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Liverpool were held to a goalless draw by Fulham at Anfield, with Andoni Iraola’s side failing to find the net for the first time this season, just three days after beating Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, as the intensity that defined that midweek performance was noticeably absent against a Fulham side previously without a single point.
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Alvaro Arbeloa picked up his first Premier League point since taking charge of Fulham in the summer, having lost each of his opening three league matches, with his side producing a battling away performance that arguably deserved more than a point given the chances created in the final third.
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Fulham should have taken an early lead when Jeremy Jacquet was forced to clear Gonzalo Garcia’s effort off the line following a mix-up between goalkeeper Alisson and Ryan Gravenberch, while further opportunities fell to Josh King and Antonee Robinson before the break, both of which went unconverted.
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Liverpool made a flurry of second-half changes in search of a breakthrough, introducing Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong, but were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who produced strong saves to deny both Ryan Gravenberch’s replacement Victor Munoz and a late Dominik Szoboszlai effort.
September 12, (THEWILL) – Liverpool’s momentum from their midweek Champions League win over Atletico Madrid failed to carry over into the Premier League, as Fulham held Andoni Iraola’s side to a goalless draw at Anfield to claim their first point of the season.
Fulham arrived under significant pressure, with manager Alvaro Arbeloa yet to register a single point since taking charge in the summer, having lost all three of his opening Premier League fixtures. His side responded with a battling display that lacked the polish to convert their chances but showed clear signs of fight and organisation, ultimately earning a result that felt fully deserved on the balance of play.
Iraola made three changes to his Liverpool side, bringing in Kostas Tsimikas, Ryan Gravenberch and Victor Munoz in place of Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister and Rio Ngumoha. Arbeloa, who spent two seasons as a Liverpool player between 2007 and 2009, made two alterations of his own, handing a debut to Austrian centre-back David Affengruber in place of Joachim Andersen and bringing in Sander Berge for Cesar Palacios.
The visitors should have taken an early lead through a moment born entirely out of Liverpool’s own uncertainty at the back. A mix-up between goalkeeper Alisson and Gravenberch allowed Gonzalo Garcia a clear sight of goal, and only a last-ditch clearance off the line from Jeremy Jacquet prevented Fulham from going ahead inside the opening exchanges.
Fulham continued to look the sharper side for large parts of the first half without managing to make their dominance count. Josh King forced a save from Alisson with an effort from inside the box, while Antonee Robinson headed a good opportunity wide when better placed. At the other end, Liverpool’s best chance of the half saw Munoz’s header pushed away by a strong save from Fulham goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, while a Bradley Barcola volley was deflected behind for a corner by Timothy Castagne.
Iraola moved quickly to freshen things up, sending on Kerkez for a struggling Tsimikas at half-time before making a double substitution just after the hour mark, introducing Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo for Gravenberch and Munoz as he searched for a spark to shift the momentum of the game.
Chances continued to arrive for the hosts without the finishing touch to match.
Alexander Isak saw an effort comfortably held by Leno, before the Fulham goalkeeper produced another important save to deny a powerful strike from Dominik Szoboszlai.
A further double change followed in the 72nd minute, with Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong introduced, but Liverpool were unable to find the breakthrough their pressure arguably deserved.
Isak headed narrowly wide from a stoppage-time corner in the game’s final meaningful moment, while Fulham also had late openings of their own through King and substitute Kevin, ultimately seeing out the closing stages to secure their point.
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The result leaves Liverpool with six points from their opening four Premier League fixtures, a return that shouldn’t cause immediate alarm but will nonetheless frustrate Iraola given how flat his side appeared just days after their impressive European win. It marks Liverpool’s fourth consecutive home draw in the Premier League stretching back into last season, and their first goalless result at Anfield in the league since Leeds visited in January.
For Fulham, the point represents a significant step in the right direction following a difficult start to the campaign that included being booed off at home the previous week. After gruber impressed on his debut alongside captain Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defence, and Fulham also outmuscled Liverpool for touches inside the opposition box, recording 24 to Liverpool’s 18. Arbeloa’s side face a run of fixtures against the three newly promoted clubs in October, which should provide a clearer picture of how his tenure in charge is progressing.
For now, though, Arbeloa can take real satisfaction from becoming the first former Liverpool player to earn a point against his old club as a manager, a feat that eluded Paul Ince, Mauricio Pellegrino and Steven Gerrard before him. Liverpool, meanwhile, will need to find a quick response if they’re to avoid this kind of stuttering home form becoming a recurring theme of their season.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
