"All round the fields of Anfield Road / Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and he could play) / Andrea Dossena on the wing / We had dreams and songs to sing / Of the glory round the fields of Anfield Road." Yep, you read that right; Rafa's gone off on one again. This time, fourth-goal machine Andrea Dossena will be rampaging up and down the left, a modern-day George Best spliced with the best bits of Johan Cruyff. Benitez has pulled selection surprises like this a couple of times already this season, notably away at Newcastle and Middlesbrough - so how will this one end up?
Exactly the same team that beat Manchester United 2-0 the other week: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies, Zamora, Johnson.
Subs: Zuberbuhler, Nevland, Gera, Kamara, Dacourt, Kallio, Baird.
That title-chasing XI in full: Reina, Arbeloa, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Lucas, Alonso, Kuyt, Dossena, Torres, Gerrard.
Subs: Cavalieri, Agger, Ngog, Riera, Benayoun, Babel, Mascherano.
The word in brackets is not a spelling mistake: Steve Bennett (Kent)
Kick off: 5.30pm.
Andrea Dossena: seven million pounds worth of debate. "Don't see your problem with Dossena being on the left wing," says Mark Slade. "Liverpool need to win, he's not the greatest defender but is good going forward, and has the safety net of Insua on the same side. And he's a better option than Babel, that much I DO know. Now watch Insua have a mare." Ah, but Insua looked fantastic round about the turn of the year, before he went off to play for the Argentina under-something-or-others, and was decent when he came back against Sunderland too. He's particularly good going forward - but defensively not quite up there with Fabio Aurelio yet. Anything could happen here.
And we're off! Fulham set the ball rolling, and within 20 seconds Zamora clips a ball forward to Dempsey, who is free in the box down the inside-left channel! Liverpool escape as the linesman flags for offside - but they're lucky, because the Fulham man was miles on.
2 min: This is a really open start. Gerrard takes a hopeful swipe at a falling ball just a tad too far ahead of him in the Fulham box - his weak effort is deflected away - then Konchesky swings a decent deep cross into the Liverpool area from the left, forcing top book author Jamie Carragher to head clear with his eyebrows.
4 min: Liverpool calm things down by passing it around the back awhile. Fulham seem quite happy to let them do so.
5 min: Again Fulham spring the Liverpool back line, Murphy pinging it straight down the middle for Johnson. This is close as well; I'm not sure that was offside either, but once again that doesn't stop the linesman raising his flag.
7 min: Dempsey threads the ball past Arbeloa down the left. For a second it looks like he might get a shot on target but Skrtel and Carragher crowd him out. They're forced to concede a corner, from which nothing comes. Fulham have their tails up here.
9 min: Cutting inside from the right, Arbeloa goes on a very long run down the centre of the pitch. Fulham allow him to reach the edge of the box without so much as a challenge, but his attempt at a one-two with Torres doesn't quite come off.
10 min: Torres, his back to goal, slips the ball to the left-hand edge of the area for the goal machine Dossena, who attempts a curler into the top right. Schwarzer tips the ball over. From the resulting corner, the ball drops out on the left to Skrtel, whose rising half-volley clips the top of the bar.
12 min: Liverpool are beginning to enjoy a lot of the ball. Arbeloa cuts inside from the right; he's blocked. Kuyt swings a low cross in from the same wing; the ball's hacked clear. Gerrard sets Kuyt off into acres down the right for a second time; his attempt at standing the ball up to the far post is shanked behind for a goal kick.
14 min: Still, Liverpool will want to watch themselves at the back. From nothing, Davies helps the ball down the right and suddenly Johnson is on his own with only Reina to beat! Only problem is, Davies's pass has just too much weight on it, and the keeper comes out to claim with insouciant ease.
16 min: Skrtel gifts the ball to Zamora with a terrible pass out of defence. The Fulham striker steams forward and tries to slip Johnson free, but his right-to-left diagonal ball is too strong and flies out for a goal kick. "Shouldn't you be referring to Goal Machine Andrea Dossena™?" wonders Patrick Crumlish. "It's his given name, after all."
17 min: Good work by Lucas down the right, and suddenly Torres has a smidgen of space to cut into the box. He's tight on the byline and fires the ball into the centre - but Schwarzer has it covered all the way and claims before Kuyt can get anywhere near it.
19 min: Liverpool push Fulham back for a bit, Alonso nearly setting Dossena free with a first-time prod forward down the inside-left channel, then Insua cutting inside from the right and only just failing to slip Kuyt in on goal. Fulham are looking confident at the back when push comes to shove, though.
21 min: Liverpool are passing it around a lot but are getting absolutely nowhere. Fulham will be perfectly happy with the way the game has gone so far.
23 min: What a save by Schwarzer. Alonso pings a ball out wide left to Dossena. The £7m scoring star cushions the ball with his instep and rolls it to Gerrard, who sweeps into the area and lays off to Torres. The striker opens his body and steers the ball towards the bottom right - but the keeper is down quickly to palm the ball out. For a second it looks as though Kuyt might be able to poke home the rebound, but - surprise, surprise - he can't get there quickly enough before the loose ball is cleared.
