Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 26/08/26...

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Post-Chelsea Press Conference
Álvaro Arbeloa told the press he wasn't happy with his side's opening day defeat, but did see promising characteristics in his side.

Fulham fell to a 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage against Chelsea, but offered plenty for fans to be hopeful about in an action-packed clash.

"I think it wasn't an easy game for us," said the manager. "We conceded after 30 seconds, but I think we showed the character and personality that I want my players to show.

"We scored one goal through Josh and we had some more chances to score more in the first half. At the end of the first half we concede, and we concede another goal in the first minutes of the second half.

"I think easy goals for Chelsea. When you make these mistakes against teams like that, they are going to punish you."

"I said to my players, we did what we have to do: press, play with character, try to play in their half like we did, and try to create chances to score goals, and to be ambitious.

"I'm not happy. I can't be happy because we lost this game that we wanted to win for our fans, but I think this is the way that we have to play."

The manager went on to explain how it is only early days and that his team will build on their promising performance.

"For sure. I think we keep improving," he said. "It will take time, but it's the first game of the season. I have been seeing all the games in the Premier League that no one is ready.

"But I saw tonight the energy that I want to see, the high press that we want to have. And like I said to my players, we are going to play in this way and we're going to try to play in this way no matter who is in front of us.

"That's not easy, because we are going to face very good teams with very top players, but we are going to try, for sure. And we need to play with that character, and that ambition, and that energy that is very important for us, that we fight from the first minute until the last."

The manager was delighted with Josh King's performance, who finally got his deserved goal against Chelsea after having one wrongly ruled out this time last year at Stamford Bridge.

"I think every team needs goals, and not just from Gonzalo. I have been talking during all the summer with Josh King; what a player we have here, amazing! What a player, unbelievable.

"I knew his talent, but with talent and with quality for this type of player, it's not enough. They need to make numbers, like Josh, or like Oscar (Bobb), or like César (Palacios), Kevin.

"We have very young players with a lot of talent, but they need to score goals because, at the end, it's the most important thing in football. And I hope they can score many goals this season."

The Cottage turned out and left a lasting impression on the boss.

"It was incredible," the manager observed of the Cottage atmosphere. "I am so happy to feel that atmosphere. I think they were so important for us, and they helped us a lot.

"In the bad moments, they were behind us and I think with their support, we feel more comfortable, and we try harder, and we played very, very well for so many moments.

"I'm sorry for them, but we will try again, and I hope in three days we have another game and we can win for them."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/august/24/post-chelsea-press-conference/

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Real Madrid midfield starlet leaning towards Italy move even as Fulham circle
This summer has seen many young Real Madrid starlets leave the club in search of regular minutes, with the pathway to the first team almost non-existent.

Both Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios left Los Blancos to join former manager Alvaro Arbeloa at Fulham.

The duo have already become starters for the Cottagers and played against Chelsea last night, with Gonzalo getting one of Fulham's goals.

Now, according to The Athletic, Jorge Cestero could be one of the next young Madrid players to leave in search of regular minutes.

The 20-year-old, who is also wanted by Lille in Ligue 1, is considering a move to Italy.

Italy emerges as a serious option
Madrid have been looking for a solution for Cestero for some time, despite the academy graduate impressing Jose Mourinho during pre-season.

Cestero is weighing up several possibilities for the next stage of his development, and Italy has emerged as an attractive destination.

The midfielder is understood to be open to continuing his career there, although no transfer has been finalised.

For Madrid, the priority is likely to be finding a club that gives Cestero consistent minutes rather than leaving him stuck between Castilla and a crowded first team.

Fulham also in the picture
Fulham are another option.

The Premier League club could look to reunite Cestero with Arbeloa, and the familiar connection could help him settle in.

Arbeloa knows the Madrid academy very well and would understand exactly how to bring the best out of Cestero.

However, so far, the 20-year-old continues to lean towards a move to Italy.

Mourinho impressed by Cestero
The interesting part of the situation is that Cestero is not being sold because his performances have not been up to the mark.

However, Jose Mourinho is said to have been impressed by him during pre-season and sees a lot of potential in him.

Thus, Madrid want to do what they have done with many other young academy starlets, selling them and keeping control over their future.

The opportunity to get some regular minutes could massively aid Cestero's development, and it remains to be seen where he moves in this coming week.



https://madriduniversal.com/real-madrid-midfield-starlet-leaning-towards-italy-move-even-as-fulham-circle/

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'They are easy goals' – Arbeloa rues Fulham mistakes in defeat to Chelsea
Alvaro Arbeloa began life in the Premier League with a defeat to Chelsea, and the Fulham boss said his team made avoidable mistakes.

Alvaro Arbeloa was left to rue costly mistakes by his Fulham team as his Premier League debut ended in defeat to Xabi Alonso's Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Monday.

Fulham were beaten 3-2 by their London rivals, and fell behind after just 31 seconds when Joao Pedro raced on to Cole Palmer's pass before lifting the ball over Bernd Leno.

