Six games without a win, nearly two goals conceded per match, and a position rooted to the foot of the Premier League table — Alvaro Arbeloa's start as Fulham head coach was as difficult as it gets. Yet two consecutive 1-0 victories have offered a sliver of light, and the Spaniard believes his squad is now moving in the right direction.

The initial promise shown in a 3-2 opening-weekend defeat to Chelsea — an open, attacking display that suggested Arbeloa would usher in a more expansive era at Craven Cottage — gave way to a run of results that alarmed supporters. A second 3-2 loss, this time to Crystal Palace, and a late-goal collapse at Ipswich deepened the crisis before Arbeloa overhauled his approach.

"We have been learning from our mistakes, and obviously we are a team in a process," Arbeloa told Sky Sports. "We are improving, we're working hard and for us to be a very solid team is so important. In every process there are some ups and downs. That's normal, but we're on the right track."

A shift in shape and philosophy

The numbers tell the story of that tactical pivot. Fulham were allowing an average of 1.69xG per game before the change — a rate no club could sustain. Over the two subsequent 1-0 wins against Coventry and Hull, that figure dropped to just 0.67xG — a reduction of close to 80 percent.

"We're not the best team in open games, we're much better controlling the ball, the transitions," Arbeloa explained. "We can be aggressive when we press, but sometimes you need to drop into a low block or a medium block. At the end of the day, we have to be a complete team."

He was also candid about the need to tailor his methods to the players at his disposal. "I have to adapt to my players — they are the most important thing. It's not just about my ideas, it's about them and their qualities, their talent."

Garcia still searching for his best form

The tighter structure has complicated life for record summer signing Gonzalo Garcia. The 22-year-old striker — whom Arbeloa described as one of the best in world football upon his arrival — has made the second-most off-the-ball runs and attacking runs in the Premier League this season, yet has not found the net in the league since his debut against Chelsea.

"We can give him better service, especially from wide areas," Arbeloa said. "We need to look for him when he runs. He has the pace, he has the power. As a team we can do better in the final third." The coach remained confident that goals would come, adding that for him, a striker's contribution to the team's overall work is what matters first and foremost, with goals the natural reward.

Closing out games — a Premier League lesson

A separate concern has been Fulham's inability to hold leads late in matches. The Cottagers have conceded a league-high five goals in the final 20 minutes, dropping five points in that window — second only to Bournemouth. Arbeloa acknowledged that the relentless physicality of the Premier League in those closing stages is something he is still learning to manage, having come from LaLiga.

"It's more physical here, more direct, especially in the last 15-20 minutes of games when it's less controlled," he said. "You have to be ready for those moments where the game is more open."

Saturday's trip to Aston Villa — managed by a coach Arbeloa counts among the best in the world — will be the stiffest examination yet of how far this young project has genuinely come.