Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham have followed a winless start to the season with two 1-0 victories, sharply cutting the quality of chances they concede. The improvement has come at a cost up front, though, and late-game lapses persist ahead of a trip to Aston Villa. According to Skysports.com.
Arbeloa’s defensive fix at Fulham leaves Gonzalo Garcia short of goals
Fulham went winless in Arbeloa’s first six games and conceded goals at a rate of almost two a game. They lost 3-2 to Chelsea on the opening weekend, lost 3-2 again to previously winless Crystal Palace, and went down at Portman Road after shipping two late goals to Ipswich. That run left them bottom of the Premier League.
The turnaround shows in the data. Fulham had been conceding an average of 1.69xG a game, but have allowed just 0.67xG combined across their last two matches, a drop of almost 80 per cent. Those came in 1-0 wins against Coventry and Hull, results that were less entertaining than the early fixtures.
Arbeloa’s own assessment is that Fulham are “not the best team in open games” and perform better when controlling the ball and in transitions. He stressed that he must adapt to his players’ qualities, and that the side can press aggressively but also need to drop into a low or medium block.
The cost has been felt by Gonzalo Garcia, the record summer signing whom Arbeloa labelled one of the best strikers in world football on his arrival. The 22-year-old has made the second-most off-the-ball runs, and attacking runs, of anyone in the division, yet has not scored a league goal since his debut against Chelsea.
Arbeloa believes better service, particularly from wide areas, can help, and says the team must look for Garcia when he runs because of his pace and power. He insists “goals will come”, adding that it matters to him as a manager that strikers work for the team, with goals as their reward.
Seeing out matches is the other concern. Fulham have conceded a league-high five goals in the final 20 minutes of matches and dropped five points in that period, second only to Bournemouth. Arbeloa is still adjusting to that intensity compared with his brief experience in LaLiga last season, describing the final 15-20 minutes here as more physical, direct and less controlled.
Saturday’s visit to Aston Villa, led by a manager Arbeloa considers among the best in the world, offers a stern examination. Fulham arrive after two wins against newly-promoted teams, and the match will show how much has been learned from the difficult start if better results are to follow.
