Liverpool 0-0 Fulham: Anfield stalls as Fulham earn their first point

Liverpool were held 0-0 by Fulham at Anfield on September 12, 2026, a result that says plenty about both teams after four Premier League matches.

For A. Slot, this was control without punch. Liverpool had 56% possession, 14 shots and 494 passes, but only 3 efforts on target. For Alvaro Arbeloa, this was a badly needed line in the sand: Fulham came in after three defeats and left with their first point of the season.

Fulham’s defensive plan did its job. They did not dominate the ball, but they did enough in the areas that mattered.

Match report

Liverpool started in a 4-2-3-1 under A. Slot: Alisson Becker; R. Araújo, J. Jacquet, V. van Dijk, K. Tsimikas; D. Szoboszlai, R. Gravenberch; Víctor Muñoz, F. Wirtz, B. Barcola; A. Isak.

Fulham matched them in a 4-2-3-1 under Alvaro Arbeloa: B. Leno; T. Castagne, D. Affengruber, C. Bassey, A. Robinson; S. Berge, S. Charles; Oscar Bobb, Joshua King, A. Iwobi; Gonzalo García.

That symmetry shaped the match. Liverpool had more of the ball, but Fulham had enough counterweight through Joshua King, Gonzalo García and Alex Iwobi to stop Anfield becoming a siege. The visitors were not passive. They finished with 10 shots, 4 on target and 8 corners, more than Liverpool’s 5 corners.

Liverpool’s issue was not territory. It was turning territory into clear authority. D. Szoboszlai was the main supplier, finishing with 4 key passes, and F. Wirtz added 2 more. But A. Isak was limited to 3 shots, only 1 on target, and Liverpool’s wide players never fully bent Fulham out of shape.

A. Slot moved early. Milos Kerkez came on for Konstantinos Tsimikas in the 45th minute, then Cody Gakpo replaced Víctor Muñoz in the 60th minute and Alexis Mac Allister replaced Ryan Gravenberch in the 60th minute. The message was clear: more tempo, cleaner passing and more threat between the lines.

Mac Allister did change the rhythm. In 30 minutes he produced 2 key passes, completed 18 of 20 passes and gave Liverpool a sharper final-third pulse. Jeremie Frimpong, introduced for Ronald Araújo in the 72nd minute, also added urgency with 2 key passes from his 18 minutes. Rio Ngumoha replaced Bradley Barcola in the 72nd minute and gave Slot another runner.

Still, Fulham held.

The players who shaped it

J. Jacquet was Liverpool’s best player by the numbers and by feel. His 87 passes, 75 accurate, gave Liverpool their platform. He also won 8 of 9 duels. In a match where Fulham carried real threat, that mattered.

V. van Dijk was the other stabiliser, with 78 passes and 4 interceptions. Liverpool needed that calm because Fulham were not just clearing and waiting. They had routes out.

For Fulham, Joshua King was central. He had 4 shots, 2 on target, won 6 of 8 duels and drew 3 fouls. He gave Arbeloa’s side a release valve and made sure Liverpool’s midfield could not simply camp forward without consequence.

S. Charles also gave Fulham a serious base: 58 passes, 52 accurate, 3 interceptions and 6 duels won from 9. In a match where Liverpool wanted to squeeze the centre, Charles helped Fulham keep their shape and breathe.

Bernd Leno made 3 saves. Alisson Becker also made 3. That tells the truth of the afternoon better than any possession figure: Liverpool had more of the game, but Fulham had enough of the danger.

Substitutions and discipline

A. Slot used all five Liverpool changes:

• 45th minute: Milos Kerkez on for Konstantinos Tsimikas
• 60th minute: Cody Gakpo on for Víctor Muñoz
• 60th minute: Alexis Mac Allister on for Ryan Gravenberch
• 72nd minute: Rio Ngumoha on for Bradley Barcola
• 72nd minute: Jeremie Frimpong on for Ronald Araújo

Alvaro Arbeloa also used his bench to protect the point and refresh the side:

• 63rd minute: Kenny Tete on for Oscar Bobb
• 72nd minute: Kevin on for Timothy Castagne
• 77th minute: Rodrigo Muniz on for Gonzalo García
• 77th minute: Emile Smith Rowe on for Joshua King
• 77th minute: Hugo Larsson on for Alex Iwobi

The only card came in the 81st minute, when Kenny Tete was booked for Fulham.

Key numbers

Tactical read

Liverpool’s 4-2-3-1 had the ball, but Fulham’s mirrored shape made access into central spaces difficult. Sander Berge and S. Charles protected the back four, while David Affengruber and Calvin Bassey stayed compact enough to keep Alexander Isak from getting clean service.

The change in the 60th minute was the real attempt to break the match. Mac Allister brought passing angles that Ryan Gravenberch had not consistently found, while Gakpo gave Liverpool a different profile in the forward line. Then Frimpong in the 72nd minute gave them more thrust from deep.

But Fulham’s substitutions were practical and well timed. Kenny Tete came on in the 63rd minute, Kevin arrived in the 72nd minute, and the triple change in the 77th minute helped Arbeloa close the final phase with fresh legs. Tete’s yellow card in the 81st minute was the cost of that late resistance, but Fulham never lost control of the result.

Liverpool will look at 14 shots and ask why only 3 hit the target. Fulham will look at 4 shots on goal away at Anfield and see proof they were not merely surviving.

What it means

Liverpool remain unbeaten, but their pattern is awkward: 1 win, 3 draws, 6 points and 6th place. At Anfield, they are still waiting for a home league win this season after two home draws.

Fulham stay 18th, still in the relegation zone, but this point changes the tone. After three defeats, a clean sheet at Anfield gives Arbeloa something concrete to build from.

Arsenal’s perfect start, covered here in Bruno Guimarães Punishes Sunderland Penalty Miss as Arsenal Stay Perfect, makes every dropped Liverpool point feel heavier. Slot’s side are not in trouble, but they are already chasing rhythm. Fulham, meanwhile, finally have a base. The next task for both managers is simple: turn structure into wins.