Josh King hauled Fulham level in the 23rd minute, only for Morgan Rogers to net a debut goal just before the break after good work from Maxence Lacroix down the right.

Chelsea pulled further clear four minutes after the restart through Palmer, but Gonzalo Garcia reduced the deficit soon after with a debut goal from inside the penalty area.

Fulham had their chances to snatch a point, with Antonee Robinson lobbing Robert Sanchez but just wide of the mark as the Cottagers were dealt a defeat on matchday one.

The Cottagers have now lost their opening game in four of their last seven seasons in the Premier League (W1 D2), and Arbeloa knew where his team went wrong.

"We concede goals in the first minute, the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half and there are no worse moments to concede," Arbeloa conceded.

"But we showed character and personality, and I am very proud of how my players responded.

"We deserved a little bit more, but football is not about what you deserve, it is about what you take.

"If you lose against a team like Chelsea, they [should] have to do a little bit more.

"For me, they are easy goals for them and mistakes we cannot make. We need to improve and be more ready in the first minute, that is for sure.

"We are on our way and we will keep improving. The first thing I want to see is a competitive team.

"We were tonight, we tried our best and tried to play our football against a team like Chelsea, which is not easy."

Arbeloa did, however, have room for optimism for his young team, with Garcia, King, Oscar Bobb and Cesar Palacios starting against Chelsea.

Garcia, who joined from Real Madrid this summer, became the first player to score on his Premier League debut for Fulham since Chris David in May 2014 vs Crystal Palace.

King, meanwhile, became the third Fulham player to net multiple goals as a teenager in the Premier League (two), along with Collins John (nine) and Ryan Sessegnon (two).

He was also the first teenager to score on MD1 for any club since 18-year-old Evan Ferguson for Brighton in 2023-24.

"I believe in them and I believe in young players. I think they have the energy and ambition I want, and they fit in the way I play. Josh King is absolutely amazing," Arbeloa added.

"What a player you have here, and I am really happy with him. Gonzalo [Garcia] scored and Cesar [Palacios] did well.

"I think they need a bit more time, but they are doing great and making an impact already."



https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/they-are-easy-goals--arbeloa-rues-fulham-mistakes-in-defeat-to-chelsea-2026-08-24

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How did all nine new managers fare in Premier League openers?
Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the season with new managers.

The post-Pep Guardiola era has begun at Manchester City under Enzo Maresca, while Andoni Iraola got his first taste of action as Liverpool manager after succeeding sacked Arne Slot. Xabi Alonso is the latest with his foot in the revolving door of managers at Chelsea.

So how did the new faces fare after an eventful first weekend of the new campaign?

Marco Rose – Bournemouth
The German successor to Iraola came within six minutes of starting his Premier League career with a statement win at Manchester City, only to concede two late goals to suffer a heartbreaking loss.

He will be frustrated at the manner of City's goals, with Marc Guehi unmarked at a corner for the equaliser then a slow reaction for Josko Gvardiol's stoppage time winner, but Rose was also shown in those first 84 minutes that he has plenty of materials to work with in a Cherries side that finished sixth last season.

Rose will have seen enough to deliver early signs of encouragement amid the disappointment of such a painful late loss.

Xabi Alonso - Chelsea
Not a bad start to take the lead after 31 seconds and a satisfactory start to Alonso's reign, but there was obvious good and obvious bad in what he watched at Craven Cottage.

First the good.

The attacking triumvirate of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and newcomer Morgan Rogers hit the ground running, all scoring and combining to devastating effect.

Equally devastating to Chelsea's Premier League chances and the Alonso revival could be the failure to find a better goalkeeper than the unreliable Robert Sanchez, who was at fault for both Fulham goals.

Alonso must find an answer quickly otherwise what Palmer, Joao Pedro and Rogers give with one hand Sanchez could take away with both hands.

Tactically Alonso used a back three with Reece James operating in midfield but also dropping back into defence.

Pierre Sage - Crystal Palace
Disappointing start for the highly-regarded Sage, who did such an outstanding job at Lens, with defeat at Everton but he also knows the outcome could have been a much more satisfactory one.

Palace's second half display will have disappointed him, but they had chances in the opening period to set up their first win at Everton since 2014. They hit the woodwork twice, while Jean-Phillipe Mateta was wasteful. Sage and his team paid a heavy price.

Sage's unhappy opening weekend will not have been helped by a contract row surrounding striker Mateta that puts his future in question, while he will want more numbers and quality to add to his squad.

Next up Manchester City at Selhurst Park, where Sage will sample the superb night game atmosphere as he searches for his first league win. No easy task.

Alvaro Arbeloa - Fulham
Tough opener and conceding within the first minute did not help Arbeloa's cause as he builds after taking over from Marco Silva.

It is already clear he needs to make sure Fulham can find some goals, although he will be delighted young debutant Gonzalo Garcia got off the mark. It was more of a struggle for another new arrival from Real Madrid, Cesar Palacios.

