Silva on Pereira, Whites' form and Liverpool

Abu Bakar Yasin - BBC Sport journalist
·2 min read
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Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before hosting Liverpool on Sunday in the Premier League (16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from the Fulham manager:

  • Silva said he understands 'both viewpoints' on the FA Cup replays being scrapped: "The fans like that competition because you can have all the clubs in it [and] you can have surprises all around. [But] the load of the games of teams who play Europa League, Champions League and other competitions, alongside postponed games is not a normal situation and has to be solved. I do understand how important the FA Cup is in England."

  • He has been impressed by his side's recent form, attributing that to having all his players available: "In the last two months, we [have been] are in the best moments of the season. It creates competition which helps myself and the players reach different levels. Climbing up the table is our aim.".

  • He praised Andreas Pereira's form but is still demanding more: "Last season he made a huge impact in our team. Last season and this season he is going to be our top assister. We want more from him to arrive in certain areas as he showed last game where he showed the desire and will to arrive in the area and follow the ball. It was nice to see him score and he has all the potential to do so."

  • Recent games with Liverpool have been close: " Very good games [but] too open for managers to enjoy, like at Anfield and Craven Cottage. They are emotional games and tight games always and some of them have dramatic ends, like at Anfield. Last season, it was tough for them to play at Craven Cottage and [in January] in the Carabao Cup. We want to make life really difficult for them and we are hoping we can get a different result to the last game."

  • He knows their opponents will be keen to bounce back from a difficult run of results week: "What I know is that Liverpool are going to react. They have come from tough results. Leaving the Europa League was tough for them, and losing three important points [against Crystal Palace]. We are going to face a reaction and have to prepare ourselves."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Listen to live commentary of Fulham vs Liverpool from 16:30 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds