Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Hull City and Liverpool at the KCOM Stadium. The Reds have made a slow start to the year to say the least, winning just one of their nine games in all competitions - a slender victory over Plymouth Argyle in an FA Cup third-round replay. It is a run of form that has left them essentially now battling for just one target - a top-four finish in the top flight.

Hull appear to be heading in the opposite direction under their new boss Marco Silva, meanwhile, taking four points from the nine on offer so far to remain in touching distance of safety. The bad news for the Tigers is that the tough run of fixtures just keep on coming, with this another testing match in their attempt to make up the four-point deficit on 17th-placed Swansea City.

TEAM NEWS!

HULL CITY XI: Jakupovic, Dawson, Maguire, Robertson, Huddlestone, Evandro, Clucas, Grosicki, Elabdellaoui, Hernandez, N'Diaye

LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Leiva, Milner, Henderson, Can, Lallana, Firmino, Mane, Coutinho

Starting with a look at the visiting side, manager Jurgen Klopp's hand has been forced a little due to the absence of Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan at the back. The former misses out with a knee injury, while the latter is suffering from illness and will therefore not be involved at the KCOM Stadium. That means a place in a makeshift back four for Lucas Leiva, who starts alongside Joel Matip in the heart of defence.

The big news is that Sadio Mane is back in the Reds' starting lineup for the first time since January 2, having recently returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty to take his place on the bench against Liverpool in midweek. Liverpool have failed to win a single league game without the Senegal ace this season, so with him, Philippe Coutinho and Matip all back in the side, this is now close to the team that brushed aside all comers not so long ago.

Perhaps a little surprisingly it is Georginio Wijnaldum, rather than Emre Can, who makes way for Mane to return to the side. Adam Lallana will drop a little deeper into midfield, as Coutinho, Firmino and Mane link up in attack. Central midfield will then be made up of Lallana, Henderson and Can, while James Milner - who has five goals in six league games against today's opponents - starts at left-back and fit-again Nathaniel Clyne on the other.

Switching attention to the home side, boss Silva has made four changes from the goalless draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. Lazar Markovic is ineligible against his parent club, while David Meyler, Oumar Niasse and Josh Tymon each drop down to the bench. A couple of the January signings are handed their debuts, meanwhile - winger Kamil Grosicki and Alfred N'Diaye each coming in from the off.

Abel Hernandez and Omar Elabdellaoui are the other two players to return to the side following the 0-0 draw with Manchester United. Silva has Diemurci Mbokani back in contention after his Africa Cup of Nations exploits, but he is overlooked for selection, as is another of the new recruits in Andrea Ranocchia who was brought off the bench at Old Trafford. Four changes in all made by the Hull boss, then, with two debutants in their ranks.

BENCH WATCH!

HULL CITY SUBS: Marshall, Meyler, Ranocchia, Maloney, Mbokani, Niasse, Tymon

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Gomez, Moreno, Alexander, Wijnaldum, Origi, Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge is again overlooked by Klopp following his failure to impress in a couple of games last month, as is Divock Origi who is on the outside looking in with Mane now back in the fold. Wijnaldum scored a key goal in Liverpool's season against Chelsea but Can is preferred to him in midfield, while keeper Loris Karius is another to have been frozen out somewhat. Hull have Meyler, Tymon and Niasse on their bench, each of whom started at Old Trafford, and Mbokani is back in the squad.

The big news as far as Liverpool are concerned is that Sadio Mane is named in their starting lineup for the first time since January 2. The Senegal international's absence for the Africa Cup of Nations coincided with the Reds' shocking run of form - they have still yet to win a league game without him - but he is back as one of two changes, along with Lucas Leiva. Hull City make four alterations, meanwhile, including starts for debutants Kamil Grosicki and Alfred N'Diaye.

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Hull head into this match sitting second from bottom in the Premier League table, but there is certainly more of a feelgood factor around the KCOM Stadium compared to this time last month. The sacking of Mike Phelan, despite the Tigers' woes, did come a little out of the blue as many felt that he was not sufficiently supported by the club's owners. Silva was the man brought in, written off on day one in the new job due to his supposed lack of pedigree.

What those in the media - we are looking at you, Paul Merson - failed to mention is that Silva enjoyed success during managerial stints in his Portuguese homeland and also in Greece. Landing the Portuguese was a big coup for a struggling club such as Hull, and their reward could be truly massive - sustaining their tag as a Premier League club. To make matters worse for the incoming boss, he saw two of his better players sold and a bid for a third accepted.

