please log in to view this image Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Sunday 31st December 2023 KO time: 14:00 GMT Overall Record Wins: 42 Losses: 8 Draws: 12 Last six meetings Arsenal 2-2 Fulham Fulham 0-3 Arsenal Arsenal 2-1 Fulham Arsenal 1-1 Fulham Fulham 0-3 Arsenal Arsenal 4-1 Fulham please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
We have two Issues at the moment. Our midfield isn't playing as well as last Season and our forwards arn't scoring enough goals. Party coming back into the side would mean we could play -----Rice-------Partey-------Odegaard------ which would be IMO even stronger than last year. We REALLY do need to bring in a better CF than Nketiah.. but we also just need more goals from Martinelli, Jesus and subs. Fulham can be dangerous - I would stick with the current front three -----Martineli------Jesus-------Saka------ The Brazilians really need to find some form ASAP though. Shame Partey isn't yet able to make the squad.
The issue is we can't rely on Partey to ever be fit or available. It's similar with Tomiyasu. Whenever we could do with them being in the side, they're just not here. We do definitely miss Partey's verticality when passing and also his line-breaking passes from deep. I do wonder if we will actually sign another midfielder in January or whether we're going to gamble on the fitness of our current crop of players. Fabrizio saying today Elneny is attracting interest from 3 clubs in Turkey and a couple in Saudi. Could be one to watch perhaps, but if he does go, he'll still need replacing.
Of all the players who should have been dropped, I don't think it should have been Jesus. Martinelli has been worse and needs a spell out the team IMO. I don't mind Nketiah starting, but Jesus should have been out wide. We have a decent bench in case anything doesn't go to plan, but let's see if Mikel actually utilises them considering how poor he is at rotation.
1-0. Saka. Good transition, lovely run by Martinelli and he takes a good shot, saved by Leno and Saka reacts to the rebound to score. A bit of a fortuitous finish, but we’ll take it!
20 mins gone and I have to say, Fulham have been well in this game. They’ve been getting in behind our fullbacks with ease and combining well. We don’t seem to be engaging when they’re attacking, we’re sitting in a mid block. I wonder why.
They’re lofting balls into the channels to get beyond White and Kiwior and it’s working. Some of the players do look a bit fatigued. Probably why we should have rotated our squad a bit more
This has been terrible. Compare this to our performance here in March, it’s like I’m watching a totally different team. How have we dropped off this much?
Why won't Martinelli shoot? Watch him he's been doing this for a few games, beats his man - gets in a good position but then plays these balls over the top to the far post. Just ****ing shoooooot!
Oh Martinelli. Slightly unlucky to not score, but that just sums up his luck in front of goal. Good team move though, we need to do that more.
This is insane. We’ve been so sloppy on the ball. Giving it away and then misplacing simple passes and giving Fulham encouragement to attack us. So many technical mistakes. Horrible to watch.
Aaaand that shot from Rice just about sums up how crap this half has been. We’re going to be in a top-4 battle at this rate. This is extremely worrying.
The way I see it we need another ball-playing midfielder. Xhaka was originally a deep plying playmaker and he maintained some of those attributes even when we moved him forward. Havertz just isn't that, Trossard isn't either. Rice breaks up play and makes runs - Odegaard is the only player that can make space for himself and ping passes about. Partey can do this too but he's never available...someone like Zubimendi would do that job nicely.
