Fulham waited seven league games for a win, and it came from a deflected shot that probably should have been saved. Alex Iwobi's 33rd-minute strike was enough to beat Hull City 1-0 at Craven Cottage, lifting the Cottagers off the bottom of the Premier League and giving head coach Alvaro Arbeloa something he badly needed: three points to go with the promising football.
A goal that took a bounce and a bit of luck
Hull twice failed to clear their lines before Sander Berge slid the ball into Iwobi's path on the edge of the box. The Nigeria international curled a low shot that took a deflection off Lucas Herrington and squirmed under Konstantinos Tzolakis. The Hull goalkeeper will feel he could have done better. Fulham will not care. It was the 100th meeting between the clubs in all competitions, and the first time this season the home side had turned control into a result.
The scoreline flattered Hull. Fulham had 76.2% of the ball and played 717 passes, their highest total in a league game this season. Oscar Bobb, Shea Charles and Josh King supplied plenty of energy around Iwobi. Garcia headed against the bar, and Tzolakis stopped clear chances from both Iwobi and King. A second goal would not have been undeserved.
Hull without a shot on target
For the visitors it was a flat afternoon. Hull did not register a single shot on target, the first time that has happened to them in a Premier League game since they faced Crystal Palace in May 2017. Mohamed Belloumi dragged an effort wide in the second half and later lifted a free-kick high into the stands. Sergej Jakirovic's side stayed within touching distance, but they rarely threatened Bernd Leno, who collected one of the easiest clean sheets of his career. Hull stay ninth, and the worry for Jakirovic is that this listless display carries into the next few games.
Relief for Arbeloa, a red card to sour it
Arbeloa took over from Marco Silva in July, and until now his side's neat, patient passing had not translated into wins. Fulham had gone six league games without one, and the five points they now have lift them out of the relegation zone. "It's a massive game for us," Arbeloa told Match of the Day, and he called the coming week a massive one too. Iwobi said the squad is fully behind him, adding that Arbeloa understands what the players are going through because he played so recently.
The only blemish came in added time, when Ryan Sessegnon was sent off after his studs caught the back of Robinio Vaz's calf. Fulham are at Coventry next Saturday and then face Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup the following Wednesday, so the afternoon felt like a springboard as much as a rescue.
Match facts: Fulham 1-0 Hull City, Premier League, Craven Cottage, Saturday 17 October 2026. Goal: Iwobi 33'. Red card: Sessegnon (Fulham), added time. Possession: Fulham 76.2%. Shots on target: Hull 0.
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