The verdict is in, even if the confidence is qualified

Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton are rarely short of an opinion, and ahead of Saturday's 3pm kick-off at Anfield, both men have put their faith in Liverpool to make it three wins on the bounce. That said, neither pundit is exactly singing from the rooftops about what they've seen from the Reds so far this season. This is a prediction built on home advantage and Fulham's misery as much as it is on Liverpool's own quality.

Iraola has steadied things quickly after an uncertain start. Back-to-back draws were followed by a 2-0 win at Ipswich Town, where Alexander Isak grabbed a brace, and then a 2-1 comeback victory against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield in midweek. Two wins from two in all competitions is a reasonable platform, but the pundits have spotted the same structural weakness: Liverpool's defensive line remains a concern, and the pressure on the opposition's manager heading into this fixture tells its own story.

Shearer sees a home win, but Isak is the key man

Writing in his weekly Betfair column, Shearer was straightforward in his assessment. "I think Liverpool should win this and they will do," he wrote. "They got a good result in Europe on Wednesday, but they do have defensive issues again, but being at Anfield I think they'll have enough to beat them."

What struck Shearer most, though, was the significance of Isak's early-season form. "It's really important Isak stays fit for Liverpool," he wrote. "It's really important he keeps up that form he has started in. It's exactly what he needed personally to have a good start after what happened last season for him and for Liverpool." That is a fair point, and one Liverpool supporters will be thinking about too. When Isak is firing, this team looks a different proposition.

Shearer also had sympathy for the position Alvaro Arbeloa finds himself in. The new Fulham boss represented Liverpool between 2007 and 2009, but nostalgia counts for nothing when you've lost all three of your opening Premier League matches. A Carabao Cup win over AFC Wimbledon is barely a sticking plaster. "Arbeloa needs to win and quickly," Shearer wrote bluntly. "If he doesn't, then you know what's going to happen."

Sutton predicts 2-1 but refuses to crown Liverpool just yet

Sutton is forecasting the same result but with rather more scepticism about what it would actually mean. Calling a 2-1 scoreline in Liverpool's favour, the former Blackburn Rovers striker acknowledged that Fulham will create chances of their own, largely because of the high defensive line Iraola's team plays. "I certainly don't think Liverpool have cracked it after watching them win at Ipswich, and they will give up some chances with their high defensive line too," he wrote. "Fulham will score, but the problem for Arbeloa is that Liverpool will score more."

His concern for Arbeloa was equally pointed. "To lead twice against Palace, who had also started the season poorly, and still lose makes this game even bigger for Arbeloa," Sutton noted, before adding that he doesn't think a Fulham result at Anfield is completely out of the question. "I don't think it's impossible for them to get something at Anfield" is a line that should serve as a reminder not to take this fixture lightly.

What Saturday means for Iraola's early momentum

Three points here would give Liverpool a genuine run of form to build on heading into the international break. Shearer noted that both clubs have two Premier League fixtures remaining before that pause, which concentrates the mind considerably for Arbeloa's Fulham. For Iraola, this is a chance to consolidate and show that the midweek European performance was no one-off.

The pundits have spoken, and both point the same direction. Whether Liverpool's defence can hold firm enough to keep things tidy is the real question that Saturday afternoon will answer.