Fulham are searching for their first points of the Premier League season after a difficult start under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. The club's 2-0 defeat at Sunderland last weekend left them 16th in the table with zero points from two games, a position that adds urgency to Saturday's home match against Crystal Palace.
Wilson Isidor's 75th-minute goal secured a 1-0 win for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The result ended a 17-year wait for a Premier League home victory for the Black Cats against Fulham. Arbeloa said his team lacked the necessary energy and fight, admitting Sunderland were better for large parts of the game.
The performance highlighted that adapting to Arbeloa's methods would be a gradual process. The defeat followed an opening-day loss to Chelsea, meaning Fulham have conceded four goals while scoring only two so far this campaign. Their next league assignment is a tough away trip to face Liverpool on September 12th.
Fulham were one of the busiest Premier League clubs on transfer deadline day. The club completed three signings: Swedish midfielder Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt, Austrian defender David Affengruber from Elche, and Spanish midfielder Manuel Angel from Real Madrid. Larsson's move involved a fee of around £25 million.
This activity continued a summer of significant change in Fulham's transfer strategy. The club has shifted focus towards younger talent from European leagues, a departure from the previous policy under Marco Silva. New signings Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, who both followed Arbeloa from Real Madrid's academy, have already featured this season.
Deadline day arrival Hugo Larsson's personal life has been highlighted, noting his relationship with Swedish model Amanda Stroomberg. The 22-year-old midfielder, a full Swedish international, joined for a reported initial fee of £21.5 million after a season on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Larsson is expected to add dynamism to Fulham's midfield as Arbeloa looks to turn around the team's early form. His arrival, along with those of Angel and Affengruber, bolsters a squad that currently sits six points behind early leaders Manchester City. Fans can view the full updated squad list on the club's official site.
This weekend's key London derby sees Fulham with a poor historical record against their rivals. Fulham have won just two of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Palace and are without a home win against them in their last eight attempts across all competitions.
Both teams enter the match at Craven Cottage still seeking their first point of the new season. A defeat for Fulham would mean losing their first three league games, a scenario that has preceded relegation in the club's past two instances. The current standings show the tight nature of the bottom half early in the campaign.
Midfielder Alex Iwobi could make his 100th Premier League appearance for Fulham in the match. The game kicks off at 15:00 BST on Saturday, with Fulham hoping their new signings can make an immediate impact to change their fortunes. The full schedule, including the upcoming away fixture at Anfield, is available on the fixtures page.
