Liverpool were forced to settle for a frustrating 0-0 draw at Anfield, allowing Fulham to claim their inaugural point of the Premier League campaign. The home side, who handed a first‑team Premier League debut to Bradley Barcola, appeared a touch sluggish from the opening whistle, still feeling the after‑effects of their demanding Europa League clash against Atletico Madrid.
An early mistake from goalkeeper Alisson was nearly capitalised on by Goncalo Garcia, but a swift clearance from Jeremy Jacquet averted a potential opening goal. The Reds did create a genuine chance when Victor Munoz rose to meet a corner from Kostas Tsimikas, only to see his header smash into the crossbar midway through the first half.
Despite the setback, Fulham managed to dominate possession for large spells, even though they entered the match on the back of three consecutive defeats under manager Alvaro Arbeloa. The second half offered Fulham the sharper edges.
Josh King unleashed a long‑range effort that forced Alisson to tip the ball wide of the post, while Rodrigo Muniz, after being introduced as a substitute, should have finished a promising move when Kevin supplied a low cross. Their attempts continued into stoppage time when Alexander Isak rose to meet a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai, only to glance his header just over the bar. The stalemate leaves Andoni Iraola still hunting for his first league victory at Anfield.
To date, he has drawn three of his first four Premier League fixtures, keeping his side unbeaten but far from satisfied. The few positives that emerged from the game largely stemmed from Arbeloa’s side, who showed resilience despite their recent poor form. Key moments: - 12' CLEARANCE!
Garcia’s header is denied by Jacquet after Alisson’s mis‑control. - 22' CROSSBAR! Munoz heads Tsimikas’ corner onto the bar.
- 76' SAVE! King shoots from distance, Alisson tips it over. - 79' MISS! Kevin’s cross finds Muniz, who fails to control the ball.
- 90+1' WIDE! Isak’s header from Szoboszlai’s corner sails wide.
After the match, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola addressed the press, acknowledging his squad’s fatigue: "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 lamented the tight turnaround between fixtures, noting the 60‑plus hours between the Europa League win over Atletico and the Anfield game, and warned that such congested schedules would become more frequent.
"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," he added. Iraola also reflected on his team's midfield performance, admitting that the Reds were late to 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." When questioned about the impact of playing at home, 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 Alvaro Arbeloa also spoke after the match, emphasizing the challenge of maintaining belief when results are not coming: "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 praised his side’s effort while acknowledging the mistakes that cost them: "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 highlighted the need for balance and effective transitions, especially against English teams that thrive on quick counter‑attacks: "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. 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 summed up the broader context at Anfield: after the euphoria of Iraola’s first Champions League win against Atletico, the question now turns to how the Basque coach will manage a congested calendar. His previous successes at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth came without the added pressure of European commitments; this match served as his first real test of juggling multiple competitions. Liverpool struggled to match the tempo Iraola typically demands, starting sluggishly and never quite finding the rhythm needed to break down a disciplined Fulham side, who themselves introduced attacking substitutes to keep the pressure alive.
Iraola’s unbeaten run as Liverpool’s manager continues, a streak that dates back to his tenure with the Bournemouth "Cherries" in early January. However, home fixtures against Nottingham Forest and now Fulham have yielded only two points, underscoring the need for more decisive performances if the Reds hope to contend for top‑flight honors this season.
Overall, the match was a tactical battle that ended without goals but offered plenty of talking points for both managers. Liverpool must find a way to inject freshness and attacking intent into their play, while Fulham can take heart from a resilient performance that earned them a valuable point away from home.