Fulham were booed off by their own supporters following a 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace, leaving Alvaro Arbeloa’s side without a point after three Premier League matches and inside the relegation zone despite dominating possession at Craven Cottage.
Fulham were booed off by some supporters following a 3-2 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage, a result that condemned Alvaro Arbeloa’s side to a third consecutive league loss since he replaced Marco Silva as manager. Having led twice during the first half, Fulham ultimately fell to defeat, leaving them on zero points from their opening three matches and inside the relegation zone, having conceded seven goals while scoring just four.
How the match unfolded
Fulham took an early lead through Josh King before summer signing César Palacios doubled their advantage, scoring his first Premier League goal after King provided the assist. Crystal Palace responded through left-back Tyrick Mitchell, who levelled the scores in each half, a performance that marked the first time in his career he had scored twice in a single match.
The decisive moment came just three minutes after Ben Chilwell was introduced from the bench, with the substitute scoring the winner on what amounted to his second debut for Crystal Palace, having returned to the club from Strasbourg following an earlier spell at Selhurst Park. Chilwell’s deadline-day transfer was completed for around £8.6 million, making his immediate impact on the scoreline particularly notable.
A performance that belied the result
Statistically, Fulham dominated the match, recording 65% possession and 25 shots on goal, underlining that a lack of attacking opportunities was not the issue. Their failure to convert that pressure into a winning margin, combined with defensive lapses, proved costly for the second time this season, having also lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea on the opening weekend.
Speaking to BBC’s Match of the Day, Arbeloa reflected on the manner of the defeat: “We didn’t deserve to lose this game. My players did everything – good attitude, they were brave, so many chances to score more goals. They [Palace] took their chances – in the end football is about that.” He added: “We did many good things to win the game. It was similar against Chelsea but we lose. For the players it’s a difficult situation, difficult moment, but I am very proud of them.”
Arbeloa also acknowledged a tactical shortcoming after the match, saying Fulham had been “very wide and open” at times, a weakness that allowed Palace to exploit space despite Fulham’s control of possession for large periods of the game.
Mounting pressure on Arbeloa
The result leaves Fulham as one of only two Premier League sides, alongside Coventry City, yet to collect a single point after three matches this season, following earlier defeats away at Sunderland and at home to Chelsea. Pressure on Arbeloa, who arrived from Real Madrid to replace the departing Marco Silva after his five-year spell in charge ended with a move to Benfica, appears to be building unusually quickly.
The fixture list offers little immediate respite, with Liverpool and Manchester United both due to visit before the extended September and October international break, raising the possibility that Fulham could enter the break without a single league point to their name.
A first win for Sage
For Crystal Palace, the victory marked Pierre Sage’s first Premier League win since taking charge of the club, having begun his tenure with two defeats. Sage admitted afterwards that Palace’s overall mentality remained unsettled, attributing this in part to late transfer-window activity and changes to his squad. The win moved Palace away from the bottom of the table, following opening-day defeats that included a loss to Manchester City.
Watching eyes at Craven Cottage
England manager Thomas Tuchel was present at Craven Cottage, scouting players ahead of England’s upcoming fixtures, with both Fulham’s Josh King and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton among those attracting his attention during the match.
