Fulham’s new season has acquired the look of a long Saturday afternoon: plenty of work, enough chances, and nothing yet to show for it. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side have lost each of their opening three Premier League fixtures, with the 3-2 defeat by Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage drawing boos from part of the home support.
Fulham left searching for a finish
The Palace defeat was particularly sore because Fulham twice held the lead. Yet they were beaten by a side who scored three times from five efforts on target, while the home side again found that control and chance creation did not carry them over the line.
Fulham registered expected goals of 3.13 to Palace’s 1.97, but the numbers offered little comfort at full-time. Arbeloa felt his team had done enough to win, only to be punished for missed opportunities and soft defending.
“We lost a match we did not deserve to lose,” he said. “We were the better side, but football comes down to taking your chances and Palace did that better than us. We conceded goals too easily. They did not need to do much to score three, whereas we have to do plenty just to get one.”
In the dressing room
| Competition | Record | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 3 matches, 3 defeats, 0 points, 7 goals conceded | Above Coventry on goal difference |
| League Cup | Won against League One side Wimbledon | Through to the third round |
There is no hiding the domestic league start: Fulham have taken none from nine points. They remain off the bottom only because their goal difference is better than Coventry’s, and the early anxiety around Craven Cottage is understandable.
Still, Arbeloa’s position is not under pressure at the club at present. He arrived in July on a three-year contract, while Fulham have committed more than £100 million to seven summer signings for the manager’s new project.
The Spaniard has insisted that the squad’s application gives him reason to believe the turn will come. “We knew this month would be very difficult,” he said. “I told the players it would not decide our whole season. They are working extremely hard, and with this mentality and character I am certain the wins will arrive. It is a hard situation for them, but I am very proud of them.”
A testing run before the break
The fixture list is not inclined to offer Fulham a gentle reset. Arbeloa takes his side to Anfield to face Iraola’s Liverpool before West Ham United visit Craven Cottage in the League Cup third round. Manchester United then come to west London in the Premier League.
“Three matches, three defeats, and now we have to go to Anfield before United come here,” Arbeloa said. “Then there is West Ham in the Carabao Cup. Clearly, it will not be easy.”
That is the week facing Fulham before the international break: a trip to Liverpool, a cup tie with West Ham and Manchester United at home. The performances have supplied arguments for patience; the table, as ever, is less romantic about such things.
