Preview: Liverpool vs Fulham - prediction, team news, lineups

Liverpool past and Liverpool present square off on the Anfield touchline on Saturday afternoon, when the Reds host pointless Fulham in the Premier League.

Andoni Iraola's charges overcame Ipswich Town 2-0 in their last top-flight affair, while the Cottagers suffered a terrible three-peat of defeats as they were bested 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace.

Match preview

Keeping up their streak of scoring multiple goals in every game under Iraola, but now pairing their absorbing attacking play with a greater level of defensive discipline, Liverpool are firmly in the ascendancy domestically and continentally.

After swatting aside Ipswich courtesy of a quickfire brace from Alexander Isak, the Reds posted their latest morale-boosting Madrid success, taking down Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League by virtue of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister's strikes.

The Argentine completing the job was something of an inevitability, after his admission that Liverpool were not prepared to offer him a new contract, but whether he can still play his way into one will be determined by his season as a whole rather than one heroic moment.

The hosts now go in search of Premier League home win number one of the season, while also bidding to end a run of three consecutive top-flight stalemates at Anfield, where they last had a longer league winless run during the COVID years.

Fulham had their first competitive win before Liverpool this season - swatting aside AFC Wimbledon 3-0 in the second round of the EFL Cup - but Alvaro Arbeloa's men have had sweet little to cheer as far as the Premier League is concerned.

Not only have the Cottagers lost each of their first three top-flight games of the season, they have lost in different ways, failing to outscore either Chelsea or Palace at home and being unable to breach a steadfast Sunderland defence in a 1-0 reverse.

Fulham's 3.13 xG against the Eagles suggested that the scoreline did not tell the full story, but the only statistic that currently matters to visiting supporters - some of whom booed the team and manager off at full time last weekend - is the zero-point total.

Only newly-promoted Coventry City are also still waiting for their first Premier League point of the campaign, and in both of the previous two top-flight seasons that Fulham have lost their opening four games, the Cottagers were relegated.

However, the most recent of those demotion seasons - 2020-21 - also marks the last time Fulham won a league match at Anfield, as Mario Lemina made the difference in a 1-0 March 2021 triumph. Since then, Liverpool have won four and drawn one of their five home battles with the Cottagers in all tournaments, strolling to a 2-0 victory back in April.

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Fulham Premier League form:

Fulham form (all competitions):

Team News

Fulham's fitness situation has not changed in the course of a week, and Arbeloa will only be missing Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney, both rehabilitating from knee injuries.

Manuel Angel, David Affengruber and Hugo Larsson were all part of a Fulham matchday squad for the first time against Crystal Palace, although only the latter made it onto the field for a brief second-half cameo.

Having been largely pleased with the application of his players in the derby, Arbeloa should stick rather than twist, although Sander Berge could displace Oscar Bobb if Arbeloa feels a greater defensive presence is required.

Meanwhile, Liverpool lost both Bradley Barcola and Milos Kerkez before full time in Wednesday's win over Atletico, but Iraola affirmed that the pair were only cramping up rather than suffering from anything sinister.

However, Cody Gakpo is more of a doubt due to the adductor problem that kept him out of the midweek victory, while Conor Bradley (knee), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Joe Gomez (muscle) and Federico Chiesa (back) are all sidelined.

Victor Munoz is primed and ready if neither Gakpo nor Barcola are deemed fit enough to play, while a goal for Isak on Saturday would see the Swede surpass his Premier League total for the entire 2025-26 campaign.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Munoz, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Iwobi, King, Palacios; Garcia

We say: Liverpool 2-1 Fulham

Concerns over both Barcola and Gakpo are untimely for Liverpool, but the Reds need nod solely rely on their front four to generate goals, especially against a permeable Fulham backline.

Therefore, Arbeloa's return to Anfield is set to be a miserable one, as the hosts' winning streak continues while further questions are raised over the Cottagers head coach's future.

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