Liverpool were left frustrated on home soil by a struggling Fulham.
Andoni Iraola’s side had to settle for a point in a contest that was ultimately low on quality despite the hosts enjoying the lion’s share of chances.
A forgettable stalemate still saw the Reds extend their unbeaten start to five games in all competitions and remain sixth in the Premier League table.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Winning formula break-up backfires
Bob Paisley was notorious for breaking up a winning formula but Andoni Iraola doesn’t have the same luxury as his illustrious Liverpool predecessor.
The Basque lacks the credit in the bank which afforded Anfield’s most successful manager of all-time the licence to chop and change his team.
After fielding arguably his strongest XI in Wednesday’s opening Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, Iraola felt it necessary to reshuffle his pack.
Surprise recalls for Kostas Tsimikas and Ryan Gravenberch, replacing Milos Kerkez and Alexis Mac Allister, were supplemented by Victor Munoz’s return.
To say the trio were ineffectual would be an understatement. The Greek international’s latest outing at left-back was ended at the half-time interval.
Gravenberch, similarly, offered precious little for his role in breaking up Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai’s borderline telepathic midfield partnership.
Iraola’s thought process was obvious in rotating for the visit of the Premier League’s early-season crisis club, with games still coming thick and fast.
Yet ringing the changes made Fulham’s recent plight appear trivial as they were able to grind out a first point of the season against his disjointed side.
It’s time to talk about Anfield
Home is supposed to be where the heart is – just not if you’re a Kopite.
Liverpool’s 12th Premier League home outing in the current calendar year should have been a moment to try and put right their recent past wrongs.
A mere four top-flight victories have been picked up at Anfield in 2026 with the hosts’ most recent coming in April’s perfunctory meeting with Crystal Palace.
Iraola’s wait for a first domestic win in his new domicile goes on despite a 22-game unbeaten run dating back to his time as Bournemouth’s head coach.
But the issue is bigger than the admittedly streaky incumbent of the dugout.
Consternation has stalked every corner of this famous old stadium for the best part of 12 months and it shows in the reactions to every shortcoming.
Fans continue to grow frustrated even at a time when many anticipated bumps in the road when Iraola was installed as Arne Slot’s replacement.
Dropping points against opponents who, on paper at least, are easier prey has hit critical mass at the worst possible time with big hitters on the horizon.
Manchester City and champions Arsenal are set to pitch up in L4 before the November international break and on this evidence, will relish rare victories.
Reds must embrace ‘cup team’ tag
The Carabao Cup has often served Liverpool as a springboard for success.
Venturing deep into the season’s first winnable competition proved a key step for several trophy-laden reigns, even when they ended in disappointment.
Now, however, it represents their best hope of putting a positive complexion on a campaign which already has the makings of a testing transitional period.
Iraola’s side were never going to vie for the Premier League title – that much was abundantly clear even before he took up residence in the Anfield dugout.
But he cannot afford to rest on any potential laurels with another luckless London club set to venture to Merseyside for Tuesday’s third round clash.
Tottenham’s start to the season has been even more dismal than their hosts’, with a free-spending summer failing to remedy longstanding issues thus far.
They will, though, be buoyed by Fulham’s belated first point while Andy Robertson will be aiming to set down a marker on an emotional first return.
Sentiment for the former fan favourite must remain temporarily on hold if Liverpool are to embrace an early chance to become cup specialists again.