24 min: From a deep Kuyt cross from the right, Torres heads wide and high. That wasn't a particularly easy chance - he was falling backwards and under pressure from Hangeland - but then it wasn't that difficult and so not a particularly good effort either.
26 min: This is all Liverpool at the moment. Torres twists and turns on the edge of the area. He loses possession - but immediately slides in to poke the ball out to Alonso 20 yards out. Cutting in from the left, he takes an immediate wallop at the ball - but the effort is dragged well wide right.
30 min: It's gone a bit scrappy.
31 min: Liverpool fans take advantage of the temporary lull in action to sing "Justice for the 96". The 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster is 11 days away.
32 min: Alonso snaps the focus back to football: from a weak Fulham headed clearance, the Liverpool midfielder cuts across the ball on the edge of the area and sends a spectacular shot crashing off the right-hand side of the crossbar. That's the second time they've hit the woodwork; Liverpool haven't played brilliantly, but can now probably count themselves unlucky not to have the lead.
34 min: Torres scampers after a long ball down the left. He goes as far out as the touchline, cuts inside, reaches the edge of the area and smashes a low shot towards the bottom left. Schwarzer claims and holds on well with goal machine Dossena lurking.
35 min: If Liverpool weren't unlucky to be leading before, they certainly are now. Gerrard slips a wonderful ball down the inside-right channel to spring Torres clear. He draws Schwarzer out and dinks the ball over him and towards the unguarded goal - but the ball bounces off the bottom of the left-hand post and out. Nobody's there to follow in for the visitors, and Fulham survive.
37 min: THIS IS GETTING SILLY NOW. Liverpool hit the woodwork for the fourth time, Gerrard swinging a superlative deep cross in from the right, Dossena meeting it with a Keith Houchenesque diving header. The ball absolutely belabours the crossbar and twangs away from danger. Dossena was only eight yards out, and probably should have scored... but even so, Liverpool are stunningly unlucky at present.
40 min: Skrtel needlessly drags back Zamora, just outside his own box to the left of goal. Dempsey tries to curl the ball into the top-right corner, but Dossena rushes out quickly to close the angle and the Fulham forward lifts the ball miles over the bar under pressure.
42 min: Now it's Liverpool's turn to be gifted a daft free kick on the edge of the opposition box. Etuhu drags Torres, who has his back to goal, down just to the left of the box. Gerrard tries to hammer it goalwards, but Murphy is out quickly to block, then clear.
43 min: Liverpool certainly realise how important it is to win tonight, and their New York Or Bust approach is ensuring this game remains open. Gerrard twists and turns in the box but is brilliantly robbed by Murphy, who sets Davies rampaging down the right. His poor ball inside is snaffled by Alonso, and he nearly puts Torres in on goal with a slightly-too-long pass down the left. This is very entertaining.
HALF TIME: Fulham 0-0 Liverpool. Liverpool pass it around a lot. Again. Gerrard can't quite bust Fulham open down the left. Arbeloa can't quite bust them open down the right. And that's it for the half. Liverpool really should be winning here - but they're not. This is a situation Liverpool fans will be sadly familiar with this season. Can they break through in the second half - or is the chance of the title finally slipping from their grasp?
Andrea Dossena: seven million pounds worth of debate - and serial woodwork botherer. "As a Liverpool fan," begins Nick Whalen, "I find it mildly unsettling that Andrea Dossena is now one of our better offensive players." Meanwhile Vikramaditya Singh observes that the £7m Goal Machine is "pinging it off the crossbar like Ronaldinho on speed, like this...
... except you know Dossena's skillz are real. I'm genuinely frightened by the magnitude of his talent."
And we're off again! Roy Hodgson and Rafa Benitez walk across the pitch from the Cottage to the dugouts. Warm applause all round. Everyone's happy. The visitors set the ball rolling once more.
47 min: Fulham started the first half suffering from a couple of dodgy decisions from the linesman, and now it's Liverpool's turn to be denied unfairly by the same man. Alonso scoops the ball forward to send Kuyt totally clear in the box. The whistle blows immediately - but the striker looked onside. He's having a complete shocker, this official.
49 min: Other than the Kuyt business, it's a very quiet beginning to the second half.
50 min: Pantsil Rory Delaps it into the area from the right. Johnson is after the bouncing bomb, but can't quite get there and is hounded out of it by Skrtel and Carragher. Liverpool need to up the tempo a bit, because it'll not be long before the clock becomes the enemy, and panic sets in.
54 min: What a miss from Torres. Insua waltzes down the left, cuts inside, and floats a perfect ball into the centre for his star striker. All Torres has to do is choose his spot - but he can only nut a weak effort straight into the arms of Schwarzer.
