Arbeloa under pressure as Fulham face crucial Liverpool and Manchester United tests

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa is already under significant pressure after his side lost their opening three Premier League matches, with difficult fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester United now looming.

Fulham’s latest setback came on Saturday, when they were beaten 3-2 at home by Crystal Palace. The defeat followed a League Cup victory over Wimbledon, a side from the third tier, but it means there has been no league points return from the beginning of the “Arbeloa era”.

The result did not reflect a completely poor performance from Fulham. The home side controlled long periods of the match and created opportunities, but they lacked the necessary sharpness in front of goal. They were also vulnerable defensively, with Crystal Palace scoring three times from only five shots on target, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.

Joshua King gave Fulham the lead after making a well-timed movement, while Cesar Palacios was among the home team’s most influential players and helped create their second goal.

Fulham appeared to have given themselves a chance of taking something from the match, but Tyrick Mitchell brought Crystal Palace level at 2-2 after capitalising on confusion inside the home side’s defence.

Mitchell then played a further part in turning the game in Palace’s favour. Ben Chilwell completed the comeback in the 77th minute, again taking advantage of defensive uncertainty from Fulham to score the decisive third goal.

The defeat leaves Fulham at the foot of the early Premier League standings and makes Arbeloa’s start in charge particularly difficult. Having collected no points from their first three league games, the London club have already moved into the relegation zone.

The pressure is likely to increase with Fulham’s next two league assignments. They must travel to Anfield to face Liverpool before hosting Manchester United at Craven Cottage, Fulham’s home ground.

Failure to produce a positive result against either Liverpool or the Red Devils could place the future of the former Real Madrid manager in serious doubt at the start of the new season. The two matches may therefore prove crucial in determining whether Arbeloa can stabilise Fulham’s campaign or becomes the first manager to be dismissed from the Premier League this season.

Fulham’s immediate challenge is to improve at both ends of the pitch. Their attacking play was sufficient to score twice against Crystal Palace, but their missed chances and defensive lapses ultimately cost them the match. Against two of the league’s biggest clubs, similar mistakes could leave Arbeloa facing an even more difficult situation.

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