Liverpool's Midfield Struggles Highlighted in Fulham Draw
Andoni Iraola did not hide behind the scoreline.
After a flat 0-0 draw with Fulham at Anfield, the Liverpool head coach went straight for the heart of the problem: his midfield press.
Liverpool, at home, against a side that had lost their first three Premier League games without a point, laboured through a goalless stalemate that felt worse than it looked. The Kop waited for the usual surge, the familiar red wave. It never really came.
Pressing problem at the heart of Liverpool’s frustration
The first half told the story. Fulham grew into the game, found space between the lines and looked the more composed side. Liverpool’s midfield, built around Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, opened up too easily and too often.
“Especially in the first half, we were arriving late for the presses, that is clear,” Iraola admitted. The crowd had already worked that out. Every time Fulham played through the middle, the frustration inside Anfield sharpened.
Victor Munoz went closest for Liverpool, but his effort summed up the afternoon: half-chance, half-threat, no finish. At the other end, Gonzalo Garcia forced Jeremy Jacquet into a goalline clearance, Fulham carving out arguably the best opening before the break.
Liverpool’s shape wobbled. The press, usually a weapon, became a weakness. When the home side stepped up, they were a second late. When they dropped, Fulham found pockets of room. It was disjointed, and Fulham looked comfortable enough to take advantage.
Improvement after the break, but no breakthrough
The reset came after half-time. Liverpool tightened up, the distances between the lines shrank, and Fulham’s freedom vanished.
“I think we improved this part a lot in the second half,” Iraola said. “We have been better structured and we controlled better the game in the second half.”
The control did not turn into chaos for Fulham, though. It never became the siege Anfield expects on days like this. Liverpool pushed, but not with their usual relentlessness.
“Even without scoring the goal, I was feeling more comfortable,” Iraola added. “Even if we haven't been incredible, and it was a struggle sometimes, we haven't conceded clear chances. The one we conceded was the one where we messed up the goal kick and that is the only clear chance we conceded.”
That error almost proved costly, the kind of self-inflicted wound that often decides tight games. Liverpool escaped, kept their clean sheet and hung on to the one positive from a grey afternoon.
At the other end, they were reduced to moments rather than sustained pressure. “We had probably our best chances coming from set plays, hitting the crossbar, and one chance from Alex in the second half,” Iraola said. “But not a clear enough one that can score the goal you need in these kind of games when you are not playing well.”
Set pieces, not open-play combinations. A crossbar rattled, a half-sight for Alexis Mac Allister. Not enough.
Midfield puzzle and Endo’s wait
Iraola tried to change the rhythm. Mac Allister replaced Gravenberch midway through the second half, a move aimed at adding control and a cleaner passing tempo. The pattern improved, but the breakthrough still refused to come.
Two other midfielders watched it all unfold from the bench. Wataru Endo and Trey Nyoni stayed unused, their roles limited to warm-ups and vantage points.
Endo, in particular, cuts an intriguing figure in this squad right now. He has yet to play a minute this season, his campaign stalled before it even started. Iraola, though, made it clear the Japan international is not out of the picture.
“Wata lost quite a lot of the pre-season. He is still not at his best but he is training very well,” the Liverpool boss explained. The issue, as he sees it, is not about trust but traffic. “The problem is in front of him in his position I have a lot of players. He is competing against a lot of players.”
Right now, the minutes are going to others. “We are giving minutes to Trey, Ryan, Alexis and Dom, players that I am selecting right now,” Iraola said. “But Wata is definitely a player that I like and for sure he will have his moments.”
That moment may arrive quickly. With a League Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Tuesday and Iraola expected to rotate heavily, Endo finally has a realistic opening to step in and stake a claim.
Liverpool will need someone to. The midfield that misfired against Fulham left them short of energy, short of control and, crucially, short of chances. If the press is going to be the platform for this team, Iraola must find the right blend fast.
The League Cup might only be a side stage, but for Liverpool’s stuttering engine room, it already feels like a key audition.
