Reds push Fulham closer to relegation

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Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who controversially made nine changes in his Liverpool side which lost 1-0 at Craven Cottage a year ago and gave Fulham the platform to escape relegation, kept it to eight changes this time - and saw his decision fully justified.

Pennant struck powerfully in the 17th minute from a pass by Lucas Leiva and Peter Crouch added a second 20 minutes from time.

Fulham were almost caught out early on by former right-back Steve Finnan's run and cross but defender Paul Stalteri did just enough to put off Crouch.

But in the 17th minute the home side paid the price for not picking up Leiva in midfield and he provided the perfect lay-off for Pennant to drill a thundering right-footed shot high inside Kasey Keller's near post.

As Fulham's early fire faded, the towering Crouch was close to a second for the visitors but he just failed to convert a Pennant cross.

The closest Fulham came to equalising before the break was through Brede Hangeland, but his header from Jimmy Bullard's free kick drifted narrowly off target.

Liverpool looked composed and comfortable throughout the second half, even though Jose Reina was left grasping thin air by a Simon Davies cross from the left and a Clint Dempsey snapshot which went wide.

Andriy Voronin lifted an overhead kick narrowly too high from a Pennant corner and Yossi Benayoun - enduring a patchy personal performance - twice finished off target from Pennant's assists

With 20 minutes to go, Dempsey's headed David Healy's cross just wide before Crouch sealed the points for Liverpool with a low finish from Pennant's pass.