Fulham

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Hull City at Craven Cottage (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arbeloa confirmed there is a question mark over Hugo Larsson's availability due to a "small groin problem", and he will be assessed again after Friday's training session. However, "all the rest of the players are fit and available".

• Fulham will be "looking for the reward" and "trying to get a win for the supporters" on Saturday, after two draws and four defeats in their opening six Premier League fixtures.

• On conceding two late goals against Ipswich Town last time out: "It wasn't easy to take because it was another game we controlled. We were doing so many good things but we lost the points at the end, similarly to the Manchester United game."

• He recognises that Fulham aren't in an "easy situation" at the moment, sitting rock-bottom in the league table, but he placed importance on "staying true to our ideas" and "doing the things that keep putting us in front".

• When asked if he is aware of the reports that he will be sacked if he doesn't get a win this weekend, he replied: "No. Look, I'm focused on this next game and on my players - that's the most important thing for me. It isn't about me."

• Arbeloa, who replaced Marco Silva on a three-year contract in July 2026, reiterated that he is "waiting for the game where our performance turns into a result" and that is where his "energy" is focused.

• He hasn't asked the club for clarity on his future, and has been "working hard on preparing for a difficult match" instead.

• On whether he still has the support of the dressing room: "My players showed desire for many minutes against Ipswich Town, Manchester United and Liverpool. I believe we just need to keep that level up for 90 minutes now. I saw the commitment of my players in training again this week. They are so focused."

• The supporters are "the most important thing" at Craven Cottage. He explained: "They were here before any of us arrived and the club belongs to them, so the only thing we are thinking about is getting the victory for them and giving everything for them."

• When asked if he feels questions around his substitutions are fair, he replied: "Yes, it is always fair. I always try to analyse what I can do better every weekend, that's football. Maybe I could've brought on some players who could keep the ball better. I do try to understand every opinion and I accept it."

• Opponents Hull City are doing "very well" in their first season since promotion to the top flight.

• Sergej Jakirovic's team "don't concede chances due to defending really narrowly", so Fulham will need to be "patient" while also being aware of the Tigers' "strong counter-attacks and set-pieces".

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Alvaro Arbeloa may be a World Cup winner, who had an illustrious career with Real Madrid, but he's "at Fulham right now" and "getting a lot of things wrong."

Content creator and Fulham fan John Charles (JCC) believes Arbeloa's fate depends on whether the Spaniard can orchestrate a victory at home against Hull City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

"What a week for Fulham football club and Alvaro Arbeloa. It feels like everything hangs on this game against Hull.

"If he gets this wrong, it looks like we will be getting a manager change from everything we are reading in the media."

Fulhamish podcast host Sammy James told BBC Radio London that Fulham will have to "press the button" if they fail to beat Hull City and Coventry City.

James said Arbeloa's stint would be deemed an "abject failure" if the Whites failed to win any of their opening eight Premier League games.

"What does a win against Hull prove? I am not belittling Hull, but if we win 1-0 against Hull, then what?

"It does not prove anything, it is still the same problems that are going to be there," added Jones.

Although Fulham are currently bottom of the league, JCC said his side are "not the worst team" in the top flight.

"I have watched every minute of our season, we have had leads, we have dominated games at times," he added.

"We have been very much in touch with winning games, but managerial decisions have cost us."

Listen to more reaction from James by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Former Wolves and Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira is targeting a return to management in the Premier League and being linked with struggling Fulham. (Talksport), external

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Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa has received a warning and been fined £25,000 by the Football Association for comments made after the 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday 20 September.

Arbeloa was unhappy after his side conceded a late Matheus Cunha equaliser and vented his frustrations post-match, referencing the controversial decision to allow Erling Haaland's goal for Manchester City against United the week prior.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "All fouls for them. You can see before they scored, the foul against [Harry] Maguire, he's a guy who is 100 kilos. Every decision was for them.

"And I knew. I knew after the game against Man City that they [would not] let Manchester United lose here. We deserved a little bit more.

"We were so close. So, so close. We were a little bit unlucky again. We knew it would be difficult against this big team.

"Also we knew what happened last week. We have seen what the referees have been doing all the match so it was a difficult game. And we were unlucky."

An FA statement read: "Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined £25,000 and received a warning for comments made after the Premier League fixture between Fulham and Manchester United on Sunday 20 September.

"It was alleged that the Fulham head coach acted in an improper manner by making comments in a post-match interview that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official.

"Alvaro Arbeloa subsequently admitted the charge."

The Spaniard is still yet to win a Premier League game in charge of the Cottagers, who sit bottom of the table on two points after six games.

Former Brentford and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank would be a leading candidate to take charge at Fulham, if they decide to sack Alvaro Arbeloa. (Talksport), external

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On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the panel discussed Alvaro Arbeloa's difficult start to life as Fulham boss.

