Liverpool were denied a victory at Anfield, settling for a dull 0-0 stalemate as Fulham earned their inaugural point of the Premier League campaign on the historic ground. The hosts, who handed Bradley Barcola his first Premier League start, appeared a touch sluggish in the opening exchanges, a likely after‑effect of the demanding mid‑week clash with Atletico Madrid.
An early mishap from goalkeeper Alisson, where a mis‑controlled ball nearly found the net via Gonçalo Garcia, was rescued by a timely clearance from Jeremy Jacquet. The Reds flirted with a breakthrough when Victor Muñoz rose to meet a corner from Kostas Tsimikas, only to see his header smash against the cross‑bar midway through the first half. Despite a poor run of form – having lost their opening three matches under Alvaro Arbeloa – Fulham managed to dominate possession for large spells and threatened to overturn the scoreline on several occasions. In the second half the visitors continued to create the sharper chances.
Josh King forced Alisson into a reflex save, tipping the ball wide of the post, while substitute Kevin supplied a low cross that found Rodrigo Muñiz, who struggled to control the ball before missing a clear‑cut opportunity. Even in stoppage time, Alexander Isak managed a glancing header from a Szoboszlai corner that drifted harmlessly over the bar. The draw leaves Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola still hunting for his first Premier League win at Anfield. To date, he has drawn three of his opening four league fixtures, a respectable unbeaten start but one that falls short of the club’s lofty expectations.
The positives in the performance were largely credited to former Liverpool player‑turned‑coach Arbeloa, who praised his side’s resilience despite the lack of a goal. Key moments of the match: - 12' – Alisson’s error almost rewarded Gonçalo Garcia, but Jeremy Jacquet cleared the danger. - 22' – Victor Muñoz heads Tsimikas’ corner onto the cross‑bar.
- 76' – Josh King fires from distance, Alisson tips the ball over the bar. - 79' – Kevin delivers a cross, Muñiz fails to control and misses. - 90+1' – Alexander Isak’s header from a Szoboszlai corner sails wide.
Post‑match, Iraola addressed the media, acknowledging the fatigue that plagued his squad: "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 continued, reflecting on the tight turnaround between fixtures: "I think it's 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." The manager emphasized the need for adaptability: "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 in other days." When questioned about Liverpool’s midfield performance, Iraola admitted the team were late to the press in the first half: "I think today, 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. I think we've been better structured, I think we controlled better the game in the second half, even without scoring the goal." On the subject of playing at home, he said: "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, in his own press conference, spoke about belief and learning from mistakes: "I know that when you are not winning games, it's not so easy that your players believe in your ideas.
I know everything is easy when you win but they believe in the way that we have been working and I showed them the things that we were doing so well." He highlighted the fine margins in the Premier League: "I think there were so many things that we did well but we have been making mistakes and of course, in this league, if you make mistakes, they will punish you. That's the league, that's the level and we need to understand that, how important it is." Arbeloa also stressed the importance of balance and transition against fast English sides: "If you have chances, try to take those chances but also to be a little bit more balanced and control the transition against a team when all teams here in England have quick players. I think we did better and we realised how important it is to be balanced." He added that the team had been drilling the transition since his first day, noting a turning point after the Crystal Palace defeat: "From my first day, we trained so hard about the transition. But I think everything changed after the Crystal Palace game because I think 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 analysis from Anfield, reminding fans of the celebratory mood after Iraola’s first Champions League win over Atletico Madrid just three days earlier.
He argued that the real test for the Basque manager now lies in coping with a congested schedule, something he managed well at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth when European commitments were absent. "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," Bate wrote.
He noted that while Iraola’s unbeaten run as Liverpool boss continues – a streak that stretches back to early January based on his tenure with the Cherries – the home draws against Nottingham Forest and Fulham have yielded only two points, underscoring the need for more decisive performances. Overall, the match was a textbook example of how tightly contested Premier League fixtures can be, especially when fatigue, squad rotation, and tactical adjustments intersect. Both managers left with clear messages: Iraola must find a way to inject freshness and attacking intent into his side, while Arbeloa will look to build on the resilience his team showed and convert the chances they create into tangible points as the season progresses. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m!
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