In the Premier League's third round, Fulham lost to Crystal Palace 2-3 at home, marking their third consecutive league defeat to start the season. After the match, Arteta, Fulham's manager, held a press conference to discuss defensive issues, the upcoming fixture list, and his position.

Álvaro, how do you sum up this disappointing afternoon?

Yes, we lost this game, but I don't think we deserved to lose. We were the better team on the pitch, but ultimately in football you have to take your chances, and they took theirs better than we did.

How concerning are the defensive issues your team showed today?

I think we conceded too easily. Crystal Palace didn't need to do much to score three goals. For us, to score we had to do many things. So we need to improve our control in the second phase of play. In certain situations, our shape was too spread out and we left too much space, and that absolutely needs to improve.

Do you think these defensive problems can be corrected quickly?

Yes, I think so, because the situations where we conceded really aren't difficult to control. So it's not something that particularly concerns me. It's like some of the goals we conceded to Chelsea, and we need to learn from them as quickly as possible. Because when you concede, the pattern of the game can change.

I think we played boldly when we had the ball. We pressed well, pushed high, and controlled the game. But when you're leading 2-1 at home, you can't let your opponent come back into it. Some situations were absolutely unacceptable.

A standout point today was Josh King's form, and England's national team manager was watching. Do you think he can have a great future with England?

Absolutely, absolutely. I told you after the first game against Chelsea that he's an excellent player with great ability. He's very young but has immense talent, personality, and determination. He has everything. So I'm very happy for him because he means a lot to us. Now he can score goals and play an important role in the game. So yes, I'm genuinely pleased with him.

Home fans showed their frustration today. With so many changes in the squad, do they need to show a bit more patience?

Yes, of course, because right now it's three games, three losses. So it's genuinely difficult. And now if you look at the fixture list coming up—we're going to Anfield, then Manchester United are coming to Craven Cottage. You can see these are two very difficult games again. Plus, in the League Cup, we have to visit West Ham. So there's no easy game ahead.

However, we knew in advance that this month would be tough. But I've told the players that this month won't define our entire season. I think they're training hard and, like today, they're giving everything they have in the game. As long as they maintain this mindset and character, I believe victories will come.

What changed in the second half? At halftime, Fulham had just come back to lead 2-1 and it felt like all the momentum was with you. What happened after that?

I think in the second half, we tried to control the game because we were ahead. When you're leading at home, you need to control possession and manage your opponent's counterattack. If you want to score another goal, you should do it in a way that doesn't expose you too much.

Then we conceded the second goal. We were certainly very unlucky in that situation. I think we prepare for such situations all the time. We made some adjustments after that, hoping to improve our play, control possession better, and create more chances.

I know the season has just started, but football is ultimately a results-driven sport.

Of course.

How confident are you that your position remains secure?

It's not about how confident I am in my position. I've told the players that the way they're working right now is the way I want to see it, and they're playing football that I believe in.

I came here because I believe in this football, this style of play. I'm convinced we will win games. I'm very confident about that. As a coach, you can't be afraid to be in this position, and you can't be afraid to lose games. You have to believe in yourself and your philosophy. For me, that's what matters most.

From your demeanor, you seem very confident in the team's current style of play. For today's game, is the problem more about game management than anything else? You don't seem to think you need to change personnel or players too much, but perhaps the team lacked some experience in the second half and game management, didn't it?

I don't know. I thought we played very well in the first half. We conceded from the opponent's opening attack, but after that goal we created a beautiful finish.

At halftime, we discussed how to score a third goal while controlling the tempo of the game, not taking unnecessary risks, and better limiting our opponent's counterattacks. But we still need to work on this, because when we have the ball, we know we're a very spread-out team. However, when you're leading, you need to manage these situations better.

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