The Cottagers are yet to win in the Premier League since the Spainard's appointment in the summer, and are bottom of the Premier League after six games.

Fan Jack Collins, from the Fulhamish podcast, said: "The problem is how long do you give him to get those wins?

"If we don't get wins against Hull City and Coventry in the next two games, I don't think Arbeloa is going to be in charge to pick them up.

"I think the club will panic, essentially. At the moment they're just trying to get over the line in any way possible, but we're seeing Fulham cede control in so many games."

Collins went on the explain why the former Real Madrid boss does not appear to know his best team yet.

"It feels like Arbeloa doesn't really know the squad yet. You would have hoped after this amount of the games he'd have more of an idea of what it looked like," he said.

"There is a reasonable call for patience, but this three-game streak where we play all three promoted sides in succession was supposed to be make or break for him.

"Now it looks like if he doesn't beat Hull on Saturday it could be done and dusted."

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Imagine a world where Manchester City had not used "sham contracts" to build a team capable of winning three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three EFL Cups.

If City were the winners, then there had to be losers - and not just those teams who finished runners-up or lost cup finals.

The potential impact runs much deeper and includes missed Champions League qualification, relegation and Premier League prize money.

Thirty-five other teams played in the English top flight between 2009 and 2018.

And every one could in some way claim to have been left financially out of pocket.

Learn more about how the numbers were calculated here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Ipswich and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Sue: Games are often won on moments of brilliance from special players and I believe we have one in Ouattara. Great delivery from Jack Clarke, who's doing really well too when given the chance.

Neil: Never-say-die attitude for Tractor Boys is a real strength in the Premier League.

Dave: Yet again Ipswich left it late and gave most of us palpitations, but we now have the squad quality to pull this sort of thing off - and not for the first time, which gives us all hope. There is no reason why we can't go on and finish 12th. Or better. Come on, you Blues!

Seb: Incredible performance. The best team won. Ouattara rewarded with a quality goal for a quality performance. Maeda showing signs of the player he can be. We played as a team and that got us the three points.

Fulham fans

Paul: Nothing good ever came from sitting back and defending a one-goal lead. We should have pressed on for a second - not one attack in second half. Extraordinarily disappointing.

Jan: I don't normally join in with the "sack 'em" brigade but I really feel that change needs to happen. A distinct lack of calm and the unnecessary surrender of three points. If we don't beat Hull City we need to bring in a more experienced manager. Bring back Roy!

Bill: I am now seriously worried about being relegated. When you are 1-0 up after 86 minutes you must keep possession and wind the clock down, but yet again we failed to do that. There seems to be a lethargy about the team and some players dont even look fit. A couple more bad results and Arbeloa will be out - probably a good thing.

Brian: Same old. How many more times are we going to concede late goals by clinging on to a one-goal lead? The manager does not seem to have the answer. I know it's early days but it might be better to get a new manager in before the season slips away.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, PA Media

When Marco Silva was appointed Fulham boss in 2021 he brought a stability to the club that ensured they were competitive in the Premier League, without ever really being in danger of being relegated.

Silva departed in the summer to become head coach of Benfica and in appointing Alvaro Arbeloa as his replacement, Fulham were undoubtedly taking a bit of a gamble.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid player arrived with limited managerial experience at senior level, having had a brief spell in charge of Real Madrid from January until May this year.

The biggest problem Fulham have had under him is conceding late goals, with his side having let in goals in the final 15 minutes in four of their six Premier League matches.

Despite that, Arbeola was defiant after the Ipswich defeat, insisting he is right man for the job at Fulham, and he can handle the pressure of needing to turn things around.

"Maybe you don't know me but I played for the best team in world. I have coached the best team in the world," he said.

"Maybe you don't know, but just to let you know, that pressure is part of my life since I was a kid.

"So, it is normal in football. It is normal for players, it is normal for coaches and everybody that is around a team.

"I think pressure is something that is important for me and I like it."

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

There will have been a horrible sense of deja vu for Fulham fans and their manager as they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Against Manchester United - the final game before the recent international break - they had also looked on course to take the three points, only for a last-gasp Matheus Cunha deflected strike to deny them.

They had deserved the win in that game and the same could be said for this fixture, with Ryan Sessegnon's goal having come after they had created the better chances in the first half.

But the heartbreaking outcome for them will show that Fulham need to learn to become more clinical, so that they are not heading into the final few minutes of matches defending a one-goal lead.

It will provide another important lesson for Alvaro Arbeloa, although the pressure on the Fulham boss to secure that elusive first league win will be increasing.

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, spoke to BBC Sport after his side's defeat by Ipswich Town: "It is painful to lose three points in the way that we did. It is something we need to accept and prepare the same for the next game. We need to keep improving. We did many things well, we played well for 60-70 minutes but in the end we conceded two late goals and lost the game.

