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Fratton Park Saturday, 15 September Kick-off: 1245 BST Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day. Featured game on Score and Final Score.

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Team news to follow later.

Liverpool go into a weekend round of Premier League matches at the top of the table for the first time in five years. It's also a new experience for manager Rafael Benitez.

This is Portsmouth's sixth fixture of the season and their fourth against one of the so called "Big Four".

While Liverpool are looking to complete three Premier League victories in a row for the first time in 17 outings, Portsmouth are aiming to avoid three league defeats on the trot for the first time in 53, since March last year.

The Merseysiders are the only club to have scored first in all their Premier League games this season; Pompey are the only club to have conceded the opening goal in all of their games in this league this term.

Pompey beat a weakened Liverpool side 2-1 in April. It was only their second maximum in eight Premier League fixtures with the Reds.

PORTSMOUTH

1. Won one of their five Premier League matches this season, and one of the last seven; 3-1, home to Bolton on 18 August.

2. Averaging a point a game (five from five).

3. Yet to keep a clean sheet in this Premier League season.

4. The only club to have allowed the opposition to score first in all their Premier League games this term.

5. Gained just one point from the nine available against the "Big Four"; drew 1-1, home to Manchester United, and lost away to Chelsea and Arsenal so far.

6. Defeat would make it their worst run in the Premier League since suffering four defeats in a row between 4 February and 4 March 2006.

7. Undefeated in six home Premier League matches; won four and drawn two since losing 0-2 to Chelsea on 3 March.

8. Lost one of the last nine league outings at Fratton Park.

LIVERPOOL

1. Won the last three in all competitions with an aggregate of 12-0; 0-2, away to Sunderland (PL), 4-0, home to Toulouse (CL) and 6-0, home to Derby (PL).

2. Undefeated in six this season; won five and one draw in all competitions.

3. One of four clubs still holding an unbeaten Premier League record. The others are Arsenal, Blackburn and Newcastle.

4. The only club with double figures in the Premier League "Goals For" column (11). That's one every 33 minutes on average.

5. A win would make it their best run since notching five league victories on the trot between 30 December 2006 and 30 January 2007.

6. Made their best start to a Premier League season since 1998-99. Victory would give them 13 points after the first five matches, and make it their best ever start in this league.

7. Dropped only two points. Only Arsenal have dropped so few. Also, they are holding the highest Premier League points per game average, equal with Arsenal of 2.5.

8. Newcastle are the only other club yet to concede the opening goal in a Premier League match.

9. Yet to concede a league goal in open play so far this season. The goals they let in away to Aston Villa and home to Chelsea were both scored from the penalty spot. Not conceded in 208 minutes (three hours 28 minutes) of Premier League football, since Frank Lampard's spot-kick equaliser on 19 August.

10. This match precedes the Champions League Group A opener, away to FC Porto of Portugal on Tuesday.

PORTSMOUTH

Nwankwo KANU, Benjamin MWARUWARI, Noe PAMAROT and John UTAKA are Portsmouth's joint top scorers, with two goals each. All of those goals were scored in the Premier League, with the exception of PAMAROT'S pair.

KANU is one shy of 50 career League goals in England.

If he plays:-

Dave NUGENT will be making his 100th career league appearance (Bury, Preston and Portsmouth).

Goalkeeper David JAMES will be making his 137th consecutive Premier League appearance (Manchester City and Portsmouth).

JAMES will be facing a former club. The 37 year old England keeper made 277 appearances for Liverpool (214 in the Premier League) between July 1992 and June 1999, when transferred to Aston Villa for £1.8m.

Djimi TRAORE will also be facing former club mates. The Mali international defender made 141 appearances (88 in the Premier League) and scored one goal for the Merseysiders between February 1999 and his £2m move to Charlton in August 2006.

Linvoy PRIMUS will be participating the day after turning 34.

LIVERPOOL

Fernando TORRES and Andriy VORONIN are Liverpool's joint top scorers with three each. All three from TORRES were in the Premier League.

If he plays:-

Peter CROUCH is a former Portsmouth player. He made 39 appearances (37 in the League) and scored 19 goals (18 League) for Pompey between July 2001 and his £5m move to Aston Villa in March 2002.

Liverpool have won half of the Premier League meetings with Portsmouth (four of eight), but only lead the south coast club by two victories in the all-time league head-to-head standings.

Home and away League (inc PL): Portsmouth 19 wins, Liverpool 21, Draws 14 Prem: Portsmouth 2 wins, Liverpool 4, Draws 2

at Portsmouth only League (inc PL): Portsmouth 15 wins, Liverpool 8, Draws 4 Prem: Portsmouth 2 wins, Liverpool 2, Draws 0

Portsmouth 2-1 Liverpool 28 April 2007 - Ref: Peter Walton Portsmouth scorers: Mwaruwari 27, Kranjcar 32 Liverpool scorer: Hyypia 59

Mike Riley (Leeds, Yorkshire)

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