Liverpool Held by Fulham as Iraola Blames 60-Hour Atletico Turnaround
Liverpool were held to a goalless home draw by Fulham, extending their Anfield league stalemate run to four matches — their longest such sequence since 2011.
Iraola points to 60-hour turnaround
Andoni Iraola said Liverpool lacked the energy required to break down a Fulham side that arrived on Merseyside in poor form. The Reds had just 60 hours between the final whistle against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and Saturday’s Premier League fixture.
- Liverpool managed only three efforts on target across the 90 minutes.
- They had more possession but struggled to turn it into clear chances.
- Fulham created only one opportunity Iraola considered genuinely clear.
- Liverpool kept a clean sheet, with their display improving after the interval.
“A draw at home is never a result you can be satisfied with,” Iraola said. “We did not have the freshness, and we did not create enough in attack to win it.”
The Liverpool boss felt the rapid turnaround from the Atletico contest had forced several players to adjust physically. He added that his side began slowly and did not show enough attacking quality despite maintaining their defensive shape.
Another first-half blank at Anfield
The result also continued a worrying early-game trend. Liverpool have now gone three successive Premier League home matches without scoring before half-time, something they had not done since April 2021.
Iraola accepted that his team’s defensive work was solid but insisted it could not mask the shortcomings in the final third.
“We were able to hold the structure and get the clean sheet,” he said. “The second half was a little better, but the first half was too slow. We need to be much better offensively.”
Barcola handed first league start
Bradley Barcola made his first Premier League start for Liverpool and showed moments of promise before fading as the game progressed.
Iraola said the forward is being developed gradually to meet the demands of English football, rather than being judged solely on one outing.
- Barcola is being built up through match minutes.
- Iraola believes regular games will provide the physical condition required.
- The manager stressed that the lack of sharpness was a squad-wide problem, not one limited to Barcola.
What happens next
Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, leaving Iraola with another quick selection decision. He must weigh up further rotation against the need for a stronger performance at Anfield.
The Spaniard has now drawn three of his opening four matches in charge of Liverpool, increasing the importance of finding a decisive result against Spurs.
