Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Fulham: Labored Reds Deliver Worrying Display

Liverpool were punished for a toothless attacking display as they stumbled to a disappointing goalless draw with Fulham in the Premier League.

The Reds were hunting their third consecutive victory under Andoni Iraola, but their flat first-half performance offered few moments of excitement for the Anfield crowd. Victor Muñoz’s near-post header brought a reaction save from Bernd Leno, and that was about the best the home side could muster.

The home supporters expecting a bombardment on the Fulham goal after the restart were left frustrated as Liverpool struggled to manufacture any clear-cut opportunities, with even $166.5 million summer signing Bradley Barcola failing to impact the match on his first Premier League start.

A clean sheet is the sole silver lining for Andoni Iraola, who has now accumulated just six points from a possible 12 at the beginning of his Liverpool reign.

Heroes and Villans

Hero

Jérémy Jacquet — Yet another strong showing from the French defender. | Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Liverpool were in desperate need of a steady partner for Virgil van Dijk after Ibrahima Konaté’s alarming decline last season, and the signing of Jérémy Jacquet has answered those prayers. Not for the first time this term, the Frenchman delivered a top-notch performance which oozed class.

The shining moment was his goal-saving clearance off the line following an Alisson mistake, with the 21-year-old reading the danger impressively. That was not the only crucial intervention made, though, with his physicality and speed allowing him to regularly dispossess white jerseys.

Villain

Liverpool’s defensive issues have not been aided by the underwhelming performances of Milos Kerkez early in the season, but Kostas Tsimikas—his replacement against Fulham—sunk to an even lower level than the Hungarian on Saturday.

The 30-year-old’s half-time withdrawal was deserved after an incredibly unpolished display, which saw him misplace 11 of his 31 passes and make a stream of basic errors. Unfortunately for Liverpool, neither of their left backs are currently up to Iraola’s standards.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Fulham (4-2-3-1)

Even Dominik Szoboszlai failed to inspire. | Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—7.9: Almost gifted Fulham an opener with his short pass into midfield and nearly conceded a penalty in the aftermath. Rarely worked with his hands.

RB: Ronald Araújo—6.9: Fulham were quick to overload Araújo’s flank with the attack-minded Antonee Robinson, and the Barcelona loanee sometimes found himself isolated in dangerous areas.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—8.1: Spared Alisson’s blushes when clearing off the line and made some critical interventions to thwart promising counter attacks.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.4: Commanding in the center of defense, often stifling Fulham’s progress with timely tackles and interceptions.

LB: Kostas Tsimikas—6.6: Alarmingly sloppy in possession and failed to make any meaningful connections with Bradley Barcola. Unsurprisingly withdrawn at half time.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—6.8: A fair few notches below his usual standards. Struggled to pick out red shirts and failed to provide significant attacking support.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.7: As was the case during his midweek cameo against Atlético Madrid, Gravenberch consistently turned possession back over to the visitors. Yet another undercooked performance.

RW: Victor Muñoz—6.7: Appears the most natural of the options Iraola has trialed on the right wing, yet his influence waned as the match progressed.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.4: Looked fatigued after a hard-working performance on Wednesday, with some uncharacteristic technical errors limiting his impact.

LW: Bradley Barcola—6.6: After squandering several promising moments on his first Liverpool start midweek, there were no such opportunities to fluff this time. Very much on the periphery.

ST: Alexander Isak—6.5: Fired a snapshot wide in the early minutes. As good as things got for the Swede.

SUB: Milos Kerkez (46’ for Tsimikas)—6.5: Yet more dreadful crossing on show.

SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (60’ for Gravenberch)—6.9: Offered some much-needed energy and bite in the engine room.

SUB: Cody Gakpo (60’ for Muñoz)—6.1: Unable to influence proceedings from the bench.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (72’ for Barcola)—6.2

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (72’ for Araújo)—6.9

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Wataru Endō, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Ryan Gravenberch was below his best. | Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

It’s been an underwhelming start to the season for Ryan Gravenberch, who has struggled to recover from his error-laden display in the Premier League opener with Newcastle United. This was another off day for the Dutchman which was littered with mistakes, further solidifying Alexis Mac Allister’s position as an automatic starter moving forward.
Three goals in his opening four outings has seen Alexander Isak spark hope of a resurgence, but a performance more reminiscent of last season will have knocked his confidence slightly. His service was admittedly limited, but the Swede offered little out of possession to engineer opportunities.

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Subpar Display

Despite their defensive issues in the opening weeks, Liverpool’s attacking play has been their saving grace. However, they looked absolutely shattered for Fulham’s visit, conjuring just three shots on target and 1.13 expected goals.
At least the Reds were able to restrict their visitors, who created just 0.71 xG.
Liverpool have now won just one of their last eight Premier League matches, and have drawn their last four at Anfield in the competition.

Statistic	Liverpool	Fulham
Possession	56%	44%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.13	0.71
Total Shots	14	10
Shots on Target	3	4
Big Chances	4	1
Pass Accuracy	83%	77%
Fouls Committed	11	8
Corners	5	8

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