Iwobi's goal lifts Fulham off the bottom as Arbeloa ends seven-game winless run

Alex Iwobi’s driven finish in the 33rd minute gave Fulham a 1-0 victory over Hull City at Craven Cottage on Saturday, ending Alvaro Arbeloa’s winless run of six league matches and lifting the Cottagers out of the Premier League’s bottom three.

The goal arrived after Brooke Norton-Cuffy gave the ball away cheaply. Sander Berge collected possession and laid it back to the edge of the box, where Iwobi’s low shot squirmed through the body of goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis — a finish the Hull stopper will feel he should have kept out, deflection or not.

Arbeloa’s position had come under increasing scrutiny following a run that included five dropped points from winning positions inside the final two minutes of matches. The relief at the final whistle was palpable, though the afternoon ended on a sour note when Ryan Sessegnon received a red card in the closing seconds for leaving his studs on Robinio Vaz.

Fulham’s wastefulness in front of goal remained a concern despite the result. Gonzalo Garcia headed against the crossbar from inside the six-yard box when unmarked — precisely the kind of chance the former Real Madrid striker was recruited to convert. Should results tighten again, that profligacy could prove costly.

Tzolakis partially atoned for his error with a sharp save to deny Josh King with his feet after Semi Ajayi had gifted Fulham possession with a poor pass out of defence. Iwobi himself came close to a second with a curling effort that dropped just wide, and only a magnificent Tzolakis stop prevented what would have been a contender for goal of the season after King’s clever spin set Garcia free to tee up the Nigerian.

Hull offered little to suggest they were the same side that began the campaign with such attacking intent. Their passive approach against the league’s bottom club will have troubled head coach Sergej Jakirovic, and they remain without a win on the road.

For Fulham, the three points provide breathing room rather than comfort. The underlying numbers — eight points dropped from winning positions, a striker missing sitters — suggest the Cottagers’ grip on safety remains fragile. But for one afternoon at least, Craven Cottage had reason to exhale.