Liverpool Seek Full Performance Against Fulham at Anfield

Liverpool have their first win of the 2026-27 Premier League season in the bag. What they do not have yet is a full, convincing 90-minute performance. That is the demand facing Andoni Iraola as Fulham arrive at Anfield on Saturday.

The scoreline at Ipswich looked comfortable. The path to it was anything but typical.

Alexander Isak ripped the contest away from the newly promoted side inside 10 minutes, striking twice to silence Portman Road and ease the tension that had begun to creep around Liverpool’s start. With a 2-0 cushion so early, the Reds never needed to truly seize control or suffocate the Tractor Boys. They managed the game, coasted when they could, and escaped with three points that mattered more for mood than for style.

For a fanbase still wincing from back-to-back 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, seeing Isak on the scoresheet early and often was enough. The new campaign had opened with dropped points and dropped shoulders. At Ipswich, the centre-forward gave them something far more basic: relief.

Fulham dangerous but pointless

Fulham arrive with no points but far from toothless. Alvaro Arbeloa’s team has scored multiple goals in two of their three league matches, a warning that they can hurt anyone if allowed to play.

The table says winless. The performances tell a more complicated story.

Chelsea and Sunderland put them away with authority in the opening two weeks, exposing a side still searching for balance. Then came Crystal Palace. Fulham scored twice, pushed hard, and still walked away from a 3-2 defeat that felt harsh on their effort. Arbeloa can point to goals and passages of sharp attacking play; what he cannot point to yet is a result.

Anfield is not the obvious place to fix that. But for a team that has shown it can find the net, it is an opportunity to test a Liverpool defence already stretched by injuries.

How to watch

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

Team news

Iraola’s options are already being tested.

Liverpool are without Hugo Ekitike (achilles), Conor Bradley (torn ACL), Federico Chiesa (back), Joe Gomez (undisclosed) and Giovanni Lenoi (torn ACL). That is significant disruption to both depth and rotation, especially across the back line and in wide areas.

Fulham’s absentee list is lighter but not insignificant. Club captain Tom Cairney misses out with a knee problem, removing experience and control from Arbeloa’s midfield.

Prediction

Liverpool have the win they needed. Fulham have the goals but not the points. One side is searching for authority, the other for a foothold in the season.

At Anfield, with Isak already in stride and the crowd expecting a statement, Liverpool should have enough to edge a lively, open game. The real question is whether Iraola finally gets that complete 90 minutes he keeps chasing.