A rainbow was visible at Craven Cottage last Saturday, a fitting symbol as Fulham secured their first league victory of the season. The win lifts the team away from the bottom of the table and above the relegation zone. Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who had faced speculation, was particularly pleased.
In the first half, Fulham dominated possession, but Hull City's defence, marshalled by goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, effectively shielded their goal for much of the period. Despite efforts from Alex Iwobi, Oscar Bobb, and Josh King, Fulham struggled to penetrate Hull's back five.
The breakthrough came in the 33rd minute when Brooke Norton-Cuffy's clearance was directed by Sander Berge to Iwobi, who scored with a powerful shot. Tzolakis was wrongfooted by a deflection off defender Lucas Herrington. Fulham had ten efforts on goal in the first half.
After the interval, Hull sought an equaliser, but Fulham's defence, including David Affengruber, held firm. Josh King had further chances to extend the lead. Sky pundit William Bitibiri praised King's performance, comparing him to a player at Real Madrid.
Substitutions saw Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon enter the game for Fulham. Sessegnon had a difficult spell, nearly conceding a penalty. Cesar Palacios also came on for Gonzalo Garcia, who had missed a headed chance.
As the match neared its end, Fulham maintained their lead. However, Ryan Sessegnon's hesitation allowed Robinio Vaz to dispossess him, leading to a clumsy tackle from Sessegnon that resulted in a red card, the only blemish on Fulham's performance.
The win provides Alvaro Arbeloa with a chance to establish himself as Marco Silva's successor ahead of a challenging fixture list, starting with Coventry City next week.
