Liverpool's £364m Attacking Trio Stumble as Fulham Hold Reds to a Goalless Draw

Liverpool's expensive attacking unit failed to make the difference as the Reds were held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield on Saturday night. The result extended a frustrating start to the Premier League campaign, with Liverpool now having failed to win either of their first two home league matches. It is only the third time in the last 63 years that the club have opened a season with two consecutive league games at Anfield without a victory.

The result was particularly disappointing after Liverpool had produced a much stronger display in midweek, beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League. Against Fulham, however, the attacking threat largely disappeared despite Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz starting together for the first time. The trio reportedly cost Liverpool a combined £364 million, raising expectations that they would provide a significant boost to the club's goalscoring output.

Instead, Liverpool managed just two shots on target throughout the match. Isak endured an especially difficult evening, touching the ball only 16 times during his 90 minutes on the pitch. That was his second-lowest involvement in a Liverpool match, following an even quieter performance against Nottingham Forest two weeks earlier when he recorded only 14 touches.

Wirtz also struggled to reproduce the influence he had shown against Atletico Madrid, while Barcola was still working toward full match fitness. The lack of sharpness across the forward line left Liverpool struggling to create clear opportunities, even though the team maintained its overall structure. The disappointing display highlighted how much work remains for the new attacking combination to develop the chemistry and consistency expected from such an expensive group.

Liverpool now face a demanding schedule that offers little opportunity for recovery. Their next challenge comes against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup on Wednesday, followed by a packed run of domestic and European fixtures, with seven more Champions League matches still to come during the campaign. With the attacking trio still finding its rhythm, Liverpool will need greater efficiency in front of goal if they are to remain competitive on multiple fronts.