Fulham suffered a third consecutive Premier League defeat, losing 3-2 to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on Saturday. The result leaves Alvaro Arbeloa's side 19th in the table with zero points from three games, having scored four goals and conceded seven for a minus-three goal difference.
Fulham took the lead twice in the first half but ultimately collapsed. Josh King opened the scoring for the hosts, only for Tyrick Mitchell to equalise for Palace. Cesar Palacios then restored Fulham's advantage, capitalising on a spilled clearance by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Mitchell scored his second after the break to level the match again before substitute Ben Chilwell, making his second debut for Palace just three minutes after coming on, netted the winner. According to data, Fulham's expected goals (xG) of 3.13 significantly exceeded Palace's 1.97.
The defeat means Fulham are one of only two Premier League teams, alongside Coventry City, to have lost their opening three league fixtures this season. Their previous losses were also 3-2 scorelines, against Sunderland and Chelsea at home. The team's recent form reads LLL, and they currently sit nine points behind league leaders Manchester City. Some supporters booed the team off the pitch at full-time, with chants questioning the performance. Captain Tom Cairney is currently sidelined, adding to the challenges.
Arbeloa oversaw seven summer signings after replacing Marco Silva, who left for Benfica. Three players followed the new head coach from Real Madrid: Cesar Palacios, Gonzalo Garcia, and Manuel Angel. Palacios and Garcia have started all three Premier League matches so far. Garcia scored on his debut against Chelsea and also found the net as a substitute in the EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon. Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles, a £30m arrival from Southampton, made his first Premier League start for the club against Palace.
Alvaro Arbeloa, who made over 350 appearances as a player for clubs including Real Madrid and Liverpool and won 56 caps for Spain, expressed his frustration. "We didn't deserve to lose this game," he said. The head coach, who served as Real Madrid's caretaker manager for 28 matches last season, recording 18 wins, also praised his former charges. "Cesar Palacios and Gonzalo Garcia both had a great game. Cesar scored a goal, and for Gonzalo another great performance."
The fixture list offers little respite. Fulham face Liverpool away on September 12th, followed by a home match against Manchester United before the international break. Liverpool are currently sixth in the standings. Only six Premier League teams have ever started a season with five straight defeats, and of those, only two avoided relegation. The club's next match is a critical test as they seek their first points.
