Can Isak punish Fulham’s fragile defence? Liverpool vs Fulham prediction - 12.09.2026
Liverpool will host Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, September 12, in the fourth round of the 2026/27 Premier League season. The hosts are still unbeaten after three matches, while Fulham travel to Merseyside looking for their first league point under new head coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
Liverpool: Iraola gets his first win as Isak finds his rhythm
The beginning of Andoni Iraola’s spell at Liverpool has not been flawless, but the results suggest that his ideas are gradually taking shape. The Reds opened their Premier League campaign with 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest before finally collecting their first victory under the Spaniard with a controlled 2-0 win away to Ipswich. Liverpool therefore have five points from three rounds and have yet to lose.
Alexander Isak was the decisive figure at Portman Road. The Swedish striker scored twice inside the opening nine minutes and now has three Premier League goals this season. Cody Gakpo supplied both assists against Ipswich, while Bradley Barcola made his Liverpool debut from the bench. The attacking depth available to Iraola is beginning to look particularly dangerous, especially against an opponent that has struggled badly when defending transitions.
There are still important absentees. Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike remain sidelined with long-term injuries, Federico Chiesa is expected to resume team training later in September, and Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury. Joe Gomez is closer to returning and was expected to rejoin team training after the Ipswich match. Liverpool currently have no suspended players.
Fulham: plenty of attacking intent, but seven goals conceded in three matches
Fulham’s transition from Marco Silva to Álvaro Arbeloa has been painful so far. The Cottagers have lost all three Premier League matches under their new coach: 2-3 against Chelsea, 0-1 away to Sunderland and 2-3 against Crystal Palace. They have scored four goals but conceded seven, leaving Arbeloa still searching for his first league point before a difficult trip to Anfield.
The latest defeat was especially frustrating because Fulham twice went ahead against Palace. Josh King and César Palacios scored, and the hosts produced 25 attempts with 64.7% possession, yet defensive mistakes again proved costly. Fulham generated 3.13 xG compared with Palace’s 1.97, which shows that their problem is not necessarily creating opportunities — it is controlling matches after they get into promising positions.
Arbeloa has enough attacking quality to make Liverpool work. Josh King has already scored twice in the league, while Oscar Bobb, Alex Iwobi, Palacios and Gonzalo García provide plenty of movement between the lines. Tom Cairney was the only confirmed absentee in Fulham’s latest pre-match squad update before the Palace game.
Probable lineups
- Liverpool: Alisson, Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Munoz, Wirtz, Gakpo, Isak.
- Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Charles, Iwobi, Bobb, King, Palacios, Gonzalo García.
Match facts and head-to-heads
- Liverpool are unbeaten after their first three Premier League matches.
- Fulham have lost all three of their league matches this season and conceded seven goals.
- Alexander Isak has scored three goals in three Premier League appearances.
- Liverpool have lost only one of their last five meetings with Fulham.
- Four of the last five head-to-head meetings have produced over 2.5 goals.
- Both teams scored in four of those five encounters.
Fulham can create chances, but Liverpool should expose their defensive problems
Fulham’s results are worse than their attacking performances suggest. Arbeloa’s team created more than enough opportunities to beat Crystal Palace, and their willingness to commit players forward means Liverpool cannot simply expect a comfortable afternoon without the ball. However, that same aggressive approach has repeatedly left Fulham vulnerable once possession is lost.
That is a dangerous weakness to carry to Anfield. Liverpool have Isak in scoring form, Gakpo producing chances and Wirtz operating between the lines, while Iraola’s side finally showed against Ipswich that they can combine early pressure with greater defensive control. Fulham have already conceded three goals twice this season, and Liverpool possess significantly more individual quality than the opponents who punished them.
A straight home victory is priced too short for our purposes, so the Asian handicap offers more value. Liverpool should have enough attacking firepower to win this game by a clear margin, while a one-goal victory still protects the selection.
Prediction: Liverpool Asian Handicap (-1).
