Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi yesterday scored his first 2026/27 Premier League goal against Hull City to secure Fulham first season’s league win.
Iwobi’s strike also took his tally in the competition to 36 goals in 327 appearances, making the former Arsenal midfielder joint-sixth among Nigerian players with the most Premier League goals, level with former West Bromwich Albion striker Peter Odemwingie.
Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa says securing the club’s first Premier League victory of the season before a crunch period of games for them was “massive”.
The Cottagers had been winless in their previous six league matches but secured all three points against Hull City thanks to Alex Iwobi’s 33rd-minute strike.
The result offered respite for head coach Arbeloa, who succeeded Marco Silva in the Craven Cottage hot seat in July but had not seen his side’s promising displays translate into wins.
The result lifted Fulham’s points tally to five and moved them off the foot of the table and out of the relegation zone, while Hull sit ninth.
“It’s a massive game for us,” Arbeloa told BBC Match Of The Day.
He pointed out key upcoming games for Fulham – at Coventry next Saturday, then an EFL Cup tie against Crystal Palace on the following Wednesday – and described that as “a massive week”.
“It won’t be easy, but we know how we need to play and compete. We have to be competitive in this league,” Arbeloa added. “We have our way and hope we can win many games.”
Arbeloa’s side took the lead just after the half-hour mark in the 100th meeting between the sides in all competitions.
Hull twice failed to clear their lines, allowing Sander Berge to slide the ball into the path of Iwobi on the edge of the box.
Iwobi curled a low shot that took a deflection off Lucas Herrington and squirmed under Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, who perhaps should have done better.
Hull struggled to create much of note, with Mohamed Belloumi dragging a shot wide of the post in the second half with arguably their best effort.
The only negative for Fulham was the dismissal of Ryan Sessegnon in added time after his studs caught the back of Robinio Vaz’s calf from behind.
Arbeloa said his side had been “working so hard” and “deserved” to break their duck.
“We were having the same feeling as other matches, when we were controlling the game for long spells and having good chances but didn’t score,” he said.
“Our rivals punish our mistakes or take their chances, but we were brilliant for 90 minutes. We controlled the game, had many chances and didn’t concede any clear chances to Hull.”