Toothless Gunners end 2023 with a whimper at Fulham

 

Fulham 2 Arsenal 1    
Premier League    
Sunday 31st December 2023 2pm   

Performance-wise, it was a new low in the season so far for Arsenal. No issues their start to the game, as Martinelli made the most of the space allowed by Fulham’s right back being stranded when an early attack broke down. His shot was parried to Saka who managed to steer it into the net, and the fear VAR might chalk the goal off at least didn’t last long as a quick decision was made. I’ll admit to these eyes, I thought it would be given offside, although this particular roll of the dice didn’t ultimately benefit the Gunners given the final result.

 

Arsenal failed to build on their lead, or simply maintain control as they allowed Fulham back into the game before the half hour mark. Saliba and Gabriel were pulled out of the centre to try and deal with a break down the right side of the defence, leaving Havertz and Kiwior in the middle to deal with two players. One of them Jiminez, was found and finished well. The player suffered a head injury against Arsenal whilst at Wolves and has never been the same player since, although recently seems to have rediscovered his mojo. Returning from a ban after three matches which his team lost, the away side could have done without him being on the pitch.

 

Willian played a part in the build-up to that goal, and it was ironic that his only decent performance in his season at Arsenal was the opening match of the 2020-21 season at Fulham. Maybe he needs to be within spitting distance of his Chelsea restaurant, the one he co-owns with David Luiz. Bernd Leno and Alex Iwobi were also familiar faces and those with longer memories will have spotted Luis Boa Morte as one of Marco Silva’s coaching team. Iwobi left the Gunners before Mikel Arteta arrived as manager at the club, although the other two played under him. Under Unai Emery and the current manager, this trio were considered not worth retaining, but Fulham looked to have the better players, winning their battles all over the pitch.

 

Zinchenko was injured, so Kiwior replaced him, which involved him playing the inverted full back role. He’s a competent player with the ball at his feet, but lacks the sharpness and vision of the Ukrainian. This didn’t help Arsenal’s rhythm, and the Pole was swapped at half time with the fit again Tomiyasu replacing him. The Japanese defender is far more effective when he joins the attack, but it wasn’t happening in this game.  

 

Havertz and Nketiah started in place of Trossard and Jesus, but neither really made an impact. Saka’s goal was the only shot on target for the away side until the game was winding down and Arsenal took more chances.

 

Fulham’s second goal, from a corner, was just a mess. Difficult to really pick out a guilty player here, the ball simply fell kindly for Decordova-Reid and before an hour was up, Arsenal had to come from behind to get anything from the game. They had a go, a few moments when things almost happened, but in the end, Fulham defended well, limiting the amount of danger.

 

Areta dispensed with one of his defenders with a quarter of the game remaining, which meant a 3-1-4-2 formation, part of the reason most of his side’s chances came after the switch. Jesus and Trossard replaced Martinelli and White. Seven minutes later, Nelson for Havertz was the only other sub the Gunners manager made. 

 

The squad doesn’t feel deep enough to replace underperforming players, because the ones that come in don’t tend to do any better. Yes, Justin Timber feels like a big miss, and Partey can make the team more effective going forward, but injuries are part and parcel of a season. None of the forwards have been out for long, and they aren’t delivering. These are not bad players, but something isn’t gelling as it did in 2022-23. Perhaps Granit Xhaka is the main difference, because it doesn’t feel like Arsenal have found a player to do what he did. 

 

On paper, Arteta has two alternatives – if Partey is ever fit again, he can try Declan Rice there. Until then, Zinchenko would seem the best bet. Havertz and Trossard don’t seem to have the all-round game the position requires. Smith Rowe looks unlikely to ever get the chance and Vieira is surely too lightweight. Tomiyasu is off to play for Japan, so that leaves Kiwior playing left back and perhaps – given he is a centre back – as Ben White is, it needs to be Saliba who comes out and fills that hole where Arteta wants his inverted full back to play. Maybe even put Ben White in the middle and experiment with Saliba as the inverted full back. 

 

Just ideas as to how to make Arsenal a more cohesive team in possession of the ball, because the left-sided number 8 problem needs addressing and Zinchenko feels like the best option. Try Havertz as a centre forward for a couple of games, maybe rest Martinelli and play Jesus on the flank. Mixing it up against Fulham with the three changes (albeit one enforced) didn’t work, but Arsenal’s fluency has been in far shorter supply since the summer, and creative solutions need to be explored.

 

The rain tipped down at times during the second half, making New Year’s Eve a real damp squib for the traveling support. At least the journey home wouldn’t have been the longest. Arsenal are still in contention, looking at the table, but Liverpool and Manchester City both have a game in hand and the expectation is that these two teams will pull away, as it really feels like the Gunners’ players are going through something of a collective rut. Four points out of 15 is too many dropped in a very short space of time – and there are now four defeats in 20 league matches, compared with Liverpool’s one. 

 

Arsenal had been enjoying a good run when it came to London derbies, but the last two games have brought an end to that. Arteta admitted that his team played poorly, he didn’t try to hide behind the reality. You could excuse him for West Ham – a dodgy first goal conceded and an off-day for his players when it came to finishing, but at least chances were created. There was less danger against Fulham, a side who had lost their previous three matches and really should have been there for the taking. 

 

After the home defeat on Thursday evening, I wrote of Arsenal, “I am not optimistic that they can win the title this season”. I am even less hopeful now. The team isn’t as good as last season. Xhaka is a loss and opposition defenders are more tuned in to the dangers created by the wide attackers. Arteta hit a winning formula, which, but for injuries towards the end of last season, might have seen him secure a long-awaited title for the club. In the cold light of day, this now feels like a rebuild season. The foundations are good – some excellent players have been secured at the club on long deals – but additional support is needed, personnel that can provide greater variety to provide in-game switches when things aren’t going well. 

 

Arsenal needed to create more havoc in Fulham’s box at Craven Cottage, and this happened either through dangerous crosses or attackers beating their man to create space to shoot. There wasn’t enough of either as too often, the safe option of passing to a colleague was taken – and that is a result of tactical instruction. Sometimes, football is a percentage game, and Fulham’s winner was evidence of that. Artetaball can feel like the pursuit of perfection at times, and though laudable, it doesn’t consistently deliver.

 

It's not so much back to the drawing board as just trying to become a little less predictable, and maybe a new striker is the answer, and if the club can’t afford that, then Zinchenko as the new Xhaka feels the best short-term solution.

 

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