The jewel in Arbeloa's crown will be 19-year-old Josh King, who he described as "unbelievable". It is already clear the youngster will bear a heavy weight of responsibility under Fulham's new management.

Gary O'Neil - Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town have backed Kieran McKenna's successor with big money in the transfer market, £150m on a dozen signings, and Gary O'Neil was rewarded with a vital victory against Sunderland.

O'Neil may just be the beneficiary from lessons learned during Ipswich's last spell in the Premier League, when they took 11 games to get a win and went down with a whimper with just 22 points.

He will have been delighted with the impact of Julio Enciso, who he worked with at Strasbourg, and his early partnership with Brazilian striker Emersonn, the pair combining superbly for the latter's opening goal.

Plenty still to work on but O'Neil looked in the mood to enjoy his cup of tea and bar of chocolate while watching Match Of The Day on Saturday night.

Andoni Iraola - Liverpool
Iraola was spared the ignominy of defeat in his first Premier League game since succeeding Arne Slot by Dominik Szoboszlai's 99th minute penalty – but this was a sobering fact-finding mission for the new man in charge at Anfield.

He did not seem unduly concerned, but both Newcastle United's goals will have been hauntingly familiar to those who watched Liverpool's title defence collapse under Slot last season.

Newcastle cashed in on Liverpool's wide open midfield, a flaw from the last campaign that saw them so vulnerable to fast counter-attacks. Anthony Elanga sliced through Liverpool for the first then six of Iraola's team stood idly by as Yoane Wissa and Joe Willock combined for the second.

Iraola has suggested Liverpool will not strengthen in midfield with a 'number 6' type defensively-minded player. This early evidence (not to mention what was seen last season) suggests he should.

If not, the draw at Newcastle was a red flag showing Iraola needs to find an internal solution which is not currently obvious.

It's all very well targeting wide players such as Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh, but what about when teams are running straight through the heart of Liverpool's team?

Iraola must also find a way to make the subdued Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz look like the players Liverpool paid £241m for. Both were poor again at St. James' Park.

Enzo Maresca - Manchester City
It looked like it was going to be a losing start for Guardiola's successor before Manchester City pulled it around with two late goals to beat Bournemouth.

How Maresca needed it after City were pounded by Arsenal in the Community Shield. The Italian's emotions at the final whistle looked as much relief as celebration. He needs wins just to settle post-Guardiola nerves and ease the transition.

Maresca described the day as "perfect". It very nearly wasn't.

Erling Haaland's crop is not the only new look at City this season, but on occasions there were passages of play with lots of possession but little punch, a familiar pattern from Maresca's time at Leicester City and Chelsea. The use of Marc Guehi in midfield was a tactical twist.

Maresca will have wanted the win, no matter how it came, and City achieved it, even though it did carry a lot of the hallmarks of a work in progress.

Matthias Jaissle - Newcastle United
Seconds away from what would have been a very significant win against Liverpool, but still plenty for Jaissle to take away even with the concession of that late, late penalty.

The Toon Army were right behind the new manager and his team, reshaping after the loss of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, and they responded with real intensity.

The effort was there, the attacking style Jaissle wants was there, only the win was missing but enough to please him after fall-out from this summer's Tyneside turbulence.

Oliver Glasner - Nottingham Forest
Poor start for the Austrian who brought FA Cup and Europa League success to Crystal Palace, losing 1-0 to a late Leeds United goal at The City Ground.

Glasner claimed he cannot simply lay hands on players and they perform like "Real Madrid in the 70s", but this still was an unsatisfactory opening as he tries to bring stability and success to Nottingham Forest and their demanding owner Evangelos Marinkis after four managers were in charge last season.

He had no new signings in his starting line-up, with eight from Nuno Espirito Santo's team in the opening-day win over Brentford last season, although it looks like striker Liam Delap might arrive from Chelsea.

Every Forest manager needs wins (and very quickly) so to make a losing introduction was a real blow for Glasner.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cr4v0p1xqryo

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Fulham: What we learnt from Bassey & Iwobi's display in defeat to Chelsea
Super Eagles duo Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi were both in action for Fulham as they began their 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a narrow 3-2 defeat to Chelsea, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Cottagers began their campaign under former Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa on a disappointing note as they suffered defeat at Craven Cottage against their West London rivals on Monday night.

Chelsea took the lead after just 31 seconds when Joao Pedro finished after receiving a good pass from Cole Palmer.

Fulham responded well and drew level in the 23rd minute through Josh King, although Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez could have done much better to prevent the equaliser.

Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea's lead before the break, while Palmer extended the Blues' advantage four minutes after the restart.

Gonzalo Garcia pulled one back for the home side to make it 3-2 after another mistake from Sanchez, but Chelsea held on to secure all three points and leave the Cottagers with a defeat in their opening league game.

Despite the disappointing result, there were some encouraging signs from Bassey and Iwobi, although both Super Eagles stars will be hoping to produce even better performances as the season progresses.

