four draws and four defeats) - two points more than at the same stage of last season.

That is the lowest points tally of any of the other top eight sides.

They have won two of their last nine away games in the Premier League - scoring five in both - at Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City. They have kept one clean sheet during that period.

Liverpool have scored 63 goals after 25 games - the highest tally at this stage in their top-flight history.

63 per cent of all Liverpool's goals this season in league and cup have been scored in the first half.

They have scored in the opening 45 minutes of each of the last 15 league games.

Away from home in the league they have found the net 25 times - only Arsenal and Manchester City (26 each) have scored more.

However, only five teams (including four of the bottom five) have conceded more than the Reds' 21 away from home. 

Liverpool are averaging two points per game for only the second time in the Premier League era after 25 games. The other was in 2008-09, when they had 54 points with 13 games left to play.  

Since the defeat at Chelsea, the Reds have taken 14 points out of a possible 18 with four wins and two draws. 

Fulham have scored 19 goals in 25 Premier League meetings with Liverpool, with 16 of those coming at Craven Cottage.

Fulham are one goal short of recording 50 in all league games against the Reds.

The only Fulham player to score a hat-trick against Liverpool is Roy Dwight, who did so in 1956.

There has only been one goalless draw between the teams in a league game at the Cottage - in April 1963.

John Arne Riise played 348 times for Liverpool, scoring 31 goals between 2001 and 2008. He has been in and out of the Fulham team this season, making 11 league appearances.

Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg was a teammate of Suarez at Ajax during the Uruguayan's spell with the club.

The Cottagers have won three of their last 16 home league games, taking 10 points out of a possible 48.

Their draw at Old Trafford last Sunday was only their second in the league this season - the fewest of all top-flight teams along with Crystal Palace.

That point at the weekend halted a run of four successive league defeats.

Their last league win came on New Year's Day with a 2-1 victory over West Ham United at Craven Cottage.

They have picked up 10 points from home games this season - the lowest tally in the top flight.

Fulham have conceded 25 at home - more than any other Premier League club - and the 55 they have shipped in total is comfortably the highest.

In all competitions they have kept one clean sheet in the last 14 games.

Their three home wins this season have come against Stoke (1-0), Aston Villa (2-0) and West Ham (2-1).

They have scored in two of the last six games in league and cup.

In the last seven league games they have scored five times, with Steve Sidwell scoring three of them.

Rene Meulensteen has seen his team concede 31 goals in 12 league games since he took charge.

Leading scorers (league in brackets):

Liverpool: Suarez 23 (23), Sturridge 18 (15), Gerrard 6 (6), Sterling 6 (5), Skrtel 4 (4), Coutinho 2 (2), Henderson 2 (1), Moses 2 (1), Agger 1 (1), Aspas 1 (0), Flanagan 1 (1), Sakho 1 (1), own goals 4 (3).

Fulham: Sidwell 7 (6), Bent 6 (3), Berbatov 5 (4), Rodallega 4 (0), Kasami 3 (3), Dejagah 2 (1), Parker 2 (2), Kacaniklic 1 (1), Karagounis 1 (0), Richardson 1 (1), Ruiz 1 (1), Senderos 1 (1), Taarabt 1 (0), own goals 1 (1).