Liverpool will look to continue their excellent start under Andoni Iraola when they welcome Fulham to Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds enter the fixture after another impressive European victory, while Fulham are still searching for their first Premier League points of the campaign. Liverpool have made an encouraging start under Iraola, scoring at least twice in every match so far while also showing signs of becoming more defensively secure.
The Reds followed a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town, powered by a quickfire Alexander Isak brace, with an impressive 2-1 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister found the net against the Spanish side, giving Liverpool another important European victory.
Despite their strong overall form, Liverpool are still waiting for their first Premier League home victory of the season. They drew their opening Premier League match at Anfield against Nottingham Forest, making Saturday’s fixture an important opportunity to put that unwanted run to bed.
Liverpool have also dominated this fixture at Anfield in recent years. They have won four and drawn one of their last five home meetings with Fulham across all competitions. Meanwhile, the visitors’ start to the Premier League season could hardly have been more frustrating. The Cottagers have lost all three of their opening league matches, leaving them without a single point.
Their defeats have come in different ways. They were beaten by Chelsea and Crystal Palace despite creating opportunities, while Sunderland managed to keep them out entirely in a 1-0 victory. The 3-2 defeat against Palace was particularly frustrating given that Fulham produced 3.13 expected goals, suggesting that the scoreline did not accurately reflect their attacking output.
Nevertheless, the lack of points has increased pressure on manager Alvaro Arbeloa, with some supporters expressing their frustration following last weekend’s defeat. There is one piece of history that may provide the visitors with some encouragement.
Fulham’s most recent Premier League victory at Anfield came in March 2021, when Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the match. Since then, however, Liverpool have largely dominated this fixture on home soil, winning four and drawing one of their subsequent five meetings. Liverpool also won the most recent encounter 2-0 in April.
Liverpool should dominate possession and attempt to pin Fulham inside their own half. Iraola’s attacking approach has already produced consistent goals, and the home side’s ability to combine through the middle before releasing runners into wide areas could cause significant problems for Fulham.
The visitors may look to exploit Liverpool’s attacking commitment through quick transitions. Fulham’s performance against Crystal Palace demonstrates that they are capable of creating opportunities, even when results are poor. If they can reproduce that attacking efficiency at Anfield, they could make Liverpool uncomfortable.
However, Fulham’s biggest challenge will be surviving Liverpool’s sustained pressure. The hosts have scored at least twice in every match under Iraola, while Fulham have already conceded in all three Premier League fixtures. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Liverpool will assess several players after their midweek Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid. Bradley Barcola and Milos Kerkez both came off before full time, but the latest assessment suggested that their issues were related to cramping rather than significant injuries.
Cody Gakpo remains a bigger doubt due to the adductor problem that kept him out of the Atletico match. Meanwhile, Liverpool will definitely be without Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, Joe Gomez, and Federico Chiesa, who are all sidelined with their respective injuries. Victor Munoz could therefore be handed an opportunity in attack if Gakpo and Barcola are not cleared to play.
Liverpool are expected to retain their 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alisson in goal and Ronald Araujo, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, and Kostas Tsimikas forming the defensive line. In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai should provide the central platform. Both players arrive with confidence after scoring against Atletico in midweek, with Mac Allister’s header ultimately proving decisive.
Further forward, Munoz, Florian Wirtz, and Rio Ngumoha are expected to operate behind Alexander Isak. Isak is one of the major talking points heading into Saturday. The Swedish striker scored twice against Ipswich in his previous Premier League appearance, and another goal against Fulham would see him surpass his entire Premier League goal tally from the 2025/26 campaign.
Liverpool’s attacking depth could therefore remain a major advantage despite the injury list. Their consistent ability to score multiple goals under Iraola should give Fulham’s defence a difficult afternoon. The Reds will also want to improve their home league results. After three consecutive Premier League draws at Anfield, they will be determined to turn their strong attacking performances into three points.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Munoz, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak
Fulham
Fulham head into Saturday’s trip to Anfield with a relatively settled squad. Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney remain unavailable as they continue their recoveries from knee injuries, but there are no major new concerns for manager Alvaro Arbeloa.
Manuel Angel, David Affengruber, and Hugo Larsson were all included in the matchday squad for the first time against Crystal Palace. Larsson made his brief Fulham debut with a second-half cameo, while the other two remained unused substitutes.
Despite the defeat to Palace, Arbeloa is expected to retain much of the same XI, having been satisfied with his players’ overall application in the derby. However, Sander Berge could replace Oscar Bobb if Fulham want additional defensive strength in midfield. Fulham should continue with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal and Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson forming the back four.
Sander Berge and Shea Charles are expected to provide the midfield base, with their primary responsibility likely to be limiting Liverpool’s ability to play through the centre. Further forward, Alex Iwobi, Josh King, and Cesar Palacios should operate behind Gonzalo Garcia. Their movement will be important when Fulham transition from defence to attack, particularly if Liverpool commit both full-backs forward.
Fulham’s biggest source of encouragement is the number of chances they created against Crystal Palace. Despite losing 3-2, they demonstrated that they can cause problems in the final third. However, Anfield presents a significantly more difficult challenge. Liverpool have scored at least twice in every match under Iraola, while Fulham are still searching for their first Premier League point of the season.
Arbeloa’s side will therefore need to remain compact without becoming excessively passive. Berge’s potential inclusion would provide additional protection in front of the centre-backs and could be particularly useful against Liverpool’s attacking midfielders. Fulham’s best route to a result may be through quick transitions, with Iwobi and Palacios attempting to exploit the spaces left behind Liverpool’s advancing full-backs.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Iwobi, King, Palacios; Garcia
Key Stats
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in every competitive match under Andoni Iraola.
- Liverpool are still searching for their first Premier League home win of the season, having drawn their opening three league matches at Anfield.
- Fulham have lost all three of their Premier League matches this season, leaving them without a point heading into the trip to Anfield.
- Fulham produced 3.13 expected goals against Crystal Palace despite losing 3-2.
- Liverpool have dominated Fulham at Anfield in recent meetings, winning four and drawing one of their last five home encounters with the Cottagers. Fulham’s last league victory at Anfield came in March 2021.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Swedish striker arrives in excellent form after scoring a brace against Ipswich Town in his previous Premier League appearance. Another goal on Saturday would see Isak surpass his entire Premier League goal tally from the 2025/26 season.
Isak’s movement could be particularly dangerous against Fulham’s defence. His ability to drop between the lines, stretch centre-backs with his pace and attack spaces behind the defensive line gives Liverpool several ways to break down the visitors. He will also benefit from the creativity around him, with Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister capable of supplying chances from central areas.
Fulham have conceded in all three of their Premier League matches so far, while Liverpool have scored at least twice in every competitive game under Andoni Iraola. With Liverpool searching for their first Premier League home win of the season, Isak could be the player who finally makes the difference at Anfield.
Prediction
Liverpool 3-1 Fulham
Fulham’s attacking numbers suggest they could create chances, but their inability to convert those opportunities has left them pointless after three matches. Liverpool are playing with considerable confidence, have home advantage and have an excellent recent record against Fulham at Anfield.
With the Reds also coming off another UEFA Champions League victory, they should have enough attacking quality to finally claim their first Premier League home win of the campaign.