Fulham booed off after another defeat! Alvaro Arbeloa insists his side ‘didn’t deserve to lose’ as Palace inflict third straight loss

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa faced the wrath of the Craven Cottage faithful as his side fell to a third consecutive Premier League defeat on Saturday afternoon. Despite taking the lead twice, the Cottagers ultimately collapsed to a 3-2 loss against Crystal Palace, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table.

Frustration grows at Craven Cottage

The atmosphere at Fulham turned toxic following the final whistle on Saturday, as supporters made their feelings known after a 3-2 Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace. Alvaro Arbeloa, who took the reigns from Marco Silva after the latter departed for Benfica, has now overseen three straight losses to start the new campaign. The result leaves Fulham as one of only two sides, alongside Coventry City, yet to pick up a single point this season, following previous setbacks against Sunderland and Chelsea.

Speaking after the game, Arbeloa was defiant despite the growing pressure and the audible boos from the stands. “We didn’t deserve to lose this game,” Arbeloa told BBC’s Match of the Day. “My players did everything – good attitude, they were brave, so many chances to score more goals. They [Palace] took their chances – in the end football is about that. We did many good things to win the game. It was similar against Chelsea but we lose.”

Tactical dominance failing to yield points

Arbeloa, a veteran of over 350 appearances for clubs like Real Madrid and Liverpool, is well aware that performance metrics mean little without results. During his Post-Crystal Palace Press Conference, the manager reflected on the misfortune his side suffered at the back. “We were really unlucky in this goal [second Palace goal],” Arbeloa said.

Despite the tactical progress he believes the team is making, history is not on their side; only six Premier League teams have ever started a season with five straight defeats, and only two of those survived the drop.

New signings showing flashes of brilliance

One silver lining for the Cottagers has been the integration of several high-profile summer signings. Arbeloa utilised his connections at the Bernabeu to bring in Cesar Palacios, Gonzalo Garcia, and Manuel Angel.

Palacios opened his account for the club by reacting quickest to a rebound after Dean Henderson spilled a clearance. Meanwhile, Shea Charles, a £30m arrival from Southampton, was handed his first league start in the heart of the midfield as Fulham look to find a winning formula.