Sunderland edge Fulham to leave Alvaro Arbeloa searching for a Premier League breakthrough

Alvaro Arbeloa’s difficult start as Fulham manager continued as his side suffered a second successive Premier League defeat, losing 1-0 to Sunderland on Saturday.

Fulham began their league campaign with a 3-2 defeat by Chelsea before being beaten by Sunderland in the second round of matches. The latest result means Arbeloa must wait longer for his first Premier League victory with his new club.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, the former Spain and Real Madrid defender will have to endure a further wait before experiencing success in the competition with Fulham.

The match at Sunderland was closely contested and produced very few clear-cut chances. Neither side was able to establish a decisive advantage for long periods, with much of the contest played in a cautious and even manner.

Sunderland eventually broke the deadlock with 15 minutes of normal time remaining. Isidor scored the only goal of the game, leaving Fulham with limited time to find an equaliser.

The home side had looked more comfortable during the first half and enjoyed the greater share of possession. However, Sunderland’s control of the ball did not translate into sustained pressure or a regular flow of opportunities against Fulham’s defence.

Indeed, the best chance of the opening period fell to the visitors before the half-hour mark. Alex Iwobi found King with a pass behind the Sunderland defence, allowing the Fulham forward to run through on goal.

Roefs came off his line to confront King, who attempted to lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. His effort, however, cleared the crossbar rather than finding the target.

The pattern remained largely unchanged at the start of the second half, although Sunderland increased the tempo compared with the opening 45 minutes. The adjustment gave the hosts more urgency, but the game still offered little in the way of clear openings.

Arbeloa responded by making several changes from the substitutes’ bench as he looked for a way to alter the contest. Fulham were unable to turn those changes into a goal, though, and failed to find the net across the full 90 minutes.

The defeat leaves Arbeloa with two losses from his first two Premier League fixtures at Fulham. His team have scored twice in the competition so far, both goals coming in the opening-day defeat by Chelsea, while they were unable to register against Sunderland.

Fulham’s early schedule has therefore begun with consecutive setbacks, and Arbeloa’s first opportunity to celebrate a league win will have to wait for another match.

Readers can discuss the subject and football news in greater depth on Kooora forums.