Liverpool 0-0 Fulham: Iraola admits fatigue after second Anfield draw
Liverpool were held to a goalless draw by Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, dropping points at home for the second time in four Premier League games. Andoni Iraola's side remain unbeaten but have now drawn three of their opening four league matches, leaving them with six points.
- Competition: Premier League
- Venue: Anfield
- Result: Liverpool 0-0 Fulham
- Liverpool record: Six points from four games; three draws, one win
- Key admission: Iraola says his players were tired and there is a lack of freshness
- What's next: Carabao Cup tie at home to Tottenham on Tuesday
Confirmed line-ups
Liverpool (4-3-3)
Starting XI: Alisson; defenders not named in source; midfielders not named in source; forwards Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz
Substitutes: Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, Rio Ngumoha, Jeremie Frimpong
Fulham
Starting XI: Not named in source
Substitutes: Not named in source
Selection notes
The £364m attacking trio of Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz started together for the first time in a league game. Wirtz looked a shadow of the player who was terrific in midweek against Atletico Madrid. Isak managed just 16 touches in 90 minutes — the second fewest for an outfield Liverpool player on record, having had the fewest (14) against Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago. Barcola and Isak had a few encouraging moments, but Iraola acknowledged that is a partnership that will take time to develop.
What was said
"What was lacking was quite clear, it is the first game we had problems to create chances and score goals and make the difference offensively, and that is the main reason we couldn't create chances."
"We are not happy at all with the draw. It is not something that should happen with Liverpool. To be unbeaten, but with three draws, is not something to celebrate too much with this shirt."
"If we want to do something special [this season] we have to cope with playing a game Wednesday, Saturday and then Tuesday. We need to have the right mental state and that was not the case from what we showed. Inside we have it, but we have to just put it out and put more energy on the pitch."
"Bradley is one we are building up physically with games and the games will give him the condition we want. But it is not just Bradley, we lack the freshness. I only remember one clear chance [for Fulham] and we kept the structure but offensively we need to do much better."
"The players were tired and there is a lack of freshness - we cannot hide it. This is the worst turnaround in terms of 60 or 70 hours [since the last game], but this is going to happen in the season and we have to adapt and it is these kind of games that you need to win sometimes with a set-play or a moment of brilliance."
Iraola's language was pointed. He did not hide behind possession or expected goals; he said his team lacked the cutting edge that defined the midweek Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. Alisson went further, framing the run of three draws as beneath the standards of the shirt and questioning the mental state of the group.
The theme running through every quote is energy. Iraola noted before the Atletico match that he does not want players to save energy because another game is coming in three days. His ideal, as he put it, is a "top-level 55 minutes" followed by a "top-level 35 minutes". Against Fulham, Liverpool delivered neither.
The numbers
- Matches at Anfield: Two Premier League games, two draws
- Rare feat: Just the third time in 63 years Liverpool have failed to win both opening home league games
- Points: Six from four Premier League games
- Results: Draws at home to Nottingham Forest and Fulham, draw at Newcastle, win at Ipswich
- Isak touches: 16 in 90 minutes — second fewest for an outfield Liverpool player on record; his 14 against Forest was the fewest
- Attacking trio cost: £364m (Isak, Barcola, Wirtz)
- Fulham context: Had conceded seven goals in their first three league games
- Substitutes used: Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, Rio Ngumoha, Jeremie Frimpong
Injury and availability
No injuries were reported in the source. The issue is workload: Iraola described the turnaround from the Atletico Madrid game as the "worst" at 60 or 70 hours and said there is a lack of freshness throughout the squad. Bradley Barcola is being built up physically with games to reach the condition the staff want.
Why Liverpool's front three is not yet clicking
Iraola has committed to Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz as his attacking trio, and Saturday was the first time all three started a league game together. The theory is sound: Wirtz between the lines, Barcola stretching the pitch, Isak finishing. The practice against Fulham was a front line that received the ball too rarely and too slowly.
Isak's 16 touches tell the story. A centre-forward who sees that little of the ball is not being found by his midfield, and when he did get it, Fulham's deep block had already reorganised. Wirtz, so influential against Atletico, could not find the pockets he thrives in. Barcola had moments but is clearly still building match sharpness, as Iraola confirmed.
The deeper concern is the midfield structure behind them. Iraola sent on Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Milos Kerkez, Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong, and Liverpool showed little improvement. That is a bench built to change a game, and it did not. When a manager makes five attacking changes and the chance count barely moves, the problem is not personnel — it is the pace and pattern of the build-up, and the freshness of the players executing it.
Talking points
- Is six points from four games a slow start or a warning sign? Iraola's own words suggest he sees it as disappointing, especially with four points dropped at home.
- Should Iraola rotate more aggressively for the Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham, given how flat his players looked after a 60-70 hour turnaround?
- Is the £364m front three being set up to fail by a midfield that is not creating enough, or do Isak, Barcola and Wirtz need to do more individually?
- Alisson's comment that three draws is "not something to celebrate too much with this shirt" — is that leadership or a public airing of dressing-room concern?
What happens next
Liverpool host Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, another short turnaround that will test Iraola's rotation and his players' legs. With at least seven more Champions League games to follow, plus the domestic cup, the fixture list only gets denser. Iraola has said his side must adapt and find ways to win these games through set-plays or moments of brilliance. Tuesday is the first chance to show they can.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Liverpool vs Fulham score?
Liverpool 0-0 Fulham at Anfield, a goalless Premier League draw.
Who started up front for Liverpool against Fulham?
Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz started together for the first time in a league game, with Isak managing 16 touches in 90 minutes.
What did Andoni Iraola say after the Fulham draw?
Iraola said the players were tired and there was a lack of freshness, adding that the 60-70 hour turnaround was the worst and that his side must adapt to win such games through set-plays or moments of brilliance.
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