Robert Snodgrass, who contributed directly to 10 goals across 20 league games, departed for West Ham United. Jake Livermore, a calming presence in midfield, also left for West Bromwich Albion in a similar deal. Silva did manage to keep hold of flying wing-back Andre Robertson, however, while also bringing in a number of exciting additions. While Niasse and Markovic may have failed to make an impression in English football, some of the others have already started to make an impact.

Since Silva came in almost exactly a month ago, Hull have won three and drawn one of their seven games in all competitions - a good return. That must be qualified with some context, as the Tigers have faced Manchester United three times during that run and also Chelsea once. A victory over the Red Devils in the EFL Cup recently ultimately proved to be too little to sustain their hopes in that competition, but a point at Old Trafford three days ago was a huge result for the club.

United did have one big chance in that match, with Juan Mata somehow being denied by Eldin Jakupovic from a couple of yards out, but it is also worth remembering that Hernandez and Markovic both had chance to win the game late on; the former striking the post and the latter failing to run through when picked out on the counter. A point was deserved by Hull on the whole, lifting them off the bottom of the table and within four points of safety.

As well as exiting the EFL Cup a little over a week ago, Hull also lost heavily to Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round - the one real blemish on Silva's copybook so far. That does however mean that the Humberside outfit can fully focus on what was always their main target for the season - Premier League survival. Building momentum certainly will not be easy, though, as trips to Chelsea and United are followed up by this home match with another top-six side in Liverpool and a meeting with Arsenal next weekend.

Four points from nine so far since Silva took over, already more than predecessor Phelan managed across his final nine matches, is certainly more than many would have expected from games against Chelsea, Man United and Bournemouth. With six teams now very much in the relegation battle - Leicester and Boro both falling precariously close to the bottom three in recent weeks - it is fair to say that it could well go down to the wire once again.

The challenge for Hull is to ensure that they do not get cut adrift during this tough run of games, aiming to replicate the midweek showing at Old Trafford to potentially take a point or more from games against Liverpool and Arsenal. Things then get a little tasty as they face fellow strugglers Leicester and Swansea, as well as an over-achieving Burnley side, in successive matchdays. Would one point from the next six be enough? Probably not, but anything more will be a big ask.

Home form has certainly been an issue for Hull, as they have won just two of their last 10 - against Southampton and Bournemouth - since seeing off champions Leicester on the opening day. One of those wins did come in Silva's only home league match at the helm so far, though, and he has also orchestrated wins over Man United and Swansea here in the cup competitions. It has been a hugely promising start for the Portuguese, who knows that there is still a lot of work to do.

DID YOU KNOW? Hull City are the only team without a home clean sheet in the Premier League, conceding in all 11 of their games here so far. The Tigers did manage to keep out the opposition at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, though, and are now seeking back-to-back shutouts for the first time since April 2015. Twenty-one goals shipped from set-pieces is also a league-high, so there are plenty of areas for Silva to work on.

Marco Silva was essentially written-off prior to even taking charge of his first game in English football, despite relative success during stints in his Portuguese homeland and Greece. Hull City pulled off a bit of a coup persuading him to join what appeared to be a sinking ship, with key players being offloaded and a tough run of fixtures to play, but he has fared well so far and picked up another impressive result in midweek.

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RESULT! The full-time whistle has sounded at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have defeated Arsenal 3-1 in the day's early kickoff. That is a huge result at the top end of the division, which essentially hands the trophy to the Blues with the first week of February still yet to end. Twelve points is now the margin at the summit, but it ensures that the race for the top four remains as tight as ever.

Indeed, Liverpool - while now out of the title race - are just one point behind Arsenal and can overtake them with victory on Humberside. Tottenham, also one point better off, do not play until this evening, meanwhile, so there is plenty of incentive for the Reds to get the win that they require over the next couple of hours. Manchester City are level on points with Klopp's charges, meanwhile, and Man United are four points further back.

From battling for silverware on three fronts to now hanging on four a top-four finish, it is fair to say that Klopp did not picture January turning out the way it did. Victory over Man City on New Year's Eve proved to be the zenith for the Reds, as they have won just one of their nine games since then. That run includes defeats in three different competitions at Anfield in the space of a week; losses to Swansea, Southampton and Wolves seeing their season fall to pieces.

Liverpool did earn a good point at home to runaway leaders Chelsea on Tuesday, however, which may well act as a turning point for them. It was too little to keep their title hopes alive, but finishing fourth would surely still constitute as being a decent enough season for Klopp in his first full campaign on Merseyside. Sure, a trophy would have been more than welcome to go alongside it - even if it was the EFL Cup - yet this is very much a long-term project under the German boss.

