Why Liverpool’s drab draw with Fulham showed Andoni Iraola’s biggest problem

If part of the challenge for Andoni Iraola when he took the Liverpool job was mastering the art of winning Premier League games after midweek Champions League dates, he failed his first test. An Anfield afternoon against a side with the wrong sort of 100 percent record ought to have been the ideal introduction to such assignments.

Instead, Fulham got their first point of the season. A Spanish manager with a playing career at right-back had much to savour; but it was Alvaro Arbeloa, not Iraola. A terrific defender under Rafa Benitez, Arbeloa contributed to many a clean sheet in his time at Liverpool. Now Fulham have a first in the Premier League in his reign. Having conceded three goals to left wing-backs against Crystal Palace last week, they conceded none to Liverpool’s three £100m men.

“Happy with the point and more happy with the performance,” said Arbeloa. “We were more balanced today. We defended so well.” He had made the bold decision to give the Austrian centre-back David Affengruber a debut at Anfield. “He proved how good he is,” Arbeloa said.

But Iraola’s side delivered a disjointed display, failing to touch the heights they reached in their comeback against Atletico Madrid and failing to score for the first time under him. “What was lacking was quite clear. It is the first game we had problems to create chances and score goals,” he admitted.

Their busy week was a factor but, Iraola insisted, it cannot be an excuse. “It is easy [to say] the players were tired, there is a lack of freshness and we cannot hide it,” said Iraola. “It is the worst turnaround in terms of 60 or 70 hours [between games] but this is going to happen in the season and we have to adapt.” Liverpool did not.

If the workload was new for the head coach, the outcome was familiar for both him and Liverpool. They have drawn their first two league games at Anfield under Iraola, and they drew their last two under Arne Slot as well; meet the new boss, same as the old boss?

Probably not, but remarkably Iraola has drawn half of his last 42 league matches. The concerning element for Liverpool is that all three of late, against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and now Fulham, came against bottom half finishers last season.

Some issues predate Iraola but Liverpool have only won four league games at Anfield in 2026. Some issues are new to Iraola and his first attempt at squad rotation could scarcely be deemed a success. He made three changes but Kostas Tsimikas, one of those he brought in, was hooked at half-time after looking hapless and the other two, Victor Munoz and Ryan Gravenberch, did not make it until the hour. It lends itself to the interpretation that Liverpool’s squad is simply not strong enough, despite the £670m outlay in the last 16 months.

Only one moment hinted at vindication for a spending spree. Alexander Isak dragged a shot just wide from Bradley Barcola’s pass, men with a combined cost that could reach £248m almost combining to deadly effect.

Otherwise, Barcola was largely underwhelming on his second start since his £106m move, though it came in his preferred position on the left. Florian Wirtz’s search for his first goal of the season continues and he scuffed a shot. Isak was twice denied by Bernd Leno, once after gliding past a couple of defenders, and glanced a close-range header wide in injury-time but made less of an impression than Fulham’s striking signing, the purposeful Gonzalo Garcia. Similarly, Liverpool’s flair players were outshone by King, exuding promise with lovely footwork and a shot Alisson clawed away.

King and Garcia were both denied in the incident when Liverpool almost gifted Fulham a lead. They were doubly fortunate after Alisson’s horribly misjudged pass to a marked Ryan Gravenberch; first the goalkeeper escaped conceding a penalty when he flew in on King and then Jeremy Jacquet came to his rescue by clearing Garcia’s shot off the line. Alisson held his hand up in contrition.

It nevertheless summed up Liverpool’s sloppiness. It was far from their only misplaced pass; one picked out referee Thomas Bramall. As Fulham ended with more shots on target and touches of the ball in the opposition’s box, Liverpool created far too little. When they came closest, it was from a corner, taken by Dominik Szoboszlai and met by the diminutive Munoz, who headed against the bar.

“It is these kind of games that you need to win sometimes with a set play or a moment of brilliance,” said Iraola. A set-piece almost sufficed but Liverpool’s brilliance came with Alexis Mac Allister’s winner against Atletico on Wednesday. This was altogether more mundane from them.