Liverpool Must Turn Momentum Into Another Three Points

There are some games where the result feels like everything, and there are others where the performance matters almost as much. Fulham at Anfield feels like one of those occasions where I want both.

Liverpool finally got the Premier League win they needed at Ipswich and followed it with a really encouraging Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid. The mood is better, the football is starting to look more recognisable and Andoni Iraola has begun to put his stamp on this team. Now comes the next challenge, backing it up.

Fulham arrive at Anfield without much form behind them, and if Liverpool are serious about building momentum, this has to be another three points.

Liverpool Should Be Too Strong For Fulham

I don’t mean that disrespectfully towards Fulham because football has a habit of making fools of anyone who gets too comfortable, but I look at this game and I struggle to see anything other than a Liverpool victory.

Fulham have had a poor start to the season. They have already lost to Chelsea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the league, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Alvaro Arbeloa finds himself under real pressure as the campaign develops. They still have players who can hurt you, and Josh King is certainly one I’d keep an eye on, but this is not the Fulham side we’ve become used to in recent years.

Liverpool’s home record against them is strong too. Only two league defeats at Anfield in 33 meetings tells its own story.

What matters more to me, though, is Liverpool’s trajectory.

The first couple of league games were frustrating. We drew when we needed to be more clinical, and there were clear teething problems under a new manager. Since then, there has been progression. Ipswich brought the first win. Atletico brought more confidence, more intensity and a real sense that this side is starting to understand what Iraola wants.

Now we need to make that count.

Araujo Has Earned The Right-Back Shirt

My back five would remain largely unchanged.

Alisson starts, obviously. Jeremy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk continue in the middle, Milos Kerkez starts at left-back and Ronald Araujo keeps his place on the right.

I know there has been some debate about whether Kostas Tsimikas could come in for Kerkez, but I’d rather keep giving Milos minutes. He has made mistakes, and I’ve criticised him for them, but there are also positive signs in his pressing and aggression. He needs games to settle down and improve.

Spurs in the League Cup feels like the better opportunity to rotate at left-back.

Araujo, meanwhile, picks himself for me at the moment.

He has been excellent since arriving. Strong, aggressive, composed and dependable. I keep saying I don’t want Liverpool rushing into any permanent decision yet, because there is a lot of football still to be played, but he has done absolutely nothing wrong so far.

If he keeps performing like this, he becomes very difficult to leave out.

Mac Allister And Szoboszlai Remain The Best Midfield Pair

I’ve spent plenty of time talking about the balance in midfield, and I still think there is a wider structural issue Liverpool have to solve.

But for Fulham, I wouldn’t change the personnel.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are the two I trust most right now.

Mac Allister has probably been Liverpool’s best midfielder this season. The aggression and sharpness are back, and he looks much closer to the player we fell in love with when he first arrived. Szoboszlai has been hugely influential too, and while the double pivot is not perfect, those two have earned their places.

Ryan Gravenberch has not.

That Atletico cameo was nowhere near the level required, and until he gets back up to speed, I don’t see why Iraola would break up what is currently working better.

Florian Wirtz stays at number 10 for this one. I still believe the 4-3-3 deserves consideration in tougher games because Liverpool can be exposed when teams play through the press, but against Fulham at Anfield, I’m comfortable sticking with the more aggressive setup.

Wirtz was excellent against Atletico and deserves to build on it.

Barcola On The Left, Isak Through The Middle

The big question is what happens out wide.

Cody Gakpo remains touch and go, so I’ve left him out of my predicted team for now. If he is fit, he starts on the right for me.

If he isn’t, I’d go with Bradley Barcola on the left and Victor Muñoz on the right.

I really want to see Barcola in his natural position.

He did some good things from the right against Atletico, but I still think Liverpool will get more out of him on the left. His pace, directness and ability to attack defenders can give Fulham a horrible afternoon if we get the ball to him early enough.

Muñoz deserves another opportunity too. He is still raw, and there are parts of his game that need polishing, but the energy and willingness to run at people are there.

Rio Ngumoha is another option, but I don’t see this as dropping him or slowing his development. He is 18. He does not need to start every game. The Spurs match feels like an ideal opportunity to give him another meaningful start.

Through the middle, Alexander Isak is automatic.

Three Premier League goals already this season, including the brace at Ipswich, and you can see his confidence coming back. Fulham will give him a different test, but this is exactly the sort of game where I want Liverpool feeding him early and often.

Predicted Liverpool XI

Alisson

Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez

Mac Allister, Szoboszlai

Wirtz

Muñoz, Isak, Barcola

If Gakpo is fit, I’d start him on the right instead of Muñoz.

I’m going for Liverpool 3-1 Fulham.

I do think there will be goals. Fulham may get opportunities because Liverpool still leave spaces when they commit numbers forward, but if we play anywhere near our best, we should have too much quality.

The important thing now is momentum.

Beating Ipswich was necessary. Beating Atletico was encouraging. Beating Fulham would begin to make this look like the start of something rather than two isolated good results.

Liverpool have to take control of this game early, make Anfield uncomfortable for Fulham and keep pushing Iraola’s ideas forward.

Three points, another positive performance and then we can turn our attention to Spurs.

Much Love.