Álvaro Arbeloa’s first Premier League win remains out of reach after Fulham surrendered a late lead to lose 2-1 at Ipswich Town, a result which leaves the Cottagers second from bottom with only two points from six matches.
In the dressing room
For 87 minutes, this looked like the afternoon when Arbeloa’s side would finally have something tangible to show for their work. Ryan Sessegnon’s spectacular strike had put Fulham ahead, and although Ipswich had threatened, Bernd Leno appeared set to see his team home.
Instead, the familiar sting arrived at the end. Abdoul Ouattara levelled with a thunderous effort in the 88th minute before Dara O’Shea headed in Jack Clarke’s wide free-kick four minutes later. Fulham had gone from protecting three points to leaving Suffolk empty-handed.
| Club | Premier League position | Matches | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham | 19th | 6 | 2 |
Sessegnon supplied the breakthrough
Gonzalo García started for Fulham, who took the lead ten minutes after the interval. Following an Ipswich corner, the ball was cleared only as far as Sessegnon, who caught Christian Walton out with a fierce left-footed shot from around 30 yards.
Arbeloa celebrated with the force of a manager who knew how badly his side needed the moment. Fulham had endured a difficult opening to his spell, and the goal seemed capable of changing the mood.
Ipswich soon showed their threat. Emersonn struck the post with a header from Julio Enciso’s precise delivery in the 58th minute, while Leno made an important low save from Sindre Walle Egeli four minutes from time.
Those chances appeared to be the final alarms. They were not. Ouattara’s 88th-minute equaliser changed the match, and O’Shea then rose to meet Clarke’s set piece in the 92nd minute to complete Ipswich’s turnaround.
Fulham had one final opening in the 94th minute, but Walton blocked Kevin’s close-range attempt with his foot.
A cruel pattern for Arbeloa
The defeat follows more late frustration for Arbeloa in the Premier League dug-out. Crystal Palace recovered twice to beat Fulham 3-2, while Manchester United denied them victory with an 89th-minute goal in a 1-1 draw.
This was particularly damaging because Ipswich may prove to be a direct competitor in the battle to avoid the drop. Arbeloa introduced Manuel Ángel in the 71st minute, while César Palacios remained unused, but his changes could not halt another collapse.
Fulham’s six league fixtures have brought two draws and four defeats. The week ahead now carries the weight of an early survival fight: Arbeloa needs his side to turn promising spells into points before the table begins to look rather less forgiving.
