Arbeloa Returns to Anfield as Fulham Seek First Point

Alvaro Arbeloa walks back into Anfield on Saturday knowing every corner of the place – and knowing his Fulham side cannot afford another empty-handed afternoon.

Three games, three defeats. Chelsea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace have all put Fulham away, seven goals shipped and none of the consolation of a single Premier League point. The table does not lie: the Cottagers sit bottom.

Arbeloa insists the performances tell a different story.

“We create enough chances to win games… we know what we need to do to adjust,” he has argued, backing a group he believes is close to clicking.

He has also been studying the opposition. Liverpool’s midweek Champions League win over Atletico Madrid left an impression, with the Spaniard noting they are “improving” and “controlling the games better”.

That is the scale of the task awaiting his team on Merseyside.

Fulham injuries and selection calls

At least Arbeloa’s week has been uncomplicated on the medical front. There are no new injuries. Only Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney remain sidelined, both still working back from knee problems.

Cairney is edging nearer, with the expectation he will be close to full training after the international break. For now, Fulham travel without their captain but with a largely settled squad.

There have been fresh faces around the dressing room. Summer recruits Manuel Angel, David Affengruber and Hugo Larsson all made the matchday squad for the first time in last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace. Larsson even got on the pitch, handed a brief run-out in the second half as Arbeloa begins to drip new blood into the side.

He liked what he saw in terms of effort at Selhurst Park. That matters for his team selection.

Likely XI and a key midfield decision

Arbeloa is not expected to rip anything up. He has spoken positively about his players’ application in the derby loss, so continuity should rule – with one possible tweak in the middle of the pitch.

Sander Berge is pushing to start. If Arbeloa decides he needs a bit more steel in midfield at Anfield, the Norwegian could replace Oscar Bobb, giving Fulham extra protection in front of the back four.

Fulham’s probable lineup in a 4-2-3-1 looks like this:

Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Iwobi, King, Palacios; Garcia.

That shape has become familiar. The question is whether it can finally deliver something tangible.

Kick-off time and TV details

Liverpool vs Fulham kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday, 12 September 2026.

For fans in the UK, this one falls under the traditional Saturday 3pm blackout, so it will not be shown live on television.

So Fulham head to Anfield out of sight, but very much under scrutiny. Bottom of the league, no points on the board, and a former Liverpool defender in the away dugout trying to halt the slide at the stadium that once roared him on.