Álvaro Arbeloa has his first Premier League win as Fulham manager, and it arrived with rather more authority than the narrow 1-0 scoreline suggested. Alex Iwobi’s first-half finish settled the visit of Hull City at Craven Cottage, lifting the Cottagers out of last place and giving their manager a much-needed afternoon of relief.
Key takeaways
- Fulham moved up to 15th on five points, sitting one point clear of the relegation places.
- Iwobi struck the only goal in the 33rd minute after Sander Berge recycled a loose defensive clearance.
- Gonzalo García started and was heavily involved, later hitting the crossbar with a close-range header.
- Fulham had 87 per cent possession after 19 minutes and created enough openings to win by a wider margin.
- Ryan Sessegnon was sent off in the 94th minute for a tackle on Robinio Vaz, who left the pitch injured.
Fulham finally turn pressure into points
There had been the feeling of a defining fixture around Craven Cottage, with Arbeloa still waiting for a league victory after defeats to Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town, plus a draw against Manchester United. His side responded with a performance that kept Hull penned in almost from the first whistle.
Iwobi nearly found the top corner inside three minutes. Soon afterwards, Oscar Bobb sent a low ball across the six-yard area for Gonzalo, only for Herrington to make a crucial interception on the line. By the 19th minute Fulham’s command of the ball had reached 87 per cent, a statistic which rather captured the traffic pattern.
Bobb also forced Tzolakis into action from a free-kick, but the breakthrough came in the 33rd minute. Hull failed to clear their lines, Berge laid the ball back from the edge of the penalty area and Iwobi drove a shot towards goal. Herrington got a touch, but could not prevent it reaching the net.
Fulham did not settle for protecting their lead. Calvin Bassey headed over from close range in the 39th minute, while King slipped Gonzalo through two minutes later, though the Spanish forward could not bring the chance under control.
Missed chances, then a nervous finish
The home side continued where they had left off after the interval. Following a high turnover, King combined neatly with Charles before Tzolakis denied him in the 54th minute. Four minutes later Gonzalo created what looked like a certain second: his pass found Iwobi in front of goal, but the Hull goalkeeper again came out on top.
Tzolakis was kept busy throughout the closing stages. A Fulham effort passed narrowly over in the 70th minute, then Gelhardt blocked another dangerous King delivery as Bobb waited for a tap-in. Gonzalo came closest to ending the argument in the 74th minute, meeting an Iwobi cross with a header that struck the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.
Arbeloa brought on Tom Cairney, Sessegnon and César Palacios as Fulham sought to see out the contest. The final minutes became less comfortable when Sessegnon was dismissed in the 94th minute after his challenge on Vaz, but Fulham held firm where they had previously faltered.
At full time, Arbeloa embraced several of his players before making his way around the pitch to acknowledge the supporters. It was only one goal and three points, but after a difficult start, Fulham had both the result and the performance their manager badly required.
