PREVIEW: Can Fulham punish Liverpool’s slow starts at Anfield? | OneFootball

Liverpool are beginning to find rhythm under Andoni Iraola, but their starts have not always matched the quality of what has followed. Fulham may see that as their best route into Saturday’s game at Anfield.

Liverpool drew their opening two Premier League matches before producing a much sharper start at Ipswich last Friday, where Alexander Isak scored twice inside nine minutes in a 2-0 win. Iraola later highlighted the intensity of that opening spell as one of the most pleasing parts of the performance.

The pattern changed again on Wednesday. Liverpool fell behind against Atletico Madrid before recovering to win 2-1 through Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. They have now scored at least twice in every competitive game under Iraola, but the first 20 minutes remain an area Fulham can target.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s side have lost all three league games, yet their performances have offered more than the table suggests. Fulham had almost 65% possession and 25 shots against Crystal Palace last weekend, leading twice before eventually losing 3-2. Seven goals conceded in three games, however, tells the other side of the story.

That makes Saturday’s opening phase particularly interesting. Fulham have shown they can control periods of games, but have struggled badly once momentum turns against them. Their aggressive defensive line has also left too much space behind, something Liverpool’s pace through Isak and their wide players is well equipped to attack. The Guardian described Fulham as creative under Arbeloa but still too easily exposed defensively.

There has also been some unwanted attention off the pitch. Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe removed football-related posts from their Instagram accounts, while Kevin posted a cryptic message after being left unused against Palace. Arbeloa dismissed suggestions of wider unrest, saying the squad had trained with a “very positive attitude” during the week.

Liverpool have a few fitness concerns of their own. Cody Gakpo remains a doubt with an adductor problem, while Bradley Barcola and Milos Kerkez are expected to be available after suffering cramp against Atletico.

Fulham, meanwhile, need more than another promising spell. They need a complete performance.

If they can take advantage of Liverpool’s tendency to settle slowly, they may give themselves a real foothold at Anfield. The bigger question is whether they can hold onto it once Liverpool begin to accelerate.