Liverpool vs Fulham: Jacquet’s first pass can shape Isak’s next chance

Giving Alexander Isak more service is an easy demand. Giving him service before the defence is ready is a more useful one. Liverpool’s home meeting with Fulham offers a test of whether the first pass from deep can improve the quality of the striker’s next decision, rather than simply increase the number of balls sent towards him.

The match is at Anfield on Saturday September 12, kicking off at 15:00 BST, or 16:00 CAT, according to Liverpool’s official guide. Our preference is Liverpool, but the route matters: making Fulham defend a receiver who can turn is a stronger plan than assuming the visitors’ difficult start will do the work.

The attack can change before Isak touches the ball

Jeremy Jacquet is fifth in the league for line-breaking passes into the final third in the club’s latest statistical preview. That is a small early-season sample, not a complete evaluation of his distribution. It does, however, identify a specific route worth examining: a defender finding someone beyond the first line of pressure.

If that receiver can face forward, Isak gets a choice. He can threaten behind the centre-back, stay available for a shorter combination or make a movement that opens the lane for somebody else. If the receiver is immediately forced backwards, the striker can make the same run and achieve little. The difference begins with the speed and angle of the earlier pass.

We would want Liverpool’s midfielders to offer different heights rather than line up across the same stretch of grass. One can show for the safe ball while another becomes available beyond an opponent. The point is not to make every possession vertical. It is to ensure that an ambitious pass has a receiver and a next action, instead of celebrating the pass for travelling through a crowded area.

Rhythm should not become dependence

Isak has scored three times this season and started Liverpool’s first four matches, according to his new club interview. His stated priority is to sustain his rhythm. For us, the team’s responsibility is to create repeatable situations around him without asking him to rescue every attack through individual invention.

Our earlier Gakpo–Isak analysis considered the relationship between the final passer and the run. This preview moves the question one pass deeper. A forward receiving on the flank should not always have to stop, defeat a defender and then discover where the striker has gone. Earlier progression can allow the next player to deliver while the defence is still adjusting.

There is a counter-case. If Fulham allow the initial pass but surround its receiver, Liverpool can mistake access for advantage. A player finding space between two opponents is not automatically free to turn. In that situation, the better response may be a quick return pass and a switch of play, not forcing the ball into Isak because the move looked promising a moment earlier.

Keep an answer behind the ball

Jacquet’s reported 18 wins from 25 league duels should not be treated as permission to leave him defending everything alone. A successful duel can repair a dangerous situation; a sensible supporting position can prevent that situation from developing.

Our preferred balance is an available midfield screen when a defender steps forward or attempts a demanding pass. The other defenders must also judge whether to narrow or protect depth. These are proposed responsibilities, not a claim about a confirmed formation or something we have already observed against Fulham.

Our verdict

Fulham have lost their first three league matches, while Liverpool have drawn their last three league games at Anfield. Both details temper a simple story about an inevitable home win. We still lean towards Liverpool because their developing attacking options offer several ways to create a chance, but we would reduce that confidence if their receivers repeatedly have to play backwards under pressure.

The decisive sign would be Isak starting a run while the passer already has a clear view ahead. Liverpool do not need the striker to demand the ball more often. They need to prepare a pass that makes his movement worth making.

Illustrative cover: Anfield photographed by Nathan Wong / Unsplash, published in November 2024 and used under the Unsplash Licence. This is archive venue photography, not the September 2026 match or current team news.