Liverpool were unable to break the deadlock at Anfield, settling for a frustrating 0-0 stalemate as Fulham earned their inaugural point of the Premier League campaign on the home turf of the Reds. The hosts, who handed Bradley Barcola his first Premier League start, appeared a touch sluggish from the opening whistle, still feeling the after‑effects of their demanding Europa League clash against Atletico Madrid. A rare lapse from goalkeeper Alisson allowed Goncalo Garcia to threaten, but Jeremy Jacquet intervened with a crucial clearance, averting a potential opening goal. Liverpool came close to taking the lead when Victor Munoz rose to meet a corner from Kostas Tsimikas, only to see his header smash against the crossbar midway through the first half.
Despite the setback, Fulham enjoyed considerable possession, even though they arrived at Anfield on the back of three successive defeats under manager Alvaro Arbeloa. The second half offered Fulham the sharper chances.
Josh King unleashed a long‑range effort that forced Alisson to tip the ball wide of the post, while a promising move saw substitute Kevin deliver a low cross to Rodrigo Muniz, who failed to control the ball cleanly and missed a clear opportunity to put the visitors ahead. In added time, Alexander Isak rose to meet a Szoboszlai corner, but his header drifted harmlessly wide. The point leaves Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola still hunting for his first Premier League victory at Anfield.
So far he has drawn three of his opening four league games, a record that reflects an unbeaten but unsatisfying start. The positives, according to many observers, belong more to former Liverpool player‑turned‑coach Arbeloa than to the home side.
Key moments of the match: - 12' CLEARANCE – Garcia’s near‑goal thwarted by Jacquet after Alisson’s mishandling. - 22' CROSSBAR – Munoz’s header from Tsimikas’ corner rattles the bar. - 76' SAVE – King’s long‑range strike is tipped over by Alisson.
- 79' MISS – Kevin’s cross finds Muniz, who fails to settle the ball. - 90+1' WIDE – Isak’s header from Szoboszlai’s corner sails wide. After the final whistle, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola addressed the media, acknowledging the fatigue that had plagued his side. “In the end, this is the easier one for me, for you, for everyone – our players were tired.
I think there is a lack of freshness, definitely. We cannot hide it,” he said. He lamented the short turnaround between fixtures, noting that “it is the worst turnaround in terms of 60‑something hours between the games, after a very big game the other day. But this is going to happen more times, maybe with one more day, maybe.
Sometimes it’s going to happen the same way during the season.” Iraola stressed the need for adaptability, explaining that “we have to adapt to these circumstances. It’s this kind of game that you need to win, sometimes with a set‑piece, sometimes with a shot from the edge, sometimes from a moment of brilliance from the offensive players and we haven’t had that today. We’ve been clearly not as good offensively as we’ve been on other days.” Regarding midfield control, he admitted, “Especially in the first half we were arriving late to the presses. It’s clear.
I think we improved this part a lot in the second half. We’ve been better structured, I think we controlled the game better in the second half, even without scoring the goal.” When asked whether the home environment was a factor, Iraola replied, “I didn’t feel it three days ago against Atletico Madrid.
Is it because we haven’t won? I don’t know. I prefer to play at home, definitely I prefer to play at home. We cannot find the reasons outside, we have to find the reasons inside the pitch.” Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa also spoke post‑match, reflecting on the challenge of keeping belief when results are scarce.
“I know that when you are not winning games, it’s not so easy for your players to believe in your ideas. Everything is easy when you win but they believe in the way we have been working and I showed them the things that we were doing so well.” He highlighted the importance of balance and transition, especially against English sides with quick players: “If you have chances, try to take those chances but also be a little more balanced and control the transition. All teams here in England have quick players.
I think we did better and we realised how important it is to be balanced.” Arbeloa added that the squad had been drilling transition since his first day, noting a turning point after the Crystal Palace defeat: “Everything changed after the Crystal Palace game because we have been working all this week, but in the first week also, how important it is to be balanced when you have the ball.” Sky Sports’ correspondent Adam Bate offered his perspective from Anfield. He recalled the celebration that followed Iraola’s first Champions League win against Atletico Madrid, but warned that the league test was always looming.
“One of the themes of this Liverpool season was always likely to be how the Basque coach would be able to cope with an increased schedule, having impressed at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth without the added challenge of European commitments. This was the first test of that and Liverpool did not pass it.
They were unable to play at the tempo that Iraola usually demands, starting slowly and struggling to raise the level. Fulham, with an injection of attacking substitutes of their own, looked as likely to win it.” Iraola’s unbeaten run as Liverpool manager persists, extending back to his early days with Bournemouth, yet home fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Fulham have yielded merely two points. The consensus among pundits is that more decisive performances are required if the Reds hope to fulfill the lofty expectations set at the start of the campaign. The match concluded without goals, but the narrative surrounding Liverpool’s adaptation to a congested calendar, squad rotation, and tactical flexibility will dominate analysis in the weeks ahead.