Liverpool Struggle Against Fulham in Alarming Performance That Raises Serious Concerns

Liverpool paid the price for a blunt attacking performance as they slumped to a frustrating scoreless stalemate with Fulham in the Premier League.

The Reds were chasing a third straight win under Andoni Iraola, but their lifeless first-half showing offered little to enthuse the Anfield faithful. Victor Muñoz's near-post header forced a sharp stop from Bernd Leno, and that was largely the best the hosts could produce.

Home fans hoping for a second-half siege on the Fulham goal were left deflated as Liverpool failed to carve out any genuine chances, with even $166.5 million summer acquisition Bradley Barcola unable to leave his mark on his first Premier League start.

A clean sheet remains the only positive for Andoni Iraola, who has now collected just six points from a possible 12 since taking charge at Liverpool.

Heroes and Villans

Hero

Liverpool were crying out for a reliable partner alongside Virgil van Dijk following Ibrahima Konaté's troubling dip in form last season, and the arrival of Jérémy Jacquet has provided exactly that. Once again this campaign, the Frenchman put in a polished, composed display full of quality.

The standout moment came with his goal-line clearance to rescue Alisson's error, the 21-year-old showing excellent awareness to read the situation. That wasn't his only vital contribution either, as his pace and physicality allowed him to repeatedly win the ball back from Fulham attackers.

Villain

Liverpool's defensive vulnerabilities haven't been helped by Milos Kerkez's sluggish start to the season, but Kostas Tsimikas—brought in to replace him against Fulham—produced an even more concerning display than the Hungarian on Saturday.

The 30-year-old's substitution at the break was fully warranted after a shambolic showing that included 11 misplaced passes from 31 attempts and a string of elementary mistakes. Regrettably for Liverpool, neither left-back option is currently meeting Iraola's requirements.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Fulham (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—7.9: Nearly handed Fulham the lead with a wayward short pass into midfield and came close to conceding a penalty in the chaos that followed. Rarely called upon to make saves.

RB: Ronald Araújo—6.9: Fulham were eager to exploit Araújo's side with the attacking-minded Antonee Robinson, and the Barcelona loanee was occasionally left exposed in threatening positions.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—8.1: Bailed out Alisson with a crucial goal-line clearance and produced several key interventions to shut down dangerous Fulham counter-attacks.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.4: Authoritative at the heart of defense, consistently breaking up Fulham's momentum with well-timed tackles and interceptions.

LB: Kostas Tsimikas—6.6: Worryingly careless in possession and failed to build any meaningful understanding with Bradley Barcola. Predictably hauled off at the interval.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—6.8: Well below his typical level. Struggled to find teammates in red and offered little in the way of attacking threat.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.7: Much like his midweek cameo against Atlético Madrid, Gravenberch repeatedly surrendered possession to the visitors. Another underwhelming outing.

RW: Victor Muñoz—6.7: Looks the most convincing of Iraola's right-wing options so far, though his effectiveness faded as the game wore on.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.4: Showed signs of tiredness following his industrious midweek effort, with some uncharacteristic technical lapses reducing his overall contribution.

LW: Bradley Barcola—6.6: Having wasted several openings on his first Liverpool start in midweek, there were no such chances to miss this time around. Largely anonymous throughout.

ST: Alexander Isak—6.5: Dragged a snapshot wide in the opening minutes. That was about as close as the Swede came to making an impact.

SUB: Milos Kerkez (46' for Tsimikas)—6.5: More woeful delivery from set pieces on display.

SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (60' for Gravenberch)—6.9: Injected some welcome intensity and tenacity into the midfield.

SUB: Cody Gakpo (60' for Muñoz)—6.1: Failed to make any meaningful impact after coming off the bench.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (72' for Barcola)—6.2

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (72' for Araújo)—6.9

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Wataru Endō, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool's Subpar Display