Bassey set for long-term and leadership role at Fulham
The summer was dominated by questions over Bassey's future at Fulham, with the Nigerian defender entering the final year of his contract and attracting interest from Italian giants Inter Milan.

The Cottagers pursued Trabzonspor defender Chibuike Nwaiwu as a potential replacement, although it now appears he could remain with the Turkish club. The Cottagers also lost Issa Diop this summer, making Bassey's role in the squad even more important.

Against Chelsea, Bassey was handed the captain's armband for the first time in his career. He became the first Nigerian player to captain Fulham since Wilfred Ndidi did so for Leicester City in February 2023.

Although Fulham conceded three goals, Bassey put in a solid individual display and showed signs that he could play an important leadership role for the club.

The defender had 104 touches of the ball, the most of any player in the match, and covered one of the highest distances among Fulham players.

Bassey also had to operate in an unfamiliar right centre-back position, making his performance even more encouraging despite some of Fulham's defensive weaknesses.

Iwobi shows his importance to Fulham's midfield
Iwobi once again showed why he remains an important player for Fulham, starting alongside Sander Berge in the middle of the park and displaying his quality in possession.

The Nigerian completed the most passes of any player in the match, making 83 passes with an impressive 90% accuracy.

He also recorded 103 touches, the second-highest total in the game behind Bassey, showing how heavily Fulham relied on him to progress the ball and control possession.

Iwobi also made 10 defensive contributions and his performance could strengthen his case for a prominent role in Arbeloa's new-look Fulham side, especially if the manager continues to use him in a deeper midfield position.

Both Bassey and Iwobi will now be hoping to build on their individual performances and help Fulham secure their first victory of the new campaign.

The Cottagers will face AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup on Thursday before returning to Premier League action against Sunderland.



https://soccernet.ng/2026/08/fulham-bassey-iwobi-chelsea.html

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Player Ratings: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
The scores are in after the Whites fell in their SW6 derby season opener.

I'm really struggling to decipher how I feel after that game. Even now, 12 hours on, I've got lots of conflicting thoughts.

There were definitely positives. Arbeloa has spoken a lot about intensity and we absolutely saw that last night. It's something we've lacked in recent times, so to see us go out there and press the full length of the pitch was very encouraging.

Going forward we looked more potent and while the decision making still leaves a lot to be desired at times, we caused that Chelsea defence problems. A goal and stellar performance from Josh King cements him as the star of this side and a goal for Gonzalo Garcia on debut cannot be understated in its importance for his confidence.

Then there are the negatives... Conceding after 30 seconds was catastrophic and the manner in which the goal came about was a perfect microcosm for Fulham's issues in this game; gaping holes in the middle of the park, with centre-backs exposed to runs in behind. We're going to concede a lot of goals this season, but it will be an unsustainable number if we continue to defend like that.

A derby day defeat is always tough to take but given the context, the overall narrative should be positive, although some of these ratings may not reflect that. In a game where we did a lot of good things, it felt like there were several individual performances that could be pinpointed as detrimental to the team. We'll get there - and we won't have to play against a £200m+ front three every week, which should help.

Bernd Leno

He made a couple of big saves in front of the Hammy end in that first half that really kept Fulham in the game. I don't think there's much he can do for the first two goals, but you'd argue he shouldn't let Palmer squeeze one between his legs for the third.

With the ball, he's clearly being asked to be braver and more proactive, which doesn't really suit him. A couple of passes that felt hairy and put his defenders under pressure, but nothing cataclysmic. He's going to be a busy man this season. 5.5/10

Timothy Castagne

Arbeloa is clearly a fan of Timmy and he continued his adventurous performances in pre-season with another marauding display last night. His remit is clearly to get right up the pitch and affect the game in the final third, which he did to great effect. His assist for Josh King is a nice one-two, and his second assist is testament to his attacking intent, making a great run in behind, showing great composure to get a shot away.

Hard to evaluate defensively because Chelsea certainly exploited the space that he left vacant, but given he's being told to get that high up the pitch, that feels like more of a system fault, rather than a personal failing. 7/10

Calvin Bassey

I thought he looked like a captain today. That's not to say it was a top-drawer performance, because it wasn't, however he looked like a leader. He has the energy and passion of someone that you want to be setting the example to the rest of the team. There were a few moments where you could see him trying to inject something into the team and the fans, either through a big tackle or a bustling foray into the opposition half. We need a personality like that.

He's guilty of ball watching for the second goal and he's too rash in his decision making for the third, and he should be pulled up on that. However, I think Calvin is going to be pivotal this season and it's an inspired choice from Arbeloa to give him the armband. That dive in the second half was absolutely honking though; less of that CB. 6/10

Jorge Cuenca

Yikes. Usually a serene Spanish sweeper, I thought Jorge looked frazzled yesterday. Perhaps overawed by the occasion, but more likely panicked into poor decision making as a result of how open we were, I thought he was at fault for all three goals. Getting spun by Maxence Lacroix is bad for the second goal, but the defending for the third is worse; a total lack of communication between him and Berge, quite astonishingly bad defending in the Premier League.

