Liverpool vs Fulham: Next Test for Iraola's Side
Liverpool still don’t quite look like Liverpool, but the points are finally on the board. Now comes the next test of Andoni Iraola’s new era: Fulham under the Anfield lights on Saturday.
Liverpool searching for a full performance
The first win of the 2026-27 Premier League season arrived last weekend, yet it felt more like a glimpse than a statement. Liverpool struck early at newly promoted Ipswich Town, Alexander Isak ripping through the Tractor Boys with two goals inside the opening 10 minutes, and then… eased off.
They coasted. They didn’t need to dominate the ball or suffocate the game. After back-to-back 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, no one in red was complaining. Isak’s name on the scoresheet, twice and quickly, settled nerves and bought Iraola time.
But it wasn’t the full, relentless 90-minute display the Basque coach craves. That remains the next step.
Fulham arrive at Anfield as awkward opponents: pointless in the table, dangerous in attack, and still stung by last weekend.
Fulham lively but empty-handed
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side has nothing to show for its first three league games, but the story is not as simple as a slow start. Fulham have scored multiple goals in two of those three matches, and their front line has carried a real threat.
They were comfortably beaten by Chelsea and Sunderland in the opening weeks, undone at both ends of the pitch. Then came Crystal Palace. Fulham hit back, traded punches, and still walked away with a 3-2 defeat that felt harsh on the balance of their attacking ambition.
So they travel to Anfield with no points, a sense of injustice, and a clear need to tighten up without losing that edge in the final third.
Kickoff, TV and streaming details
- Kickoff: 10 am ET, Saturday (September 12)
- Venue: Anfield — Liverpool
- TV Channel (US): Peacock
- Streaming: Live on Peacock
Team news
Liverpool
Iraola’s options remain trimmed in key areas. Several first-team players are unavailable:
- Hugo Ekitike (achilles)
- Conor Bradley (torn ACL)
- Federico Chiesa (back)
- Joe Gomez (undisclosed)
- Giovanni Lenoi (torn ACL)
The absences keep the spotlight firmly on Isak and the remaining attacking core to carry the load again.
Fulham
Arbeloa has a shorter injury list but still loses an important dressing-room voice:
- Tom Cairney (knee)
Liverpool vs Fulham prediction
Liverpool have yet to put together a complete performance. Fulham have yet to collect a point. One of those trends has to bend.
With Isak in form and Anfield behind them, Liverpool should have enough to edge a Fulham side that can hurt opponents but struggles to keep the door shut. Expect goals, expect swings in momentum, and expect Iraola to demand that this is the day his team finally plays the full 90 the way he imagined when he took the job.
