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Liverpool Seek Complete Performance Against Fulham at Anfield

Two Liverpool players in red jerseys on field
Injuries

Liverpool finally have a win on the board. What they still don’t have is a complete performance.

Andoni Iraola’s side eased past newly promoted Ipswich Town last weekend, 3-0 away, yet the scoreline told only half the story. Liverpool didn’t need to dominate. They didn’t need to suffocate the game. Alexander Isak did the heavy lifting early, and the rest of the afternoon drifted by.

Two goals in the first 10 minutes from Isak killed the contest before Ipswich could even settle. For a team that had stumbled to back-to-back 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest to open the campaign, those quick-fire strikes felt like a release valve. The away end finally saw their new star centre-forward erupt, early and often.

And still, the feeling lingers: this Liverpool side has another gear to find.

Iraola wants intensity, structure, and control over 90 minutes. He didn’t quite get that at Portman Road. Liverpool coasted, managed the game, and never had to stretch themselves. It was efficient rather than explosive, a result that calmed the table but not necessarily the questions.

Fulham arrive at Anfield in a very different mood, but not short on threat. Alvaro Arbeloa’s team have yet to collect a single point, yet they have already shown they can punch in the final third. They’ve scored multiple goals in two of their three league games so far, a reminder that they won’t simply turn up to defend and hope.

The problem has been everything else.

Chelsea and Sunderland both beat them convincingly in the opening two weeks, exposing a side still trying to find its balance. Then came Crystal Palace. Fulham lost 3-2, but the sense from that match was of a team that deserved more. They created, they chased, they stayed in the fight. On another day, Arbeloa walks away with at least a draw.

Instead, he comes to Anfield with zero points and a growing urgency.

Kickoff, TV and streaming details

  • Kickoff: 10 am ET, Saturday, September 12
  • Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
  • TV: Peacock
  • Streaming: Live on Peacock

Anfield will expect Liverpool to impose themselves from the first whistle. The early-season table, the stature of the opponent, and the attacking options at Iraola’s disposal all point in one direction: this is a game the home side must control, not just win.

Team news: Liverpool

Iraola’s plans are complicated by a significant absentee list.

  • OUT: Hugo Ekitike (achilles)
  • OUT: Conor Bradley (torn ACL)
  • OUT: Federico Chiesa (back)
  • OUT: Joe Gomez (undisclosed)
  • OUT: Giovanni Lenoi (torn ACL)

The injuries strip away depth and flexibility, particularly in wide and defensive areas. It places even more responsibility on the fit senior core to deliver that elusive full-throttle, 90-minute display.

Team news: Fulham

Arbeloa’s list is shorter but still important.

  • OUT: Tom Cairney (knee)

Without Cairney, Fulham lose a calm, experienced presence in midfield, the kind of player who can help them breathe at Anfield when the game starts to race.

Prediction: Can Liverpool finally put it all together?

On paper, this leans heavily towards Liverpool: home crowd, momentum from that Ipswich win, and an in-form Isak against a Fulham side still chasing their first point.

But Fulham have already shown they can score, and if Liverpool slip back into the loose control that cost them against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, this could turn into a more open contest than Iraola wants.

The expectation is simple. Liverpool to win, and to do it with more authority. The real question is whether this is the afternoon when performance finally matches result.

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