Iwobi strike lifts Fulham off the bottom and gives Arbeloa first win
Fulham are off the bottom of the Premier League after Alex Iwobi's first-half strike beat Hull City on 17 October.
It finished with ten men holding on. It still counted. For Fulham, that was enough.
The only goal came midway through the first half at home. Sander Berge poked the ball into Iwobi's path and Iwobi hit it first time. His shot squirmed under Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis at the near post, according to The Guardian.
That one moment settled the 100th meeting between the clubs, which kicked off at 15:00 BST on Saturday.
For head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, it was a first Premier League win in charge. For Fulham, it was a first victory of the season. It lifted them from last place, the basement club no team wants to be.
Arbeloa arrived with a clear brief. He brought five members of staff from Real Madrid and three players as Fulham tried to move on from Marco Silva's pragmatic, safety-first system to a more expansive, front-foot style.
The start had been rocky. Fulham twice led at home to Crystal Palace but lost 3-2, then lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea early in the campaign. More recently, they conceded late in back-to-back games against Ipswich Town and Manchester United, dropping five points out of six from the 88th minute onwards.
You could see that tension here. Fulham needed a second goal and nearly got it. Gonzalo Garcia, a £40m striker without a league goal since the opening weekend, met Iwobi's cross six yards out and headed against the bar.
Hull are new to all this. They returned to the Premier League after beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship play-off final in May, Oli McBurnie with the late winner. They made Fulham sweat to the end.
Ryan Sessegnon was sent off late for a foul on Robinio Vaz. Referee Chris Kavanagh reached straight for the red card. Down to ten, Fulham had to defend the lead through the closing minutes.
What makes this stand out is the relief. A win changes the noise around a new manager. The football can breathe a little.
For fans, this means a shared exhale. Ninety minutes, one goal, three points. The city feels lighter already.