A run of wins is exactly what is needed for Klopp right now, but that is easier said than done as they face Tottenham and Arsenal at Anfield over the next month - momentum could be tough to find. Not since 1954 have they failed to win their opening five league games of a calendar year, which they will do so without victory at the KCOM Stadium today. All three of the Reds' league losses this term have come against teams 10th or lower in the division, as they struggle when given the chance to boss games.

It is worth pointing out that Liverpool, despite their recent struggles without Coutinho and Mane, are still the division's top scorers with 52 in all. They have also had more shots on target (143) than any other team heading into this matchday, so it is now a case of those forward players clicking back into gear after being reunited. There is a big chance for the Reds to climb into second place this afternoon, requiring victory on Humberside to do so.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Hull City have won their last two league encounters with Liverpool at this ground and are unbeaten in three. The Reds have won just two of the last six meetings overall, in fact, although they did thrash the Tigers 5-1 at Anfield in September; James Milner scoring twice from the spot, while Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana also joined the scoring in a one-sided affair.

With kickoff now just two minutes away at Anfield, and with both sets of players out on the field of play, it is time to check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Marco Silva: "They are a great team with a great coach. To take points, we will need to maintain our performance levels. We need to show the same attitude and spirit that we showed against Manchester United. We need to fight and play better than them. The players are starting to understand what I want. It is important I give confidence to the squad."

Jurgen Klopp: "I am impressed [by Silva], what can I say? They've had a lot of different lineups and systems in the last few games and it's interesting to watch. They've played Manchester United now three times; the power and strength of United, that's not too easy but they did really well and that's without confidence because they don't always get [good] results so Silva is obviously a good manager."

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KICKOFF! We are up and running at the KCOM Stadium, in a battle between two sides with very different targets for the season. Liverpool can move up to second place with victory today, albeit temporarily, while Hull City are looking to close in on safety in the bottom three of the division.

Early set-piece for Liverpool - and we know how bad Hull have been in that department this season, conceding more than any other side. There was actually a late change to the Tigers' lineup, as Dawson pulled up in the warm-up and has been replaced by Andrea Ranocchia.

Rather than a 4-4-1-1 as expected - the formation used at Old Trafford in midweek - Hull have gone with a 4-2-3-1 for this match. Plenty of bodies in midfield to restrict Liverpool, who tend to struggle against sides in the bottom half.

Mane not taking long to settle back into the Reds' starting lineup, taking on a half-volley from range which sailed over Jakupovic's bar. The visitors dominating things early on in the match, with City happy to sit back.

SHOT! Lively play from Hull, as the ball is worked to N'Diaye who sends a shot right down the middle for Mignolet to collect from 22 yards out. Prior to that, Hernandez dragged an effort wide after being picked out by Robertson.

Hull have been playing some really nice football over the past few minutes, with Hernandez particularly involved as the focal point in attack. The Reds just having to defend a little more than anticipated at the moment.

A case of Liverpool looking to build on some momentum now, but they are not helped by an injury sustained by Elabdellaoui. The full-back has completely bust his nose, so he will require plenty of padding up if he is to continue.

Not quite sure if Elabdellaoui will be OK to come back on the field - a question of whether they can stem the flow of blood from his nose after he was caught by Milner's arm. Speaking of Milner, he was in behind but could not pick out a teammate.

Elabdellaoui, minus his original shirt, is back on the field with plenty of tissue stuck up his nostrils. Meyler is waiting by should he have to make way, which would be a second blow for Silva following the late loss of Dawson ahead of kickoff.

A lively day elsewhere in the Premier League, with goals in all five of the other games taking place at 3pm. Still just the one shot on target here - N'Diaye sending a rather tame shot down the middle for Mignolet to keep out with ease.

Liverpool want a penalty after Firmino's deflected shot popped up and hit Robertson's arm. No denying that it made contact with the Scotland international, but it would have been harsh had Lee Mason pointed to the spot.

CHANCE! First chance of any sort for the visitors, as Firmino's cross from the left is horribly handled by Jakupovic. The ball ran loose but Coutinho could only blast it wide of target when closed down by two players.

An evenly-matched game so far, to say the least. A shot apiece from either side - N'Diaye testing Mignolet with his attempt and Coutinho dragging an effort of his own wide from inside the area. Silva will be the happier of the two managers.