"If you don't take your chances your opponent will. We are creating so many chances during games, if we want to win games we need to start taking chances.

"We have very good players, it doesn't matter what age they are. The most important is the quality and mentality our players have. The most important thing in football is points and that is what we need now.

"I think one day we will be a little bit lucky and we will have our chances. We need to improve when we are leading but we need to keep playing the same way - we don't need to drop our line and start defending."

Fulham goalscorer Ryan Sessegnon, also spoke after the match: "It's impossible to lose a game like that. We need to take a hard look at ourselves. It's a bit of mentality thing at the moment. We need to try and demand more from ourselves. We need to set higher standards for ourselves because it's going to be a hard season."

Did you know?

• Ryan Sessegnon scored a Premier League goal from outside the box for the very first time with what was his 12th goal in the competition overall.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Ipswich's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are six games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Arsenal v Leeds United (12:30)

• Aston Villa v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Chelsea v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich Town v Fulham

• Sunderland v Brighton

• Manchester United v Tottenham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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Ipswich lost last time out, against Everton, but they gave it a real go even when they went down to 10 men midway through the second half.

I know I keep predicting the Tractor Boys to lose but it's not a case of me just doing them over every week - I actually hope they stay up.

This is a tough game for them, however, because while Fulham are winless so far, they have deserved more than they have got.

The Cottagers were unlucky not to beat Manchester United before the break, and I was impressed with them when I watched them draw with Liverpool last month too.

Three points would be huge for either team, but I can see this ending up as a draw.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Saturday's match (15:00 BST), with Fulham visiting Ipswich looking for their first league win of the season.

Blues seek defensive solidity

Ipswich players not called up by their countries spent part of the international break at a warm-weather training camp in Spain, which culminated in a 1-0 win over Espanyol in a behind-closed-doors friendly on 2 October.

The Tractor Boys have yet to keep a competitive clean sheet under Gary O'Neil, but will hope shutting out the La Liga outfit can provide a springboard towards greater defensive solidity. Only Chelsea have conceded more top-flight goals than the Blues, who are also among the league's worst sides for shots faced, big chances faced and duel success rate.

O'Neil made two changes to his backline for the defeat at Everton last time out. Summer signing Kjell Scherpen made way for Christian Walton in goal, while Abdoul Ouattara replaced Jacob Greaves in defence, allowing captain Dara O'Shea to move from right-back to his preferred position at centre-back.

Those alterations did not quite pay off, with the Blues beaten 1-0 on Merseyside, but they showed plenty of attacking endeavour, even after being reduced to 10 men for the final 23 minutes.

That performance will give the newly promoted side confidence as they target a third Premier League win of the season. It took them 19 games to reach that tally during their most recent top-flight campaign in 2024-25.

Arbeloa still awaiting first win

Fulham are one of three clubs still searching for their first Premier League win, but back-to-back draws against Liverpool and Manchester United have provided encouragement for new boss Alvaro Arbeloa.

His side came close to beating United, only for a deflected Matheus Cunha strike to level the scores in the 89th minute.

Arbeloa was outspoken in his criticism of referee Peter Bankes after the match, complaining that "every decision" had gone United's way. He has since been charged with misconduct by the Football Association.

The Cottagers now begin a run of three consecutive games against the three promoted clubs, and the Spaniard is likely to come under pressure if he is still without a victory at the end of that sequence.

This is only the fourth time Fulham have failed to win any of their opening five top-flight games. The last time it happened, in 2020-21, they went on to be relegated.

Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Ipswich Town at Portman Road (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arbeloa confirmed all players who were away on international duty have returned fit and available for the trip to Ipswich.

• Kenny Tete is also back in contention after missing the meeting against Manchester United, but Saturday's match comes too soon for Tom Cairney, who has recently returned to team training following rehabilitation for a knee injury.

• The Fulham boss gave a "no comment" response when asked about the Manchester City guilty verdict, external, but also to his own charge that was handed to him by the Football Association during the international break. The Spaniard was charged with misconduct over post-match comments he made following his side's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

• On whether he has responded to the FA: "I don't want to make any comment about that. I just want to talk about my team and my players."

• Oscar Bobb is yet to score for Fulham in the Premier League so far this season, but netted twice for Norway during the break. On his goals, Arbeloa said: "He has scored more goals in one week than in the last few games with us! But I am so happy because we need his goals and I know how talented he is. He can score goals and he can assist and he is a very good player in one-v-one situations. I hope he will be able to score more goals with us."

• The Spaniard said he can see his team becoming "more balanced and more consistent" in the games against Manchester United, West Ham and Liverpool, and they are focused on improving defensively and "especially in transition".

