A result that flatters nobody

If you were looking for a match to drain the optimism from even the most patient Liverpool supporter, Saturday's blank against Fulham did a thorough job. A goalless draw at Anfield, against a side who came to defend and did precisely that, is the kind of result that sits in the stomach long after the final whistle. Victor Munoz went closest for the Reds with a header that Bernd Leno dealt with, whilst at the other end Jeremy Jacquet had to hack a Gonzalo Garcia effort off the line to keep the scores level. That, in a nutshell, tells you everything about the quality on offer.

For Andoni Iraola's side, the point continues an unbeaten start under the new head coach, but context matters. Liverpool have now dropped points in three of their four Premier League fixtures this season, and this performance offered precious little evidence that the issues are about to fix themselves. A draw might look acceptable on paper. Watching it felt considerably less so.

Where it went wrong on the pitch

The player ratings make for uncomfortable reading in places. Three players were handed a 4/10, with Dominik Szoboszlai the most concerning of the trio. The Hungarian produced only sporadic bursts of energy in what was described as an alarmingly listless display, though he did at least force Leno into action with one second-half shot. It is the kind of performance that will prompt questions, because Szoboszlai is a player Liverpool need firing on all cylinders.

Alongside him in the engine room, one midfielder was visibly uncertain about his positioning throughout, was regularly bypassed and looked desperately short of pace, a worrying afternoon by any measure. He was eventually withdrawn as Liverpool chased something, anything, from the match. Further back, the player making his first Premier League start in 16 months looked, understandably, rusty, though that context softens the blow only slightly when the team is crying out for composure and control. The Liverpool defence also struggled to function as a cohesive unit, with one centre-back forced to repeatedly step out of the backline to cover for those around him.

The substitutes offered a lift, but not enough

Alexis Mac Allister came on in the second half and at least injected some purpose into midfield, picking up a 6/10 for his efforts. Others introduced from the bench also helped ramp up the intensity of the attack, and one substitute gave Fulham a genuine problem with his pace down the right, earning a decent save from Leno with a header from a corner. Credit where it is due, the changes altered the tempo slightly.

But altering the tempo and actually breaking down a well-organised Fulham side are two entirely different things, and Liverpool managed only the former. The attacking threat remained frustratingly blunt, with too many efforts drifting wide and too much passing falling short of the required standard. The word "nearly" cropped up too often across the ninety minutes.

What this means going forward

Three dropped points from four league matches is not a crisis, not remotely, but it is a pattern that demands attention before it becomes one. The performance levels need to rise sharply, and some of the individual displays here suggest there is work to do both tactically and physically as the season builds. Liverpool will hope this is a bump in the road rather than a sign of something deeper, but the next few fixtures will tell us considerably more about where this side actually is.