Liverpool have had a good week. Now they need to make it count.
That sounds simplistic, perhaps even harsh after Andoni Iraola secured his first Premier League victory as Liverpool head coach at Ipswich Town and followed it with a 2-1 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
Yet this is how serious teams operate. They turn promising weeks into runs. They take confidence earned in difficult matches and cash it in against opponents they are expected to beat.
Fulham arrive at Anfield with no Premier League points under Alvaro Arbeloa. Liverpool have five from their opening three games. Victory would make it eight from four and suddenly Iraola’s start begins to look very healthy indeed.
There should be no complacency. Fulham have enough attacking quality to cause Liverpool problems and their adventurous approach could create an awkward afternoon if the hosts become careless.
Liverpool should still win this game.
More importantly, they should be reaching the stage where winning these games feels normal again.
Iraola Has Liverpool Moving Forward
Context matters.
Liverpool started the campaign with consecutive draws. Questions quickly followed because plenty of them had carried over from the wreckage of last season.
Iraola now has an opportunity to change the conversation.
His Premier League unbeaten sequence stretches to 21 games across Bournemouth and Liverpool, 18 with his former club and three with his current one.
Ipswich provided his first league victory. Atletico provided his first European one.
Fulham represents another kind of test.
This is the match where Liverpool have to impose themselves. At home, against a side who have lost all three Premier League matches under Arbeloa, the responsibility belongs to Iraola’s team.
Fulham have shown flashes going forward. Their attacking play has been aggressive, their pressing can cause difficulties and they have created chances. The problem has been what happens behind it. They have looked open, with significant spaces appearing between the lines.
Liverpool have the players to exploit that.
Araújo Gives Liverpool Greater Balance
Ronald Araújo has quickly become one of the more intriguing elements of Iraola’s Liverpool.
Using him from right back changes the structure of the side.
When Liverpool attack, Araújo can remain deeper and effectively form a back three. That allows Milos Kerkez greater licence to advance from the opposite flank without leaving Liverpool hopelessly exposed in transition.
It sounds simple because it is simple. Sometimes football benefits from that.
Araújo brings size, aggression and aerial dominance. He defends like someone who enjoys defending, which feels almost unfashionable in an era when full backs are routinely judged by assists and progressive carries.
Liverpool already have enough footballers wanting to influence attacks. Araújo offers security.
His commitment has also been obvious. His celebration after creating Liverpool’s equaliser against Atletico captured somebody who looks invested in what he is doing. His performances have followed the same pattern.
Fulham Could Give Wirtz His Opportunity
Florian Wirtz needs numbers.
There is no great scandal in saying it.
His performance against Atletico was really encouraging. He covered enormous ground, pressed aggressively, competed physically and looked considerably stronger than during some of his early appearances.
Those qualities matter.
For a player of Wirtz’s calibre, goals and assists have to follow.
Liverpool signed one of Europe’s outstanding creative footballers. The standards surrounding him should therefore be high. He has already demonstrated the work rate required to survive in Iraola’s midfield. Fulham offers the opportunity to show considerably more with the ball.
The spaces Fulham leave are precisely where Wirtz should thrive.
There should be opportunities between midfield and defence. There should be chances to receive possession on the turn. Alexander Isak will threaten the space behind them and Bradley Barcola has already shown that he wants to run beyond defenders.
Wirtz has the passing range to punish that movement.
This needs to become the afternoon when Liverpool’s number seven starts dictating an attacking game rather than participating in one.
His pressing was valuable against Atletico. Fulham should demand creativity.
That is the next step.
Liverpool Have Chance to Build Real Momentum
Liverpool’s attacking selection is complicated slightly by injuries.
Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa remain unavailable, while Cody Gakpo is a significant doubt despite his problem not being considered serious. Joe Gomez returning to contention strengthens the defensive options, although Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley remain sidelined.
Barcola should be fine. His withdrawal after 70 minutes against Atletico was caused by cramp and Iraola expects him to be available.
I would start him.
Barcola, Isak and Victor Muñoz offer pace and movement across the front line. Behind them, Wirtz should have the freedom to find those runners, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai providing the platform.
Fulham may decide that damage limitation is preferable and drop deeper. Arbeloa is already under pressure after three league defeats and another loss would leave his side in a dreadful position entering the next stage of the season.
Their performances so far suggest they will try to play.
Liverpool should welcome that.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson, Araújo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Muñoz, Barcola, Isak.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Fulham