Fulham earn first league point as Liverpool are held goalless at Anfield

Fulham collected their first Premier League point under Álvaro Arbeloa with a 0-0 draw at Liverpool on Saturday, ending a run of three league defeats. The Anfield result left Andoni Iraola's side unbeaten but with three draws from four league matches, according to match coverage from the Guardian and BBC Sport.

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Liverpool entered the game after beating Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday but struggled to reproduce that attacking performance. Bradley Barcola supplied an early opportunity that Alexander Isak sent wide, while Bernd Leno made a sharp save to keep out Victor Muñoz's glancing header from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. Fulham otherwise restricted the hosts' first-half chances and repeatedly found a route through their central midfield.

The visitors had an opportunity to take the lead after Alisson passed to Ryan Gravenberch under pressure from Sander Berge. The ball reached Josh King, who was brought down by the goalkeeper, but referee Thomas Bramall allowed play to continue with Gonzalo García in possession. Jérémy Jacquet blocked García's shot near the goalline and later made another important intervention to stop the forward breaking through.

Liverpool increased their intensity after the interval, with Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez among the players introduced. Fulham continued to defend effectively, however, with debutant David Affengruber and Calvin Bassey helping contain the home attack. At the other end, Alisson pushed away a King effort heading towards the top corner. Isak had a late opening from another Szoboszlai corner but headed wide in stoppage time.

Iraola acknowledged that his players had lacked freshness after the short turnaround from their European fixture. As reported by the Guardian, he said the difficulty creating chances had been clear, while stressing that Liverpool would need to adapt because similarly tight schedules would recur during the season. BBC Sport reported that the draw left Liverpool with six points from four games and without a win in either of their opening two home league matches.

For Arbeloa, the performance was as important as the point. The Fulham coach said his players had continued to believe in the team's approach despite their losing start, and praised their balance, control of transitions and character at Anfield. His side also threatened through substitutes Rodrigo Muniz and Kevin, although neither converted their opportunities to turn the draw into a victory.