Liverpool labored to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Fulham at Anfield, leaving supporters wondering where the spark went on a sluggish Saturday afternoon.
Andoni Iraola shuffled his pack following midweek commitments against Atletico Madrid, handing Kostas Tsimikas his first start of the season while resting Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Rio Ngumoha. Yet, the changes failed to inject any fluency into a disjointed home side.
Liverpool lacked sharpness right from the first whistle. Alisson gifted Fulham an early opening after just 11 minutes when his short pass to Ryan Gravenberch invited intense pressure. Sander Berge and Joshua King capitalized, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to round the goalkeeper. Only a crucial goal-line clearance from Jeremy Jacquet spared Liverpool’s blushes and kept the game scoreless.
The hosts struggled to build any real rhythm in the first half. Víctor Muñoz, standing as one of the smallest players on the pitch, went closest for the Reds when he crashed a header against the crossbar from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. Florian Wirtz also dragged an effort wide, but a lack of chemistry among the front four left Anfield largely subdued. Fulham posed a constant threat on the counter, and expected goals metrics at the break showed the visitors actually shaded the opening 45 minutes at 0.48 to 0.38.
Iraola recognized the danger and acted at half-time, replacing a struggling Tsimikas with Kerkez. The tactical tweak pushed Bradley Barcola inside and brought some much-needed width down the left flank. Alexander Isak tested Bernd Leno shortly after the restart with a clever turn and shot, while Szoboszlai forced a sharp save from the German keeper with a ferocious drive.
Further changes on the hour mark saw Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo replace Gravenberch and Muñoz. While the substitutes added urgency, they could not unlock a stubborn Fulham defense. Jeremie Frimpong replaced Ronald Araujo and immediately drove into the box, but Gakpo failed to control the cutback in a moment that typified Liverpool’s afternoon.
Fulham continued to probe, with Alisson denying King and substitute Rodrigo Muniz missing a golden chance at the back post. As stoppage time approached, Liverpool grew increasingly frantic. Isak met a late corner at the near post with four minutes added on, but he could only steer his header wide across the face of goal.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved point for a resilient Fulham side, who restricted Liverpool to just three shots on target from 12 attempts. The match ended with the expected goals nearly level at 0.99 to 0.83, perfectly illustrating a contest short on finishing quality.
Liverpool now turn their attention to a Carabao Cup clash against Tottenham at Anfield on Tuesday, needing a swift return to top gear.