Arbeloa's Fulham Seek First Points at Anfield
Alvaro Arbeloa walks back into Anfield on Saturday, but this time he heads for the away dugout and a very different kind of challenge. His Fulham side arrive rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, still waiting for their first point of the campaign.
Three games, three defeats. Chelsea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace have all beaten the Cottagers, who have shipped seven goals along the way. The results are ugly; Arbeloa insists the performances are not.
“We create enough chances to win games… we know what we need to do to adjust,” he has argued, backing a group he believes is close to clicking.
He watched Liverpool’s midweek Champions League win over Atletico Madrid and saw a team he describes as “improving” and “controlling the games better”. Anfield, once his home, now looks like one of the toughest assignments of Fulham’s season.
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The build-up has at least been kind to Arbeloa on the fitness front. There are no new injury issues, with only Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney still sidelined as they continue their recovery from knee problems. The outlook on Cairney is brighter: he is expected to be pushing for full training after the international break.
Summer business is starting to filter into the matchday rhythm. Manuel Angel, David Affengruber and Hugo Larsson all made the squad for the first time in last weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace, with Larsson getting a brief run-out in the second half. Those minutes may prove important as Arbeloa weighs up whether to lean on fresh legs or lean into continuity.
For now, continuity is winning. The Fulham boss was encouraged by his side’s attitude in the derby loss and is not planning major changes. One decision could shape the tone of their afternoon, though: Sander Berge is pushing to start in midfield, potentially at the expense of Oscar Bobb, if Arbeloa decides he needs more defensive steel in the centre of the pitch against Liverpool’s press.
Predicted Fulham XI
Arbeloa is expected to stick with a 4-2-3-1 shape at Anfield:
Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Iwobi, King, Palacios; Garcia.
It is a line-up that can sit deep and suffer, but also break if Fulham finally sharpen their finishing. They have created chances in every game so far. They just haven’t made them count.
Kick-off details
Liverpool vs Fulham kicks off at 15:00 on Saturday, 12 September 2026.
The game falls under the traditional Saturday 3pm blackout, so it will not be shown live on television in the UK.
For Arbeloa, the setting is familiar. The situation is not. Can his first Premier League points as a manager arrive in the stadium where his playing career soared, or will Anfield simply deepen Fulham’s early-season trouble?
