Liverpool Seek Complete Performance Against Fulham at Anfield

Liverpool have their first win on the board. What they do not yet have is a full, convincing 90 minutes – and Andoni Iraola knows it.

Last weekend at Ipswich, the scoreline flattered the process. Alexander Isak struck twice inside the opening 10 minutes against the newly promoted side, ripping the game away before it had settled. From there, Liverpool eased through the afternoon, managing the contest rather than seizing it, coasting to three points without ever needing to dominate the Tractor Boys.

After back‑to‑back 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest to open the 2026-27 Premier League season, those early goals felt like a release valve. Isak’s quick-fire double soothed nerves and gave Reds supporters what they had been craving: a ruthless edge in front of goal. The performance, though, still left room for debate.

Fulham arrive at Anfield in a very different mood but with a similar sense of frustration. Alvaro Arbeloa’s team have yet to collect a single point, yet they have shown they can hurt opponents. They have scored multiple goals in two of their three league games so far, an attacking return that usually brings some reward. It hasn’t.

Chelsea and Sunderland put the Cottagers away with something to spare in the first two weeks, exposing defensive gaps and punishing mistakes. Then came Crystal Palace. Fulham lost 3-2, but the contest told a more complicated story. Arbeloa’s side carried a threat, created chances and, on another day, would have taken at least a draw. They walked away empty-handed, feeling hard done by and still anchored to the bottom end of the table.

Now they walk into Anfield, where the margins are rarely kind to teams under pressure.

How to watch Liverpool vs Fulham

Kick-off time: 10 am ET, Saturday (September 12)
Venue: Anfield — Liverpool
TV Channel: Peacock
Streaming: Live on Peacock

Team news: Liverpool

Iraola’s options are already being tested.

Hugo Ekitike is out with an achilles problem, removing one attacking alternative.
Conor Bradley and Giovanni Lenoi are sidelined by torn ACLs, long-term blows that strip depth and flexibility from the squad.
Federico Chiesa is unavailable with a back issue, while Joe Gomez also misses out with an undisclosed problem.

The absences force continuity in some areas and improvisation in others. The demand for a complete team display only grows.

Team news: Fulham

Arbeloa’s injury list is shorter but still significant. Captain Tom Cairney is out with a knee injury, taking experience and control away from the heart of Fulham’s midfield.

Without him, the visitors must find composure in one of the league’s most unforgiving arenas.

Liverpool vs Fulham: what’s at stake?

Liverpool are chasing more than another win. They want authority, control, a statement that this season will not be defined by stuttering starts and patchy spells.

Fulham, still pointless but far from toothless, are hunting the kind of result that can flip a campaign on its head.

Anfield has seen enough early-season storylines to know one thing: this is where intentions start to look real, or get exposed.