Hull did not manage a shot on target as Fulham climbed out of the relegation zone, though Ryan Sessegnon was sent off in stoppage time.
Alex Iwobi scored the only goal as Fulham beat Hull City 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, their first Premier League win of the season. The Super Eagles forward got it in the first half, and the result lifted Fulham out of the relegation zone.
Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa had come under scrutiny after a poor start. He succeeded Marco Silva in July, and in his first six league matches in charge Fulham had failed to win any of them.
The goal came from a move down the right. Josh King was held off by Hull's left wing-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy, but Hull failed to clear the ball, and Sander Berge prodded it into the path of Iwobi. His first-time shot came through a crowd of bodies and squirmed under the rolling dive of Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis at the near post.
Fulham had 76.2 per cent of the ball and made 717 passes, their highest total in a Premier League match this season. They had 10 shots in the first half alone. Hull did not register a single shot on target, the first time they had failed to do so in a Premier League game since they played Crystal Palace in May 2017.
Fulham should have won by more. Iwobi curled narrowly wide, and Gonzalo García, the former Real Madrid striker, headed against the crossbar from close range in the second half. Fulham could not find a second goal.
In the closing stages, Fulham substitute Ryan Sessegnon was shown a red card for a late challenge on Hull substitute Robinio Vaz, catching him around the heel and Achilles area. Fulham finished with 10 men and held on.
Asked about the pressure on his position, Arbeloa answered:
"Pressure is a privilege. I am here because I want the best for Fulham, for this club. I want the best for my players. I want the best for my supporters."
Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic was blunt about his side's display. He said the performance was the worst since he took charge. "We were very, very poor. We collapsed together," he said. He added: "They ate us alive."
Nigerian internationals Calvin Bassey, who captained Fulham, and Semi Ajayi, who featured for Hull, were also in the match. Iwobi said of his manager: "He's a great man, a great manager."
Fulham's next fixtures are at Coventry, followed by an EFL Cup tie against Crystal Palace.
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