Fulham secured their first Premier League win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Hull City at Craven Cottage, ending a six-match winless start under Álvaro Arbeloa. Alex Iwobi scored the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute, lifting the hosts off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone.
The breakthrough came after Brooke Norton-Cuffy was dispossessed in his own half. Sander Berge collected the ball and laid it off for Iwobi, whose driven finish from the edge of the box found the bottom corner. Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis was unable to keep it out, with a possible slight deflection aiding the effort. Fulham dominated the first half, registering 10 shots before the interval, and continued to create opportunities after the break. Josh King was denied by Tzolakis on more than one occasion, while Gonzalo García headed against the crossbar from close range.
Hull offered little in response. They managed only five shots in total, none on target, and completed their lowest number of passes in a Premier League match since 2010. Manager Sergej Jakirovic described the performance as one-sided, saying Fulham were superior in and out of possession and that it felt like “men against boys.” He confirmed that substitute Robinio Vaz would undergo a scan after sustaining an Achilles injury.
The result was slightly marred by a late red card for Fulham substitute Ryan Sessegnon, who was dismissed in the fourth minute of stoppage time for a high challenge on Vaz. Arbeloa described the decision as unfortunate but focused on the wider performance. “I am very happy, especially for the supporters,” he said. “They deserve this win. For the players, they were looking for this victory and have been working so hard. We deserved it in other matches, but we couldn’t get it; today was finally the day.”
Josh King echoed the sense of relief. “We were really brave today,” he said. “We played as a team who knew what we had to get, the three points. We worked so hard for each other from 0 to 90 minutes. That’s where we have struggled before, getting the lead and keeping it.”
Fulham finished with 76% possession and an expected goals total of around 1.5 to Hull’s 0.15. The win moves them clear of the bottom three, while Hull remain without a victory in their last five league matches after a strong start to the campaign. With Bournemouth and Tottenham still yet to record a league win, Fulham’s first three points of the season provide some breathing room for Arbeloa after a difficult opening.
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