55 min: Liverpool are beginning to boss play, and push Fulham back, but don't seem able to hit the killer pass. First Alonso hits a cross from the right too strongly, then Dossena matches his feat from the left. Finally it's Alonso again, but his shot from 20 yards, cutting in from the right, is lame and straight at Schwarzer.
58 min: Pantsil goes in the book for going in late with his studs up on Dossena's boot.
62 min: A quiet period in the game, now. Fulham look pretty confident in their ability to hold their guests at the moment. Liverpool are beginning to lose faith; all the tempo has gone out of their game.
64 min: Alonso is doing everything he can to pick Liverpool up by the scruff of the neck, spraying passes left and right from a central position, 35 yards out. He can't quite find the final pass, though. Both Pantsil and Hangeland are immense at the moment.
65 min: The freewheelin' goalscorin' machine called Dossena trundles off the pitch, to be replaced by Babel.
66 min: Carragher upends Johnson, 30-odd yards out, just to the right of the Liverpool area. Konchesky tries to hammer the resulting free kick into the top-right corner, but unlike the 2006 FA Cup final, doesn't beat Reina. Then again, he hasn't hopelessly mishit this one, so the keeper can easily work out the flight of the ball.
68 min: Under a long ball six yards from goal, Lucas challenges Schwarzer in the air. The keeper fingertips the ball out of play - but no corner is given. Liverpool are beginning to look very frustrated.
70 min: I've just been given a glass of champagne! Someone from the Observer is doing one, by all accounts. Isn't that nice.
71 min: From a Fulham corner, Liverpool break clear five on three! They really should do better than they manage, Gerrard's attempt to release Babel down the right inaccurate and weak. That's very sloppy. Babel manages to get a shot in nevertheless - but the effort, heading towards the bottom left, is blocked by Pantsil, who then hacks clear of the lurking Kuyt.
73 min: I don't think Liverpool are going to score tonight. Gerrard swings a ball into the six-yard box from the left, but with Torres diving in head first, Schwarzer somehow manages to palm away at the death.
75 min: Liverpool have scored 18 goals during the final 15 minutes of their games this season. They'll have to make it at least 19 if they want to keep their title challenge alive.
76 min: A change apiece: Murphy is replaced by Dacourt, while Benayoun comes on for Kuyt. The atmosphere is electric at Craven Cottage.
79 min: Fulham replace Davies with Gera, the man who put Manchester United finally to sleep a couple of weeks ago. "Hold on a minute," parps Jon Cummins. "Wayne Rooney can read?" Bah. I'm just glad this particular gag took as long as 79 minutes to arrive.
81 min: Carragher slides a stupendously good ball down the inside-right channel to Gerrard in the area. He pulls the ball into the centre, where it reaches the feet of Babel. Instead of hammering the ball first time, he jinks about before pulling the trigger - and the chance is gone. The ball bounces back out to Gerrard, who hammers an effort low and hard just wide left. Benayoun is inches from turning the ball in.
83 min: It's just not happening for Liverpool: Gerrard tries to take a deep left-wing cross down at the far post, but his touch is heavy and the ball bounds out of play.
85 min: Fulham are awarded a free kick for absoultely nothing, Insua nipping in front of Gera just to the right of his own area. Why that's a free kick is beyond me, there was no meaningful contact at all. Babel is booked for protesting. Reina catches the ball into the box, then looks to set Torres free with a long hoof down the right. The striker looks like breaking clear on goal! But Gera has gone in late on the keeper and referee Bennett pulls the play back to book him. Liverpool are incandescent with rage.
88 min: Nevland - once of Manchester United - replaces Johnson.
89 min: Skrtel is booked for a laughably cynical challenge. Dempsey is skidaddling into acres down the left, so the Liverpool striker clips the in-flight Fulham man's ankles. There was plenty of cover, so that was a no-brainer for the referee.
90 min: There will be four added minutes of this; four minutes for Liverpool to save their title challenge. Benayoun brings down a loose ball just to the left of goal, turns to make himself a bit of space, but drags his low shot wide of goal.
90 min +2: HIGHLY DRAMATIC GOAL!!! Fulham 0-1 Liverpool. Babel cuts inside from the left. He shuttles the ball to Gerrard, who miscontrols. Benayoun picks the ball up, cutting in from the right, and hammers an unstoppable shot into the top left! That really is some finish. The Liverpool bench empties onto the pitch as Benayoun disappears under a mountain of men.
90 min +3: Gerrard is replaced by Agger.
FULL TIME: Fulham 0-1 Liverpool. Nevland loops a ball goalwards from the right, but Reina is always under it. And that's the final whistle! Liverpool deserved that - and are still in this title race! And back on top of the league, two points clear of Manchester United - but having played two games more, of course. And Andrea Dossena was pretty good. "Do us a favour," writes Liverpool fan Paul Lovatt. "It's bad enough waiting so long for a goal without having to stare at Wayne Rooney the whole game."