• On the next period of fixtures: "For me, there's only one game - tomorrow's [Saturday's] game. Just thinking about Ipswich. We play against a very good team and I think they have had a very tough start like us. I think if we want to beat them we have to play at our best. Away games are always difficult, never easy and we know that. They have very good players and coach."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Just five games in, it might seem a bit early to pay much attention to the Premier League table - but it's probably more settled than you think.

If we look at the Premier League after five games last season and where teams ultimately ended up, the final table was already starting to take shape as 13 of the 20 sides finished within four places of where they sat even at this early stage (65%).

Eventual champions Arsenal were second, Sunderland were already seventh - where they finished eight months later - and two of the three sides that were relegated were already in the bottom three.

The eventual champions have been in the top two at this point in the past four campaigns, suggesting - potential punishments aside - it will be Manchester City or Arsenal that lifts the trophy.

The top end of the table overall has sometimes settled surprisingly quickly in recent years. The top eight after five games in 2024-25 finished as the top eight at the end of that season (although not in the same order), while the top six in 2019-20 and top seven in 2016-17 were also in place at this early stage.

While being top after five games has not meant much in recent seasons, being bottom certainly has.

Tottenham could well be in trouble once again as the side bottom of the Premier League after five games has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons.

Being bottom this early did not used to be such a bad omen. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, only one of the six sides that were propping up the table after five games ended up going down - Newcastle in 2015-16 - while Crystal Palace finished as high as 11th in 2017-18.

Looking at the relegation battle more broadly, at least one of the teams in the bottom three at this stage has been relegated in the past eight seasons - so one of Tottenham, Fulham and Coventry City are very likely to be heading to the Championship in May.

The pool of contestants for this season's relegation battle may already be decided too because the three sides that ultimately went down in the past three seasons were all in the bottom six after five games, which would add Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to the mix.

The last sides to be outside the bottom six at this point but relegated were Leeds United and Southampton in 2022-23, who were both in the top half (seventh and ninth). With their teams currently in eighth and 11th place, Hull City and Ipswich Town fans will hope that is still the case at the end of this campaign.

While the season may well have barely begun, the Premier League table is already starting to take shape.

Read the piece in full here

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A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both "retrospective punishments" and sanctions for the future for their mass financial rule-breaking, sources have told BBC Sport.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City have appealed against the verdict, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is poised to look at the findings to see if there may be any suggestions of potential misconduct.

However, there is said to be a consensus among a group of top-flight club executives that if City's appeal is unsuccessful, the sanctions should make reparations for the period when they broke the rules, while also limiting their powers in future.

There is also a feeling from at least four Premier League boardrooms that a "one-hit" points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient punishment given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Read more on what rival clubs want

Liverpool, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are interested in Fulham's 19-year-old English attacker Josh King who is valued at £51m. (4-4-2.ch - in German), external

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Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

It has certainly been a baptism of fire for new Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa, who came under pressure after losing his opening three league fixtures before encouraging displays in draws against Liverpool and Manchester United.

When appointed in July, the Spaniard vowed to build an attack-minded team who are "brave with the ball". He has delivered on that promise, with his side among the Premier League's best in several attacking metrics, such as touches in the opposition box and chances created from open play.

Arbeloa's gameplan relies on patient build-up play. Under Marco Silva last season, Fulham's sequences of possession lasted an average of eight seconds, the fourth shortest in the top flight. That has risen to 12 seconds in the current campaign, the fourth longest.

The problem comes when the Cottagers lose the ball. They have allowed a league-high 20 big chances and rank second-worst for expected goals against, with opponents getting too much time and space to test goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Their duel success rate has also fallen from the Premier League's fifth-best to second-lowest this term as players come to terms with the new approach.

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking about Fulham's 2026-27 campaign so far, Whites fan John Charles (JCC) said: "There is only one word to describe Fulham's start to the Premier League season and that is chaotic.

"Kicking off with a derby against Chelsea under the floodlights was always going to be an exciting fixture for us Fulham fans.

"We didn't expect to concede in the first minute to Joao Pedro after a defensive lapse in concentration. Unfortunately, that set the tone for the next games.

"Going to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland away, and losing that game in the manner we did, then the Crystal Palace game that followed was one of the most calamitous football matches I have ever watched.

"If you're a neutral and not a Fulham fan, I would encourage you to watch the highlights and goals from that game if you're looking for a laugh - but it wasn't funny for us.

"We are starting to feel the pressure as a fanbase and a club that maybe we got this wrong with Alvaro Arbeloa.

"However, adaptation is the most important thing, along with trusting the process with a new manager. You have got to give him the ability to make mistakes because he is learning on the job.

"He is coming into settled squad that has been in the Premier League for five years now and has been solid under one manager.

"When you're making that sort of change, there is always going to be teething problems."

Listen to more from JCC below or on BBC Sounds here