Liverpool return to Premier League duty at Anfield on Saturday looking to extend an encouraging sequence of results when they welcome a Fulham side still searching for their first league point of the new season.
The meeting brings together two clubs beginning very different new chapters under Spanish managers. Andoni Iraola is settling into life as Liverpool head coach following his summer arrival, while former Reds defender Álvaro Arbeloa has taken charge at Craven Cottage after Marco Silva’s departure.
For Iraola, the early indications have become progressively more encouraging. Two draws at the beginning of the Premier League campaign have been followed by victories in England and Europe, meaning Liverpool enter Saturday afternoon’s fixture with growing confidence and signs that their manager’s methods are beginning to take hold.
Their league season began with a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle United before another 2-2 result against Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Although those matches demonstrated Liverpool’s attacking ability, they also exposed some of the defensive issues Iraola inherited and has been attempting to address.
A much more controlled performance followed at Portman Road on September 4. Alexander Isak struck twice in the opening nine minutes as Ipswich Town were beaten 2-0, providing Liverpool with their first Premier League victory of the campaign and, just as importantly, their first clean sheet.
The positive momentum continued in the Champions League on Wednesday evening when Atlético Madrid were beaten 2-1 at Anfield. Marcos Llorente gave the Spanish visitors the lead, but Dominik Szoboszlai equalised before Alexis Mac Allister completed the turnaround.
That result means Iraola’s side have now won successive matches in different competitions and have conceded only once across them, a significant improvement after shipping four goals across their opening two Premier League fixtures.
There will, however, be little opportunity to relax. Fulham’s results may make Liverpool strong favourites on paper, but their performances have not always been as poor as a record of three defeats from three league matches might suggest.
Saturday’s visitors opened the campaign with a 3-2 home defeat against Chelsea before travelling to newly promoted Sunderland and losing 1-0. A 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over AFC Wimbledon provided temporary relief, only for Crystal Palace to leave Craven Cottage with a 3-2 victory last weekend.
It leaves Arbeloa without a Premier League point ahead of one of the most difficult away assignments in English football.
The concern for the new Fulham manager is obvious. Seven goals have already been conceded across three league games, including three at home to Chelsea and another three against Palace, and defensive mistakes have undermined some promising attacking work.
That does not mean Liverpool can afford to treat the afternoon as routine.
Fulham have been adventurous under Arbeloa and have committed significant numbers into attacking areas. They created plenty against Crystal Palace and their willingness to press high, move the ball quickly and attack with young, technically gifted players could cause problems if Liverpool become careless in possession.
Much of the intrigue surrounds Arbeloa himself. The former Spain international knows Anfield extremely well after spending two-and-a-half years as a Liverpool player between 2007 and 2009, making almost 100 appearances for the club and featuring in the side that challenged Manchester United for the Premier League title during the 2008-09 season.
This visit comes in very different circumstances. His task is now to find a way of frustrating Liverpool while attempting to secure a first Premier League result of his Fulham tenure.
The summer represented a considerable change in direction at Craven Cottage. Several experienced members of the previous squad moved on, including Harry Wilson, Raúl Jiménez, Saša Lukić and Issa Diop, while a younger collection of players arrived to reshape the team.
Gonzalo García was recruited from Real Madrid and has quickly become one of the players expected to carry Fulham’s attacking threat. César Palacios and Manuel Ángel also made the move from Madrid, while midfielder Shea Charles arrived from Southampton.
Deadline day brought further reinforcements. Swedish midfielder Hugo Larsson joined from Eintracht Frankfurt, with centre-back David Affengruber also added to Arbeloa’s options. Jonah Kusi-Asare, who had previously spent time with Fulham, completed a permanent move from Bayern Munich during the summer.
Those changes mean this is a Fulham side still establishing its identity. The manager has attempted to introduce a more aggressive approach than the one seen during Silva’s successful period at the club, and the transition has inevitably produced inconsistencies.
One player Liverpool will need to monitor carefully is Josh King. The 19-year-old midfielder has continued his development after establishing himself in the senior side and has started the season impressively despite the club’s results. His ability to receive possession between midfield and defence, turn quickly and carry the ball towards goal provides Fulham with a potentially dangerous route through Liverpool’s press.
García will also demand attention from Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool’s reshaped back line. The forward offers mobility rather than simply operating as a conventional penalty-box striker, and preventing the visitors from finding him early could be important to maintaining the defensive stability seen in the last two matches.
Liverpool have undergone significant changes of their own since last season.
Iraola inherited a squad that finished outside the Champions League places and the summer was used to reshape key areas. Victor Muñoz arrived from Osasuna to add pace and versatility across the forward positions, while highly rated French defender Jérémy Jacquet joined the squad after his move had previously been arranged.
Ronald Araújo was subsequently brought in on a season-long loan from Barcelona, giving Iraola another experienced central defensive option following the departure of Ibrahima Konaté.
The most eye-catching addition arrived at the end of August when Bradley Barcola joined from Paris Saint-Germain. The France international provides the explosive one-against-one ability Liverpool wanted on the wing and his arrival represents a significant investment in an attack that has undergone considerable change.
Barcola made his first Liverpool start against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday but was withdrawn during the second half after suffering cramp. Iraola has since indicated that the issue is not considered an injury, although the winger’s workload will have to be managed after arriving without a full pre-season behind him.