However, with the ball at his feet, he played a couple of defence-splitting passes that gave an insight into what he could bring to this team. Very interested to see who partners Calvin on Sunday. 4/10

Antonee Robinson

Has copped a lot of flack for his performance, especially how high he was caught up the pitch on a number of occasions. I think it's the same as Castagne though: is that his fault, or is he following instructions and it's someone else's responsibility to cover the space? Personally, I think it's the latter, so I'm going to cut him some slack. That being said, he was twisted in knots by Cole Palmer at times and could have done with some defensive support.

He wasn't as effective as Timmy but conceptually he fits this system well, being given the freedom to make those trademark overlapping runs. He obviously should do better with his one-on-one, but I can't be the only person who had no faith in him burying it anyway. 5/10

Sander Berge

I have spent a lot of time defending our Norwegian midfielder and he is still not repaying my faith in him. He's built like a tree, but the kind that is the first to topple over in mildly blustery conditions.

If he's going to be entrusted with protecting us against transitions he is going to have to start being a bully. He's far too passive; his "defending" for the second and third goals are testament to that, watching players run past him rather than stopping them. I need to see him just poleaxe someone, take the yellow card, I don't care, just wipe someone out and become the midfield enforcer that we need. 3/10

Alex Iwobi

When one of your central midfielders plays like Berge, you really need the other one to step up and unfortunately Alex did not do that. He tried, and he was marginally better than Sander, but he was unusually sloppy in possession, and this tendency he's developing to give the ball away on the edge of our area needs to stop.

I fear that he might not have the legs to play that deep in this Arbeloa side, certainly not against an attack as potent as Chelsea's anyway. 4/10

Oscar Bobb

Effective yet ineffective? He's clearly supremely technically gifted, with a lovely touch and ability to sell a dummy and gain a yard of space. He needs to speed up his decision making though. Too often instead of a shot or an incisive final ball, he takes an extra touch, sometimes four extra touches, and the moment is gone.

I actually think he's a better footballer than Harry Wilson, and has the potential to be an upgrade, but he needs to develop Harry's penchant for game-changing moments of brilliance. 6/10

Josh King

What. A. Star. I could go on for hours about this Josh King performance. Sammy and I waxed lyrical on the Quick Take about him, and I will do so again in the ratings. He is simply delightful to watch, the way he fizzes about the pitch, drifting past defenders, refusing to be bullied, it's just incredible.

There is no ceiling to what this boy can achieve and the fact that he does it all with an undying passion for being a Fulham player makes me so happy. An early goal for him will only lift his confidence, and while it is woeful keeping from Sanchez, the movement and execution from Josh is A*. So unlucky not to get an equaliser as he dragged his shot wide, but the work he does to create the space in the first place is sublime. 9/10 - man of the match

Cesar Palacios

After a dazzling performance in preseason, I thought Cesar struggled today. Personally, I thought he looked a bit lost out there and spent most of the game chasing the ball and blue shirts. His effort can't be faulted, but he looked a bit lightweight and defensively didn't offer enough support to Robinson. It just felt like the game happened a bit too quick for him, which is understandable, it was high octane stuff.

Better performances to come and while I was calling for Kevin to come on earlier than he did, he actually didn't make a positive difference. 4.5/10

Gonzalo Garcia

The most important thing for Gonzalo is he got a goal. The last thing you want from your new talisman is a long wait for that first goal. It's nice to have someone leading the line who will chase down lost causes and press relentlessly, that energy will be important. The fact that covered the most ground through high-intensity sprints speaks volumes.

There's work to be done on his hold-up play, but if he's going to make a knack of being in the right place at the right time, then that's exactly what we need. 7/10

Substitutes

Shea Charles

A positive debut from a player who I have perhaps roguely tipped to be our player of the season. He looked very composed on the ball and I think he will quickly muscle his way into the midfield pair quite quickly. 6/10

Kevin

I was calling for Kevin from about the 60th minute; I thought his pace and directness could cause problems. Unfortunately, it just didn't click. Rarely afforded the opportunity to isolate a defender one-on-one as Chelsea sat deeper, he provided little in the way of spark and was handled with relative ease. 4/10

Ryan Sessegnon

Spent 10 minutes playing on the right wing, then 10 minutes playing at left-back, which shows the importance that his versatility will provide. I thought it was a solid, if unremarkable, cameo. His exploits in preseason make me think that he's really not far behind Robinson in the pecking order, and if our full-backs are allowed to get that far forward, Sess arrive late into the penalty box of that left flank could be a good source of goals. 5.5/10

Rodrigo Muniz came on too late to be fairly assessed, but I'm not sure I'm a fan of his new hair.

Manager
Alvaro Arbeloa

It was always going to be a baptism of fire and after the start we had, he could've been staring down the barrel of an unredeemable first game in charge. However, he and the team deserve credit for being able to stick to the gameplan, show courage, and try to go toe-to-toe against a team that has spent both a sickening and pathetic amount of money.

