English defender Chris Smalling had a nightmare debut for Al-Fayha as they were routed 5-0 by Al-Raed in the third round of the Saudi Pro League.
Former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling joined Al-Fayha just before the international break from AS Roma, hoping to steer the club away from the relegation zone.
Al-Fayha had lost their opening two games and hosted Al-Raed on Saturday aiming to claim their first points of the season.
Smalling’s night began poorly when he scored an own goal in the 6th minute, setting the tone for what would become a challenging game.
Mohamed Fouzair doubled Al-Raed’s lead in the 17th minute, followed by a goal from substitute Karim Berkaoui, who scored in stoppage time of the first half.
The situation only got worse for Smalling in the second half as he received a yellow card in the 51st minute and was sent off after a second booking just four minutes later.
Berkaoui then netted his second and Al-Raed’s fourth goal in the 60th minute, with Saleh Al-Amri adding a fifth in the 66th minute.
This victory marks Al-Raed’s first win of the season, lifting them to 4 points and temporarily placing them 7th in the standings.
Meanwhile, Al-Fayha sits at the bottom of the table with three consecutive losses, following earlier defeats to Al-Taawoun and Al-Nassr.