Liverpool have seen almost three-quarters of the ball in the opening half-hour of this contest, but that tends to be when they struggle. When teams have sat back in recent weeks they have struggled to find a way through and are often picked off.

YELLOW CARD! A first yellow card of the afternoon is shown to Harry Maguire, who lunged in on Sadio Mane. A real bad challenge from the Hull defender, with his opponent unable to get out of the way, but it was not deserving of a red.

For pretty much the first time today the ball is sent over the top of the Liverpool backline towards Grosicki on the right. The winger could not quite pick out a teammate with his early cross, though, and another potential opening goes begging.

No real sign of a breakthrough at the KCOM Stadium so far, much like in the first half at Old Trafford a few days back. A cross from the right into a good area was almost latched on to by Hernandez, but Mignolet got down well to collect.

Hernandez flicks the ball on to Clucas, who was flagged for offside. Hull certainly not simply focusing on holding on for a point here, as they know that three points are up for grabs. Liverpool still not yet out of first gear.

CHANCE! Near enough Liverpool's best chance of the half, as Matip gets on the end of a corner unmarked. The centre-back's header was all wrong in the end, though, sailing well wide of Jakupovic's target.

Decent enough attempt from Clucas, who has plenty to do when sending a header towards goal from 12 yards out. Got the power but not quite the precision, as the ball ended over the bar. End-to-end feel to the game over the past few minutes.

YELLOW CARD! Lallana has a couple of shots blocked inside the box and Hull are able to break forward. Their counter was halted by Milner, who deliberately handled the ball and was shown a yellow by Lee Mason.

Half time is going to come at a good time; neither side particularly looked like scoring so far. A couple of half chances, but a goalless end to the opening 45 minutes seems inevitable. Hull have just won a corner, though, so maybe a chance for a breakthrough.

Right on cue, Hull City take the lead through debutant Alfred N'Diaye. It was a shocker of a goal for Liverpool to concede, as they failed to clear their lines from a corner on three occasions. Maguire headed into the danger area, where Mignolet failed to collect and N'Diaye was waiting to prod over the line.

A first half that looked destined to end goalless kept its breakthrough moment until the final throes; debutant Alfred N'Diaye, not exactly in the side to score priceless goals, popping up to put Hull City into a 1-0 lead at the break. Plenty for Liverpool to do in the second half, having so far created very little.

Neither side could create any major chances in a tight first half on Humberside, with Hull's best moment prior to their breakthrough falling to the feet of Alfred N'Diaye nine minutes in. The Villarreal loanee sent a shot down the middle for Simon Mignolet to easily keep out, moments after Abel Hernandez dragged an attempt of his own wide of the target.

Liverpool's best moment of a quiet first half arrived midway through when, from a left-sided Roberto Firmino cross, Eldin Jakupovic failed to handle and Philippe Coutinho dragged the loose ball wide of goal. Joel Matip also nodded wide when picked out unmarked from a corner, but there was to be a bigger blow for Jurgen Klopp on the brink of half time when N'Diaye found a way through.

The Reds failed to clear their lines from a corner when given three chances to do so - Harry Maguire getting his head to a corner first to send the ball into a dangerous area, where N'Diaye was waiting to pounce once Mignolet made a hash of his clearance. It was a goal that very much summed up the Merseyside outfit's recent struggles, particularly at the back, as they went into the break heading towards another shock defeat.

Do not be surprised if Jurgen Klopp makes a change at the break, with his side requiring two goals to turn this game around. As far as Hull City are concerned, they now have Adama Diomande on the bench after he took the place of Andrea Ranocchia.

HULL CITY SUBS: Marshall, Meyler, Diomande, Maloney, Mbokani, Niasse, Tymon

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Gomez, Moreno, Alexander, Wijnaldum, Origi, Sturridge

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RESTART! Liverpool still looking for their first shot on target as we get this second half under way. No changes made by Jurgen Klopp at the break, so he is clearly waiting until the hour mark before taking any action.

Such a huge half of football for Liverpool, this. They will move into second place, even if just for a few hours, with victory on Humberside, but at the moment they are once again struggling to create any sort of chances.

Matip had just about Liverpool's best chance in the first half when nodding wide, well his eyes lit up a moment ago as the ball fell to him in the box. Unable to get a shot through on goal, but the Reds do have themselves another corner.

SAVE! Jakupovic again looks far from confident when looking to collect the ball, with Can's header from an angle running loose before he eventually pounced on it. Liverpool have started this second half well on top.

Superb defending from Ranocchia, as he not only prevented Mane from getting away from him but also won his side a goal-kick. Liverpool already looking far brighter in this second period but still failing to create clear-cut openings.

