Liverpool were unable to break the deadlock at Anfield, settling for a frustrating 0-0 draw as Fulham earned their first point of the Premier League campaign. The hosts, who handed Bradley Barcola his first Premier League start, looked a little sluggish from the opening whistle, still feeling the after‑effects of their recent European clash against Atletico Madrid. An early mistake from Alisson was almost capitalised on by Gonçalo Garcia, but a timely clearance from Jeremy Jacquet saved the day. The Reds came close to finding a breakthrough when Victor Munoz rose to meet a corner from Kostas Tsimikas, only to see his header crash against the crossbar midway through the first half.
Despite a shaky start, Fulham enjoyed generous possession throughout the opening period, even though they entered the match on the back of three consecutive defeats under manager Álvaro Arbeloa. The second half offered Fulham the sharper chances.
Josh King forced Alisson into a reflex save, tipping the ball wide of the post, while Rodrigo Muniz should have finished a neat move after receiving a low cross from substitute Kevin Miller. The visitors continued to press for a rare winner, and in stoppage time Alexander Isak glanced a header wide after a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai.
The stalemate means Andoni Iraola is still hunting for his first Premier League victory at Anfield. To date, he has drawn three of his first four league fixtures as Liverpool’s manager – unbeaten, but far from convincing. The few positives that emerged can be credited to former Liverpool player‑turned‑coach Arbeloa, whose side showed resilience despite a difficult run of form. Key moments of the match: - 12' CLEARED!
Garcia’s chance denied by Jacquet after Alisson’s error. - 22' CROSSBAR! Munoz heads Tsimikas’ corner onto the bar. - 76' SAVE!
King attempts a long‑range effort, Alisson tips it over. - 79' MISS!
Kevin’s cross finds Muniz, who fails to control it. - 90+1' WIDE!
Isak’s header from Szoboszlai’s corner sails wide. After the final whistle, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola addressed the media: "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." "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 will happen the same way during the season." "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." On midfield control, Iraola added: "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 the game better in the second half, even without scoring the goal." When asked whether playing at home was a factor, he 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 Álvaro Arbeloa also spoke after the match: "I know that when you are not winning games, it's not 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." "There were many things we did right but we also made 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 how important it is." "If you have chances, try to take those chances but also be a little 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." "From my first day, we trained hard on the transition.
Everything changed after the Crystal Palace game because we have been working all week, but in the first week also, how important it is to be balanced when you have the ball." Sky Sports correspondent Adam Bate summed up the atmosphere at Anfield: There were celebrations on Wednesday evening when Iraola claimed his first Champions League win against Atletico Madrid, but that triumph was always expected to arrive at some point this season. The bigger question was whether the Basque coach could handle an increasingly congested schedule, having impressed at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth without the added pressure of European commitments. This fixture was the first real test of that capacity, and Liverpool fell short. They struggled to match the tempo that Iraola typically demands, starting slowly and never quite finding the rhythm needed to dominate.
Fulham, bolstered by energetic attacking substitutes, looked as likely to snatch all three points as the hosts. Iraola’s unbeaten run as Liverpool manager continues – a streak that stretches back to early January from his time with the Cherries – yet home games against Nottingham Forest and now Fulham have yielded merely two points. The supporters and the board will be looking for more tangible progress in the coming weeks. The match may have ended without goals, but it offered a clear illustration of the fine margins in the Premier League and the importance of depth, tactical flexibility, and mental resilience as the season progresses.