He needs to quickly work out how we are going to play such expansive football without conceding three every game - because that wasn't acceptable - but we'll get there.

His biggest issue might be how can he get some of these players fit enough to play such physically demanding football, because we were gassed by the 75th minute, and currently the squad is looking a bit thin.

Overall, last night is not the way any manager wants to start a new job, but I think he's got the fans on his side as a result of what we saw and we're hopefully going to see some exciting stuff this season. 5.5/10



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/player-ratings-fulham-2-3-chelsea

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Arbeloa's side narrowly defeated by Chelsea : Player Ratings
Fulham suffered a 3-2 defeat at home on the first game of the season against Chelsea, yet there were many positives to take in terms of individual performances.

Álvaro Arbeloa's competitive tenure as Fulham manager did not get off to a desired start, with his side conceding a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso, the man who Arbeloa replaced at Real Madrid halfway through last season. Yet, there were many promising signs for a competitive Fulham side to take away.

Bernd Leno - 5

Leno is once again Fulham's starting goalkeeper for the fifth straight season, with the German having been a reliable shotstopper for the Cottagers for just shy of half a decade. He made three saves during the match, including a good close-range stop to deny Roméo Lavia when the scores were level. There was very little he could do with Chelsea's goals, though the last of the three goals Fulham conceded was slipped through his legs.

Antonee Robinson - 6

Robinson was caught well out of position for the Blues' opening goal, which came in the first minute of the match, but produced an important early block from Morgan Rogers and was pivotal in Fulham's counterattacks. He also got a golden opportunity to equalise with a one-on-one against Robert Sanchez, but his shot was scuffed.

Jorge Cuenca - 5

Cuenca looked promising when launching balls forward and starting the attack in what led to Garcia's goal. Yet, he struggled to deal with Chelsea's front three and was at fault for Chelsea's second goal when he failed to stop Maxence Lacroix's cross.

Calvin Bassey - 6

The Nigerian was given the slightly harder task of playing as a right centre-back as a left-footer, and despite not having his best performance in a Fulham shirt, he looked better than his centre-back partner. Though disappointingly, he was booked for diving.

Timothy Castagne - 7

The right-back opened the new season with an assist to his name, when he assisted Josh King's equaliser that beat Sanchez in a shot where there are many questions asked of the Spanish goalkeeper. Not only was he pivotal in Fulham's first goal of the season, but he also played a key part in Álvaro Arbeloa's side's second goal, when his spot was parried out for Gonzalo García to score.

Sander Berge - 5

It was quite a hard match for Berge to control the temp of, with Chelsea's midfield overpowering that of Arbeloa's side. His double pivot alongside Iwobi was shown not to have worked when he was substituted for Ryan Sessegnon.

Josh King - 8

King was unarguably Fulham's best player on the night, changing the course of the match early on when he caught out Sanchez at the near post from just inside the box when he put Fulham on level terms again. He was also pivotal in creating chances for the Cottagers, almost getting his second goal and second equaliser of the match when he had a well-struck shot from range in the latter end of the second half.

César Palacios - 6

Palacios will grow to be an exciting player for Fulham, which was evident in this match. The former Real Madrid youngster failed to cover Robinson for Chelsea's first goal, yet massively grew in confidence the more the game progressed, with a shot from range just going over the crossbar being an early example of his growing confidence in the second half.

Alex Iwobi - 6

Iwobi provided Fulham with great moments in possession and had better control of the tempo during the match. He also provided that physical presence during the match with was a key difference in Fulham's midfield.

Oscar Bobb - 7

Much like Palacios, Bobb grew into the game, with most of Fulham's joy coming down his side. Bobb was also great in linking up with teammates, though he was subbed after his influence on the match started to wear off.

Gonzalo García - 7

García, much like his time and breakthrough at Real Madrid, is an exciting player to watch and made himself a focal point in Fulham's attack with constant runs. Most notably, he scored Fulham's second of the evening when he reacted quickest to Castagne's parried effort with his header creeping in through the underside of the crossbar.

Substitutes (Shea Charles - 6, Ryan Sessegnon - 6)

The latter had one of two shots to test Sanchez in the Chelsea goal, but both players were unable to change the course of the match. This was Charles' Premier League debut after his summer transfer from Southampton, where Fulham will hope he can be as crucial as he was for Tonda Eckert's side last season.

Fulham will hope that their first points of the season come in the next league match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.



https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2026/08/25/premier-league/1269030-arbeloa-s-side-narrowly-defeated-by-chelsea-player-ratings.html

[WhiteJC]

Fulham officials at club on Sunday for transfer effort – Need to make an 'irrational' offer
Fulham representatives were in Rennes on Sunday as they continue to chase a deal for Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal.

Tuesday's print edition of L'Equipe explains interest in the 20-year-old centre-back is growing, particularly after his performance in the recent 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain.

The plan at the French club is for Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal to replace Jeremy Jacquet in their defence this summer following the latter's move to Liverpool. That may be difficult as interest in him is growing.

