Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has urged his team to adopt an aggressive approach ahead of their Premier League away match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Arbeloa, 43, who began his tenure with a 3-2 home defeat to Chelsea, highlighted the challenges of playing on the road in the league and emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and intensity.

Fulham’s recent form showed signs of improvement with a 3-0 victory over Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup just days after the league loss. Meanwhile, Sunderland also enter the fixture following a 2-1 defeat at promoted Ipswich, and are expected to receive strong support from their home crowd.

Arbeloa acknowledged the difficulty of playing at Sunderland, stating that away matches in the Premier League are always demanding due to the hostile atmosphere and the confidence home teams gain from fan support. Drawing on his own experience playing twice at the Stadium of Light with Liverpool, he emphasized the need for Fulham to match their home game mentality and play with a high level of aggression to succeed.

The manager pointed out that Sunderland possess several players with significant quality, but Fulham remain "very ambitious" and focused on continuous improvement. Arbeloa stressed that the only goal is to keep progressing daily and assess where the team stands by the end of the season in May.

Both teams seek to bounce back from early-season setbacks, with Fulham looking to capture momentum in the league and Sunderland aiming to capitalize on home advantage. The match is anticipated to be a competitive contest reflecting the struggles and ambitions of both sides navigating the early stages of the campaign.