Overview
- Fulham won 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday with Alex Iwobi’s first-half goal lifting the club off the bottom and Ryan Sessegnon receiving a stoppage-time red card.
- The victory ended a run of six league games without a win and delivered the three points that reports said could be combined with a draw at Coventry to protect Arbeloa in the short term.
- Tactical tweaks have tightened Fulham’s defence, with the side conceding seven goals in their first three matches and just three in the next four after fuller-back restraint and the regular midfield pairing of Sander Berge and Shea Charles.
- Despite better chance creation — Fulham sit around eighth in expected goals — the team’s scoring has dropped from four goals in the opening three matches to three in the next four, highlighting finishing problems.
- Arbeloa’s immediate future now hinges on Saturday’s trip to Coventry, where Sessegnon’s suspension and the result will shape selection, fan confidence and whether the board needs to consider alternatives named in recent reports.