Fulham interest growing
The Premier League club have been officially interested for several weeks. Sport Witness have already reported on their growing interest.

A report at the beginning of the month explained that Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal was interested in the move to Craven Cottage. A second report then explained Fulham were readying a second transfer attempt.

Fulham have already made an offer of €20m for the defender.

In fact, representatives of the club were in Rennes again on Sunday to explore a deal.

Rennes uninterested as of now
Rennes have made it clear that they have no intention of letting the centre-back go. That stance would change if Fulham were to make an 'irrational' offer. Alvaro Arbeloa's side do not seem capable of making such a bid at present.

There is no mention of the price the French side would sell for at this point. Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal is a product of their youth system after joining from AM Football in 2015.

They're set for a major profit in any sale, then, with Transfermarkt currently valuing the defender at €12m. It's very unlikely that's the figure Rennes are looking at, though, particularly with a Premier League side like Fulham chasing his signature.

The onus, it seems, is on Arbeloa and co to come up with a price and try to convince Rennes into a sale.

At this point, it seems they've not been able to achieve that.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-officials-at-club-on-sunday-for-transfer-effort-need-to-make-an-irrational-offer/

[WhiteJC]

Ex-PGMOL Head Drops Official Red Card Verdict on Levi Colwill Chelsea Foul vs Fulham
With the first game week now over, some Premier League sides got off to a better start than others. Playing on Monday night, Chelsea saw rivals like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Liverpool all drop points over the weekend.

Xabi Alonso's men then travelled to West London foes Fulham to kick off their campaign. The Blues started in impressive fashion, too, taking the lead through Joao Pedro inside the first minute.

Also making his managerial debut in England, Alvaro Arbeloa saw his team respond well to the early setback, with Josh King firing home to level the scores in the 23rd minute. Chelsea retook the lead just before the break, however, with Morgan Rogers scoring his first goal for his new club.

In the second half, it looked as though Cole Palmer's clever finish had sealed the game, but another debutant, Gonzalo Garcia, scored just five minutes later, making for a nervy finish. In the end, the Blues hung on to their lead and came away with all three points.

Chelsea Avoid Red Card Punishment vs Fulham
Chelsea will feel they were good value for their win, but there was one controversial moment which could have changed the complexion of the match. After just five minutes, Levi Colwill saw Oscar Bobb pounce on a loose touch and run through toward goal.

The English defender – who struggled on the night – quickly brought down his opponent before the Fulham ace could advance any further with the ball. Had he not been fouled, Bobb would have been able to run through on goal with a teammate in support, albeit he was starting from a wide position.

Some felt that it was DOGSO (Denial of an Obvious Goalscoring Opportunity). Many Fulham players and certainly the home crowd called for a red card, but referee John Brooks opted to wave a yellow card instead.

Amid the controversy, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has offered his official verdict on the matter, insisting that the officials got the decision correct. Taking to social media, he explained that the presence of a covering defender was enough to dismiss any DOGSO claims:

"The covering defender influences my agreement [with the officials] - no red card, correct decision."

Hackett Explains Why DOGSO Was Not Fulfilled
Hackett later went into more detail when discussing the incident with Football Insider. He doubled down on his position that a yellow card was the correct punishment for Colwill, explaining:

"The referee judged this incident accurately. Yes, it was a foul, but when reviewing the incident, Denial of a Goalscoring Opportunity is not fulfilled.

"The following must be considered: Distance between the offence and the goal, general direction of play, likelihood of keeping the ball or gaining control, location and number of defenders and attackers.

"In my opinion, the criteria is not fulfilled because of the covering defender, and there's some doubt on the probability of gaining control of the ball."

Fulham will now take on Wimbledon in the League Cup before travelling to Sunderland in the Premier League, while Chelsea host Luton in the cup and then meet Brighton at Stamford Bridge.



https://www.givemesport.com/pgmol-keith-hackett-verdict-chelsea-red-card-levi-colwill-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

League Cup – 27/08
For Álvaro's first cup games in charge we welcome AFC Wimbledon to the Cottage for a 8 o'clock kick off

Under Marco we've enjoyed the League Cup reaching the latter stages on a regular basis, perhaps Álvaro can take us a step further?

It will be interesting to see how many "first-team" players Álvaro selects. With the cup game coming so early in the season, it offers an opportunity to give some players extra minutes, but it's also the perfect chance for the "second string" to stake their claim for a place in the first team.

my team would be...



COYW's
come on over to the forum and join in the conversation...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=3



https://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=3661

[WhiteJC]

Real Madrid are coming to a major realization about Carlos Espi and Gonzalo Garcia
Real Madrid made some bold moves this summer transfer window, and while arguably the biggest was signing stud RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande for a record 140 million euros, they made just as intriguing of a call in switching Gonzalo Garcia for Carlos Espi, selling their best academy attacker to Alvaro Arbeloa and Premier League side Fulham in order to rescue the latter from Levante.

