Liverpool Seek First Home Win Under Iraola as Fulham Visits Anfield

Liverpool return to Anfield on Saturday with a familiar feeling and a nagging problem. The performances have been vibrant, the goals flowing, but the Premier League table still shows no home win yet under Andoni Iraola.

Fulham arrive with no points and no fear. All three of their league defeats have come by a single goal. Iraola has seen enough to sound a warning.

“They have been so good,” he said of Saturday’s visitors, underlining that Fulham’s start has been far better than the numbers suggest.

Liverpool’s attack, though, has not blinked. They have scored at least twice in every league game so far and step into the weekend buoyed by a Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid, a result that sharpened the mood and underlined the potential of Iraola’s high-energy blueprint.

Injuries bite, but options remain

The treatment room has not emptied. Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa all remain out, trimming Liverpool’s depth at both ends of the pitch.

Cody Gakpo is a doubt with an adductor issue, a concern for a coach who leans heavily on his wide forwards to stretch games and trigger the press. Bradley Barcola and Milos Kerkez both needed treatment for cramp during the midweek win over Atletico, but the early signs are positive: neither is believed to have suffered a more serious problem.

If Gakpo and Barcola do not make it, the door opens again for Victor Munoz. The winger is poised to start on the flank, likely keeping his place alongside Florian Wirtz and Rio Ngumoha in the trio behind Alexander Isak. It is a young, technical support cast built to run, rotate and break lines.

Isak chasing last season’s tally

At the tip of it all stands Isak. One more goal on Saturday would already take him beyond his total for the whole of last season, a sharp illustration of how quickly he has adapted to Iraola’s demands and the service now flowing into him.

With Wirtz knitting play between the lines and Ngumoha driving at defenders, Liverpool have found ways to get Isak into better positions, earlier and more often. Fulham’s back line can expect little respite.

Predicted Liverpool XI

Iraola is expected to stick with his 4-2-3-1 shape, built on a double pivot and aggressive full-backs:

Liverpool possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Munoz, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak

That structure has given Liverpool control in midfield and license for their attacking quartet to roam. The issue has been turning dominance into wins. Home draws have kept frustration simmering around Anfield, even as the football has crackled.

Kick-off and coverage

The game kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday, 12 September 2026, a traditional slot that keeps it inside the UK’s Saturday 3pm television blackout. There will be no live domestic broadcast, leaving match-going supporters and radio, text, or overseas coverage to carry the story.

Liverpool know what is at stake. The Champions League win over Atletico has set a standard. Now comes the real question: can Iraola’s side finally turn the noise and the numbers at Anfield into a first home league victory of the season?