CRAVEN COTTAGE – The only place to start is with Tyrick Mitchell’s second goal, which from a Fulham perspective might be the worst you will ever see conceded in the Premier League. Sparking a revolt in the Hammersmith End is not easy but at full-time, Alvaro Arbeloa was pointedly reminded this was not a first offence.
If you were to be harsh on Crystal Palace, all three of the goals that earned them a first win of the season were the result of appalling defending. Whether Bernd Leno beaten at his near post, Gonzalo Garcia’s clearance pinballing around his own box, or Antonee Robinson losing his man, Fulham’s susceptibility to Palace’s full-backs on the break left them 19th in the table with three losses from three.
Having led twice, Arbeloa was jeered by the home fans, subjected to chants of “what the f***ing hell was that?” and then faced questions over his future. Those he batted away and said he “believes in this football”. Fulham had “lost a game they didn’t deserve to lose”, which is probably correct – 25 attempts, nearly 65 per cent possession. He also suggested, in perhaps the biggest indictment of all, that Palace’s goals had reminded him of the three shipped on the opening Monday night of the season against Chelsea.