While Garcia was a known commodity to Real Madrid and rated higher than Espi by fans, Real Madrid highly recommended Espi, with Jose Mourinho and Juni Calafat fully on board the idea of selling Garcia, despite liking him a lot, to a London based club in the Premier League for more money than what they bought Espi for from the Frogs.

Garcia had a great debut game for Arbeloa at Fulham with a goal in a tough 3-2 loss to rivals Chelsea, but Real Madrid are not regretting that at all, though they are happy for the young Spanish striker and do miss him.

Carlos Espi brings dynamism to the table
No, they are even happier for Espi, who looked like the perfect player off the bench for Real Madrid, scoring the winning goal with scrap, taking the ball from a fumbling Kylian Mbappe and doing what the Frenchman had failed to do all game long against Espanyol - be decisive and put the game away.

Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid knew that they needed a real No. 9 to win these exact tough matchups in La Liga, and in Carlos Espi, they have found that guy. Throughout the second half against Espanyol when he came on, he caused chaos, pressing like insane, creating chances for others, and grabbing the goal when the chance fell at his feet.

Real Madrid fans are realizing that Espi has something that Garcia does not. Garcia is a very intelligent player with the technical quality and shooting ability to get goals, but Espi has all of that and the height while being even stronger, more physical, and much more agile and fast.

You have to be fast to play in the Real Madrid attack, press, and get chances. Garcia was too stagnant, sluggish even, to have that spark and versatility. Espi provides Real Madrid what young Gonzalo G was missing, and Madrid already benefited from that on Matchday 1 against an Espanyol side that could have easily caused an upset without his services on the pitch.



https://therealchamps.com/real-madrid-are-coming-to-a-major-realization-about-carlos-espi-and-gonzalo-garcia-01m0v1th53vn

[WhiteJC]

Fulham boss issues improvement warning ahead of Sunderland visit
Sunderland will host Fulham in their first home game of the Premier League season on Sunday afternoon.

Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has insisted his players will improve as they look to bounce back from their home defeat against Chelsea when they visit Sunderland next Sunday afternoon.

The Cottagers handed debuts to the likes of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios as they faced their West London rivals at Craven Cottage - but found themselves a goal down inside the opening 60 seconds as Joao Pedro found the net for their visitors. Joshua King got Fulham back on level-terms midway through the first-half but Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored either side of half-time to take Chelsea out of sight and they held on to claim all three points despite former Real Madrid striker Garcia marking his competitive debut with a goal.

The West London derby clash handed Arbeloa a chance to experience managing in the Premier League for the first time in his career and marked his first return to English football since he had a short spell with West Ham United during the final years of his playing career. The Spaniard admitted his side are facing some tough challenges during the campaign - but urged them show character and ambition to improve ahead of their trip to the Stadium of Light.

Speaking after the defeat, the former Real Madrid boss said: "I think we keep improving and that will take time. But it's the first game of the season and I have been seeing all the games in the Premier League and you can feel that no one is ready. But I saw tonight the energy that I want to see, the high press that we want to make. And like I said to my players, we are going to play in this way and we're going to try to play in this way no matter who is in front of us.

"So that's not easy because we are going to face very good teams with very top players, but we are going to try for sure. And we need to play with that character and that ambition and that energy that is very important for us that we fight from the first minute until last."



https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/fulham-boss-issues-improvement-warning-ahead-of-sunderland-visit-8941038

[WhiteJC]

Fulham forward has to prove he can be trusted this season
Oscar Bobb initially struggled for game time after arriving at Fulham because he was not the only right winger in the squad. However, he was signed ahead of time because Fulham knew they would lose one of their most important players.

The former Manchester City man arrived at the start of this year and has since become one of the most important players in the team, starting the 3-2 thriller against Chelsea last night.

Bobb is now one of the players Fulham expects a great deal from, and VG says the departure of Harry Wilson means he is now a starter. However, that also places significant pressure on the Norwegian to perform.

Bobb Given Greater Responsibility
Fulham expect a great deal from Bobb, and this is the season in which he has to prove that he can be trusted by both club and country. He will be key to helping Fulham remain in the Premier League, making his performances particularly important.

The London club have a new manager and several new players, but Bobb arrived after gaining valuable experience at City. He is now expected to become one of their standout performers over the next few weeks.

Bobb Must Deliver for Fulham
Bobb trusts himself to do well at the Cottagers, but ultimately, it is his performances on the pitch that will determine how fans judge him. More goals and assists must come from the Norwegian over the next few weeks if he is to meet the expectations placed on him.

His increased responsibility means he will have more opportunities to demonstrate his ability, but it also means there will be greater scrutiny of his performances. Fulham have placed significant faith in him following Wilson's departure, and Bobb now has the chance to establish himself as an important player for the club.

Having already experienced competition for his position after arriving at Fulham, Bobb now appears to have a clearer path to regular football. The challenge is to make the most of that opportunity and provide the goals and assists his team will need.



https://www.footballnorge.com/posts/fulham-forward-has-to-prove-he-can-be-trusted-this-season/