This was not the start of the "Arbeloa era" Fulham fans had dreamed of. After winning the League Cup against third-tier side Wimbledon, the team suffered its third defeat in three Premier League matches, losing at home to Crystal Palace 3-2 on Saturday.
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Despite the result, Fulham didn't put in a bad performance — in fact, they were the better side for long stretches, but lacked effectiveness in front of goal, and also struggled defensively against Palace, who scored all three of their goals from just five shots on target, according to Spain's Marca newspaper.
César Palacios was among Fulham's standout players, setting up the second goal by capitalizing on a good run from Joshua King, who had put the home side ahead.
But Tyrick Mitchell dashed Fulham's hopes of taking any points, scoring the equalizer (2-2) after capitalizing on confusion in the home side's defense, before the same player went on to help turn the match around, which Ben Chilwell sealed with a third goal in the 77th minute, again exploiting Fulham's defensive disarray.
With this loss, Arbeloa's start at Fulham in the Premier League has become extremely difficult, with the London club picking up zero points from its first three matches and slipping into the relegation zone.
The task will only get tougher in the coming fixtures, as Fulham faces two heavyweight Premier League tests: away to Liverpool at Anfield, followed by Manchester United at Craven Cottage (Fulham's home ground).
Should Fulham fail to secure a positive result against the Reds and the Red Devils, the former Real Madrid player's fate as coach will hang in the balance at the start of the new season.