Cody Gakpo represents the bigger immediate fitness question. The Netherlands international missed the Champions League victory because of discomfort in his adductor and will need to be assessed before the team is finalised.
Milos Kerkez also experienced cramp against Atlético but is expected to be available, while Liverpool continue to manage several longer-term absences.
Conor Bradley remains sidelined after the serious knee injury he sustained last season, and Hugo Ekitiké is continuing his rehabilitation from the Achilles injury suffered in April. Federico Chiesa has also been working his way back following a pre-season problem, while Giovanni Leoni’s recovery from the ACL injury that has kept him out for a year continues.
Joe Gomez has been recovering from a muscle injury and is moving closer to a return to full training, although Saturday may come too soon for the defender.
Those absences leave Iraola with decisions to make, particularly in the wide positions. Rio Ngumoha could again have an important role if Gakpo is unavailable or Barcola is not considered ready to start another match so soon after his Champions League involvement.
The teenager already has happy memories of facing Fulham. When the sides met at Anfield in April, Ngumoha scored the opening goal in a 2-0 Liverpool victory, becoming the club’s youngest Premier League goalscorer at Anfield in the process. Mohamed Salah added the second four minutes later on that occasion.
Salah has since departed, making the responsibility carried by Liverpool’s newer attacking combination even greater this season.
At the centre of it is Isak. The Sweden international has begun the Premier League campaign in excellent goalscoring form and his quick-fire brace against Ipswich demonstrated precisely why Liverpool will believe they can punish Fulham if the visitors allow space behind their defensive line.
Florian Wirtz offers creativity just behind the striker, while Szoboszlai and Mac Allister give Iraola an accomplished midfield platform. Both were on the scoresheet in midweek, and their ability to dictate the speed of Saturday’s game could determine whether Fulham are able to turn the contest into the open, transitional match they may prefer.
The home side must also manage the schedule intelligently. Liverpool have had only a short recovery period following the Atlético victory and face Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday before travelling to Bournemouth for another Premier League fixture on September 20.
That may encourage Iraola to make changes, but establishing momentum in the league remains the immediate priority.
Fulham’s injury situation is considerably lighter. Captain Tom Cairney is unavailable because of a knee problem, while Luc de Fougerolles has also been dealing with a knee injury. Otherwise, Arbeloa has a relatively strong group from which to select his side and several of the deadline-day arrivals have now had additional training time with their new teammates.
The visitors will know that surviving the opening stages could be particularly important. Liverpool struck twice inside nine minutes at Ipswich and have the attacking speed to overwhelm opponents when their press begins creating turnovers in advanced positions.
Anfield will also expect its team to take control. Two points were dropped there against Nottingham Forest in the previous home league fixture, so Saturday provides an opportunity to record a first Premier League home victory of the Iraola era.
Recent meetings between these clubs nevertheless offer sufficient warning against complacency.
Last season’s corresponding fixture finished 2-0 to Liverpool, but the earlier meeting at Craven Cottage produced a dramatic 2-2 draw. Liverpool appeared to have snatched victory when Gakpo scored deep into stoppage time, only for Harrison Reed to equalise with a spectacular long-range strike moments later.
Fulham also won 3-2 at Craven Cottage in April 2025 and held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Anfield during the 2024-25 campaign. The Cottagers have therefore demonstrated repeatedly in recent seasons that they can make life uncomfortable for their opponents.
There is an additional psychological dimension this weekend because the pressure falls differently on the two managers.
Iraola is attempting to accelerate Liverpool’s progress after an uneven opening fortnight and will expect his side to impose themselves against opponents sitting without a point. Another victory would make it three consecutive wins in all competitions and reinforce the impression that Liverpool are becoming more secure without sacrificing their attacking threat.
Arbeloa is facing the first difficult period of his Fulham tenure. Three successive league defeats inevitably create scrutiny, regardless of the encouraging elements within performances, and a trip to Anfield is followed by another demanding Premier League match against Manchester United.
For the former Liverpool defender, this therefore represents both an emotional return and a considerable managerial test.
The tactical battle could be fascinating. Iraola has built his reputation around intensity, direct attacking transitions and coordinated pressing, while Arbeloa has shown a willingness to push Fulham higher up the pitch and commit players forward.
Should the visitors attempt to play through Liverpool rather than retreat into a deep defensive block, there could be opportunities at both ends. Conversely, losing possession carelessly against Isak, Wirtz, Ngumoha, Muñoz or Barcola could quickly turn into an unforgiving afternoon.
Three league games remain far too small a sample from which to make definitive judgements about either side. Liverpool are unbeaten but have already experienced moments of vulnerability, while Fulham are pointless despite producing attacking football that has deserved more reward than their position suggests.
What Saturday should provide is another indication of how quickly each new manager can turn ideas into results.
Liverpool have home advantage, the stronger start and renewed confidence following victories over Ipswich and Atlético Madrid. Fulham arrive under pressure but with a rebuilt squad desperate to ensure their opening sequence does not extend to four Premier League defeats.
For Iraola, victory would strengthen the belief that the pieces of his new Liverpool are beginning to fit together. For Arbeloa, taking something from the ground he once called home could provide exactly the result Fulham need to kick-start their season.
With new signings, new managers and two sides still learning what they can become, Anfield may provide a revealing afternoon.
