Hull City produced a dismal display in a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Fulham on Saturday. Alex Iwobi's 34th-minute goal, assisted by Sander Berge, settled the contest and condemned the Tigers to a fifth consecutive league match without a win. This latest loss, a 1-0 reverse on Saturday 17 October, leaves the club with a recent form of no wins, two draws and three losses from their last five matches.
Sergej Jakirovic did not hold back in his assessment. "I told this guy that it was the worst performance since I've been here," the Hull City manager said. He added that his team were "very, very poor" and "collapsed together" against a Fulham side who had been winless before kick-off.
A toothless afternoon
Iwobi's decisive strike came after sustained early pressure from the hosts. Fulham registered 10 first-half shots, their second-highest tally in an opening period this season. Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis made saves from Josh King and Iwobi in one-on-one situations, while Gonzalo Garcia headed against the crossbar for the Cottagers in the 74th minute.
At the other end, Hull failed to test the Fulham goalkeeper at any point. The last time the club failed to register a shot on target in a Premier League game was against Crystal Palace in May 2017. Joe Gelhardt went down in the area appealing for a penalty late on, but the referee was unmoved. The visitors' expected goals total of 0.16 starkly illustrated their lack of attacking threat.
Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon was sent off in stoppage time for a late challenge on Robinio Vaz, but it was too late to spark a Hull comeback.
The table and what's next
They have now taken just two points from their last five league outings, a run that includes draws with Everton and Chelsea and losses to Newcastle and Sunderland. Their overall goal difference stands at plus two, having scored eight and conceded six this season. They now find themselves nine points behind the league leaders, Manchester City.
The Bees are currently fourth, presenting another stern test for Jakirovic's side as they look to arrest their slide. Top scorer Mohamed Belloumi, who has three goals in six appearances this term, will be hoping for more service in that encounter after being starved of opportunities at Craven Cottage. He was the scorer in the recent 2-2 draw with Everton, a match in which Joe Gelhardt also found the net.
First reported at skysports.com
Sergej Jakirovic offered a damning new verdict on the defeat at Craven Cottage. The Hull City manager said, "It was men v boys out there. They ate us alive." The club, now ninth with nine points, were limited to just eight touches in the Fulham penalty area according to the new report. Their next test is at home to Brentford on the 25th.
