Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
In isolation, a draw in opposition to a superb crew in respectable kind away from house, isn’t essentially a nasty outcome. Nevertheless, within the context of this season, the place yesterday was a chance to make up some floor on the leaders, and primarily based on how we dominated, it’s inconceivable to not be annoyed. The 1-1 draw with Fulham yesterday isn’t 100% a title race fatality, but it surely made it very clear that with out doing one thing within the January switch window, it’s going to be nigh on inconceivable.
It was a recreation of inches. If Declan Rice had simply managed to get on the top of that good Bukayo Saka ball. If Gabriel Martinelli had simply held his line earlier than delivering that inch good cross for Saka’s disallowed aim. If Thomas Partey had put his header the fitting facet of the submit with the aim at his mercy. Arsenal weren’t ok within the remaining third, and there are critical inquiries to be requested, however there was most likely sufficient there for us to have taken all three factors.
Going behind early on wasn’t preferrred. Raul Jimenez ran off the again of Jakub Kiwior and his end was wonderful. On the identical time, I puzzled if William Saliba might need finished a bit extra, only a hesitant step as he got here throughout to cowl – maybe anticipating the Fulham man chopping it again inside him when he was working at full pelt. I don’t assume you may actually put a lot blame on David Raya both, because it was hit very well, but it surely’s a type of that simply makes you consider the keeper too.
However that was the eleventh minute. Their aim was in opposition to the run of play, and it remained in order we kind of dominated the sport all through the 90 minutes. What we didn’t do sufficient of with that domination was create probabilities. I believe it’s a must to give Fulham credit score for sticking to their plan, they stayed deep and actually compact, making it robust for us to discover a manner by way of, however one shot on the right track within the first 45 minutes tells you the way a lot we struggled.
Scoring early within the second half would have been a part of the half-time dialog, I’m positive, and it was good that we did that. A Declan Rice nook was met by a well-time Kai Havertz header and Saliba was there to poke house from shut vary – his second aim in successive video games. VAR checked, the inches have been in our favour because the full-back performed him onside and it was 1-1 with a great deal of time to attain once more.
Once more, we dominated however failed to essentially hassle Bernd Leno. Martinelli got here on for Trossard, Partey put that header broad when he ought to have hit the goal on the very least, but it surely was fairly pedestrian. On days like this, if you’re annoyed by the opposition and your personal efficiency, your bench turns into so necessary. I like Mikel Merino however does he actually present aim risk or attacking impetus? Set-pieces, I suppose, so I can see the logic, however he didn’t add a lot.
As for Gabriel Jesus, I’ve been hoping he would possibly discover a strategy to contribute once more, however for me yesterday was a little bit of a line within the sand cameo from him. It’s now 21 Premier League appearances with no aim, and I wished to see a participant determined to place an finish to that drought. As a substitute, he chickened out of a problem with the keeper after a beautiful ball from Rice gave him the chance to seek out the web; he accomplished simply 1 of 6 passes, and had simply 8 touches of the ball in 20+ minutes. He performed with none sort of drive or effort and if that’s what we’ve got to show to after we want a aim in a good recreation, we’re going to drop extra factors. It was completely dismal from the Brazilian.
In fact the frustration of dropping factors was exacerbated by the disallowed aim. The supply from Martinelli was truly excellent, however there was no want for him to be offside when receiving the ball. It’s a half-step, a fraction of a second, however these are the margins at this degree. There’s been a lot speak about him, and I perceive why, however he’s not in Jesus territory by any means. I do assume the way in which Mikel Arteta flips between him and Trossard for the left-hand facet is much less about rotation than each of those gamers’ incapacity to supply a constant run of kind. They each offer you one thing, however not with the frequency you’d like. Because the Man from East Decrease mentioned to me on WhatsApp yesterday afterwards, ‘Think about having a left flank like our proper flank’. Think about.
The elation of feeling you’ve received it just for the aim be chalked off compounded the sense that this was a harmful outcome within the title race. With the quantity of possession and territory we loved, we must always have brought on Fulham extra issues, and an opportunity to make up floor on Liverpool was missed. The door opened barely, we closed the door on our personal foot.
Afterwards, Arteta mentioned:
Gutted that we didn’t win it, as a result of I believe we deserved to win from the start to the top. We did virtually every part that we needed to do to win it. However that is the standard of the opposition, with one likelihood they rating a aim. After which the margins of the league as properly. For millimetres we may have been sitting right here with three factors after a very sturdy and dominant efficiency in opposition to a very good crew.
Which is true sufficient however doesn’t tackle the problems we’ve got within the remaining third. And maybe one thing he mentioned later is instructive:
We can’t really feel sorry for ourselves. We have now to face up for ourselves. We had a very good efficiency in opposition to a very good facet. Usually you don’t see these sort of video games right here. Now we’ve got to proceed to enhance and have a look at what we are able to do higher in order that the opposition have zero probabilities to win the sport. That’s the target.
I don’t assume a supervisor saying one factor in a post-game press convention means he isn’t contemplating different issues, however the first concept that we’ve got to defend higher somewhat than rating extra targets does really feel very Arteta. I’m positive he desires us to have extra attacking risk however that defensive solidity he cherishes is apparent.
Folks can discuss concerning the gamers we had out yesterday. You may make a really respectable again 4 from Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori – whereas a couple of minutes of soccer appears to have banjaxed Oleksandr Zinchenko once more (one other participant we have to transfer on from at this level). The deployment of Partey at right-back and Timber on the left was clearly knowledgeable by these absences, however I do assume there are knock-on results, significantly down our proper hand facet when the Ghanaian performs in that place. Nevertheless, the important thing drawback for Arsenal yesterday was turning that remaining third dominance into clear reduce probabilities.
Martin Odegaard appeared a bit quiet, I felt he wasn’t fairly the identical after that first half knock. Much less cellular, much less in a position to drift into pockets the place would possibly have the ability to damage the opposition. Saka had flashes, Rice’s lifeless ball supply various an excessive amount of, Havertz was quiet regardless of the help, Trossard and Martinelli didn’t have it, and I’ve mentioned sufficient about Jesus already. The opposite attacking choice at our disposal, Raheem Sterling, didn’t even get a sniff – and it’s not the primary time we’ve been determined for a aim within the remaining phases of a recreation and he hasn’t bought off the bench. That tells you numerous about his place within the pecking order.
I might be very shocked if conversations about bolstering the assault haven’t already occurred internally, however somebody now wants to attract an enormous pink line beneath it and make it a precedence. There are at all times going to be days when your beginning XI doesn’t fairly ship what we wish – these choices from the bench are the distinction between one level and three, between a sustained title problem and never, and yesterday we have been discovered wanting there.
Proper, I’ll depart it there for this morning. We may have an Arsecast Additional for you in a short while too. We’ve put out the decision for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or when you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, depart your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod must be out round midday. For now, have a superb one.
