London’s riverside has offered little shelter for Álvaro Arbeloa in his first weeks at Fulham. Appointed on 7 July, the former Real Madrid coach has seen the Craven Cottage side fall to the foot of the Premier League table, and the coming fixtures against Hull City and Coventry could prove decisive for his position.
Key takeaways
- Fulham have collected two points and remain without a league win.
- The side are one point behind Bournemouth, the club currently occupying the final safe position.
- Hull, eighth in the standings, visit in Fulham’s next match on Saturday.
- Fulham then face Coventry on the 24th; Coventry are second from bottom and have one more point.
- Arbeloa responded to the Ipswich Town defeat by pointing to his experience at the game’s highest level.
A difficult opening in west London
Fulham’s latest setback was a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday, deepening the concern around a side listed with two draws and four losses from the opening stretch of the campaign. Despite the early stage of the season, pressure has quickly gathered around Arbeloa after the club’s slide to last place.
The gap above Fulham is still narrow. Bournemouth, fourth from bottom and without Andoni Arbeloa, set the survival line just one point ahead. But the immediate schedule gives Fulham little time to settle: Hull arrive in eighth place before the trip or meeting with Coventry on the 24th.
Two poor results in those matches could place Arbeloa’s future in serious danger. Following the loss to Ipswich, however, the Spaniard struck a defiant note. “Perhaps you do not know me, but I have played for and managed the best club in the world,” he said.
Arbeloa’s English return
The Fulham role brought Arbeloa back to English football after a playing career that included two Premier League stops. He represented Liverpool from 2007 until his 2009 move to Real Madrid, then returned to England with West Ham in 2016. He retired with the Hammers a year later.
Before taking charge at Craven Cottage, Arbeloa’s entire coaching path had been at Real Madrid. He progressed through the club’s academy system before reaching the senior side, where he replaced the dismissed Xabi Alonso on 13 January and remained in charge until the end of the season.
That Madrid background now meets a far less forgiving landscape in London. Fulham are still within touching distance of safety, but the next two dates have become a test of whether Arbeloa can turn familiarity with elite football into points quickly enough.