Evandro nearly in behind as City look to make the most of any counter-attacking opportunities. Approaching the point in the game now when both managers will be thinking of changes, albeit for different reasons - Hull looking to hold on for a point and Liverpool chasing two goals.

SAVE! Mane beats Robertson far too easily in the air, sending a looping header towards the far corner. Jakupovic appeared to mistime his jump but did enough in the end to slap it to safety. A sixth Liverpool corner of the half follows.

Good take from Clyne inside the box and he probably could have fired away a shot first time. In the end he was quickly closed down and when he did eventually get a cross in it was blocked aside. Plenty of pressure from the visitors for the past 15 minutes.

N'Diaye handles the ball which allows Liverpool to sustain this pressure. Hernandez took down Can but no penalty was awarded, before Henderson saw his shot from 10 yards out blocked aside. Hull defending for their lives now.

SHOT! Silva is the first manager to roll the dice, bringing on Tymon for Evandro. Hull put together their first attack of the half, but Hernandez can only divert the ball into the side-netting when picked out by Hernandez.

CHANCE! Two decent openings in quick succession for the hosts - both falling the way of Hernandez. Kamil Grosicki picked out the forward, whose first touch was decent enough by Mignolet was quickly out. Perhaps should have been 2-0!

HULL CITY SUB! Hernandez, who had two decent chances to put the game out of Liverpool's reach, has been replaced by Niasse. Sturridge also being readied to come on, with Can the likely candidate to make way in a shake-up in formation.

CHANCES! Unbelievable! Mane's chipped ball is nodded wide by Lallana, but Milner was well positioned to shoot only to be denied on the line by Jakupovic. Not to worry - Coutinho was perfectly positioned to blast home... only to himself fluff his lines and send it wide.

LIVERPOOL SUB! Sturridge is now on for Can with a quarter of the match left to play. Klopp is unhappy on the touchline, much like Mourinho in midweek, as he believes City are taking far too long over each goal-kick.

SAVE! Liverpool with 80% of possession in this second half, which is beginning to tell as Hull are tiring by the minute. Silva needs to think about bringing on another pair of fresh legs because a leveller seems inevitable, with Milner the latest to test Jakupovic.

YELLOW CARD! Josh Tymon is the second Hull player to be cautioned for a challenge on Mane, this time a little closer to the area. Liverpool rushed into taking on the shot from range which this time fails to test Jakupovic.

It was Milner who sent that shot over the bar a couple of minutes ago, from which Klopp exchanged a few heated words with the makeshift full-back - frustration clearly getting to both. Close to entering the final 10 minutes now, with Klopp still able to make two changes.

The Liverpool pressure in this second half is relentless. A loose ball is finally pounced on by Jakupovic, though, giving Hull a chance to breath for a few seconds. A fifth league win of the season just 10 minutes away for the hosts!

HULL CITY SUB! Meyler is on for Grosicki and enters the pitch with some instructions written on a note. Hull have gone with five across the back now, with Huddlestone dropping into central defence. Niasse a lonely figure up top.

LIVERPOOL SUBS! Hull with a rare chance to attack after winning a free kick. It is sent into the box and panic ensues, but Liverpool eventually clear their lines. Origi and Moreno are now on for Lallana and Milner for these frantic final stages on Humberside.

Hull City have scored a second completely against the run of play to earn what will surely be just a fifth league win of the season. Ranocchia played a ball through the middle and Niasse was clean through; the Everton loanee getting the better of Mignolet to put Hull in dreamland.

SAVE! Jakupovic with a top save to keep out Henderson from range. Had that gone in we may have had a grandstand finish, but as it is just two minutes remain and this Humberside clash is surely all over now.

CHANCE! Sturridge knew little about this one, which was again kept out from Jakupovic - this time from a little closer. A tale of two keepers this afternoon, as Mignolet's earlier error gave Hull a lead that they have not relinquished.

We are two minutes into added time and Hull are now looking much more comfortable than they did at 1-0. Liverpool unlucky not to have levelled up earlier in the half, but they ultimately failed to take their chances while City buried their rare openings.

Referee Lee Mason blows his whistle for full time, meaning a fifth league win of the season for Hull City. The Tigers had their backs against the wall almost throughout the entirety of the second half, but they found a second late on as Liverpool's truly miserable start to 2017 stretches into February.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at the KCOM Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction aplenty from an explosive afternoon of Premier League action can be found elsewhere on the site over the coming hours. Thanks for joining!