Jeremy Jacquet emerged as Liverpool’s standout performer during Saturday’s goalless draw with Fulham at Anfield, producing a composed display at the heart of the defence that offered a rare positive amid an otherwise disappointing afternoon for Arne Slot’s successors.
The encounter marked the first tactical battle between two former international right-backs, with Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa – who represented Liverpool during the late 2000s and early 2010s – facing opposite number Andoni Iraola for the first time since the latter’s appointment at Anfield.
Arbeloa’s side arrived at the stadium having collected no points from their opening fixtures, yet they frustrated their hosts throughout a contest lacking in quality goalmouth action.
Liverpool produced a sluggish performance across the opening 45 minutes, particularly in their physical approach and inability to construct meaningful attacking moves.
The home side managed only 129 of their 253 first-half passes within Fulham’s defensive territory, with both Alisson and Virgil van Dijk guilty of delaying releases when attempting to play out from the rear.
The team lost possession in dangerous areas 15 times before the interval, including a concerning error from the Brazilian goalkeeper that necessitated a crucial intervention from Jacquet on the goal line to prevent an opener.
The pass completion rate of 81.4 percent registered during the first half represented Liverpool’s lowest in any single half since the opening period of their first game of the campaign against Newcastle United, which had recorded 79.1 percent.
When advancing into dangerous positions, this figure plummeted to 61.0 percent, severely restricting their capacity to sustain pressure on the opposition penalty area.
Kostas Tsimikas, withdrawn at half-time, struggled to make an impact down the left flank, completing just 64.5 percent of his passes.
Victor Munoz, operating for an hour before making way for Cody Gakpo, demonstrated industry in attempting four dribbles and winning four of his five duels.
Alexander Isak found himself completely detached from his colleagues, managing only four touches in the opening half despite three of these resulting in attempts on goal.
The Sweden international received the ball in the box just once from open play during the entire first half.
Florian Wirtz, the £125million acquisition, proved to be the sole player who regularly connected with Isak throughout the contest, exchanging four passes with the striker during the match.
Barcola, despite his quiet afternoon overall, did fashion one promising opportunity for Isak with an intelligent through ball during the early stages, though he received only two passes from Wirtz during his time on the pitch.
Liverpool’s two most expensive additions managed mere seven touches between them inside Fulham’s penalty area during the opening period, while the west London club recorded 17 such entries at the opposite end.
The visitors exploited space down Liverpool’s right side effectively, with Alex Iwobi tucking into midfield positions to pull markers out of shape while Antonee Robinson attacked from his full-back berth in the manner Iraola demands from his own teams.
The hosts managed just 43.5 percent of challenges before the break and displayed none of the characteristics expected from a side performing on home soil.
Iraola introduced Milos Kerkez for Tsimikas at the interval, with Alexis Mac Allister and Gakpo entering the fray after an hour in place of Ryan Gravenberch and Munoz.
The alterations enabled Liverpool to claim 62.1 percent of duels after half-time, a marked improvement on their first-half returns, though the tactical adjustments failed to generate genuinely threatening chances.
Dominik Szoboszlai occupied deeper positions in the right half-space following the restart, a tactical instruction seemingly designed to neutralise Fulham’s numerical advantages in midfield.
While this restricted the visitors to just seven touches in Liverpool’s box after the break, it simultaneously diminished central passing options available to the home side.
Szoboszlai surrendered possession on 22 occasions, the highest total of any participant, completed only one of nine duels and neglected to contest any in the central attacking third.
The Hungarian international created four scoring opportunities, more than any teammate, yet appeared disconnected from midfield partner Gravenberch.
The Dutchman endured another challenging afternoon, completing 80 percent of passes and winning two of five ground duels, though the absence of any discernible on-field understanding between the two central midfielders raised further concerns.
Szoboszlai found Gravenberch with only three passes throughout the contest, with the return numbering just four.
Mac Allister’s introduction transformed Liverpool’s territorial control, with the team winning 71.4 percent of duels following his arrival compared to 37.5 percent during the period before his substitution.
Possession statistics improved from 52.5 percent before half-time to 59.6 percent afterward, while passing accuracy in the final third rose to 81.6 percent.
The side nevertheless adopted a cautious approach, accumulating 12 crosses after the interval – double their first-half tally – though winning only two corner kicks.
Jacquet’s contribution proved pivotal to maintaining the clean sheet, marking the second consecutive match without conceding.
The 21-year-old, who celebrated his birthday during the summer, seamlessly filled the vacancy created by Ibrahima Konate’s departure and demonstrated remarkable assurance at such a tender age.
He accumulated 96 touches, surpassing van Dijk by seven and suggesting the defensive leadership responsibilities traditionally associated with the captain may increasingly shift towards his younger partner.
The French defender matched van Dijk’s tally of 13 passes into the final third and led all participants with 18 line-breaking passes that penetrated opposition lines.
Alisson directed seven passes towards Jacquet compared to six towards van Dijk, illustrating how Liverpool’s attacks increasingly originated from the rookie centre-back.
He won eight of nine duels including all five aerial contests, while his positioning after Alisson’s early error ensured the goal-line clearance appeared straightforward.
With a reported outlay exceeding £100million expected for Alex Scott, Liverpool face a prolonged period working with their existing squad until at least the January transfer window.
Greater familiarity with Iraola’s tactical requirements should gradually enhance the side’s attacking output, while the pressing intensity demonstrated in previous performances has shown promising indicators.
Wirtz, who covered 12.3 kilometres during the encounter to lead all participants, won possession six times against Fulham and recovered the ball three times within the final third.
Barcola, who completed all three of his tackles during the contest, has demonstrated encouraging signs regarding his adaptation to pressing responsibilities.
Despite Saturday’s encounter representing a performance the Anfield crowd will wish to forget, the continued development of these individuals under Iraola’s guidance suggests further improvement lies ahead for the squad.