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Arsenal claim all three points after a tough test against Fulham

Arsenal left it late to steal the points against Fulham in a match that threatened to get away from them.

The Gunners dominating much of the possession throughout the entire 90 minutes, but we were lacking that killer instinct in the final third.

We threatened the break the deadlock in the opening half, but our rivals remained strong at the back, and we failed to really test our former goalkeeper Bernd Leno in goal.

Just 10 minutes into the new half the deadlock was broken, with Aleksander Mitrovic wrestling the ball from Gabriel Magalhaes in our box before turning and scoring.

The boss Mikel Arteta moved to replace Kieran Tierney with Eddie Nketiah and shift things forward, as we looked to change proceedings, and we didn’t have to wait long.

Their lead was short-lived as just over 5 minutes later Martin Odegaard finally got us on the scoresheet, although thanks to a sizeable deflection off the Fulham defender.

We continued to go in search of a winner, although did have to suffer a few wasted chances at the other end, and we finally got ourselves ahead with just five minutes left of normal time.

The corner was whipped in, and the ball seems to have ricocheted off William Saliba into the path of his defensive partner Gabriel to fire into the open goal, and that was enough to see us over the finish line to keep our 100% winning record this term in tact.

Patrick

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177 Comments

  1. EPL is full of surprises. Leno was a very lucky man, because Arsenal made plenty shots on goal

    And Magalhaes had made two silly errors in four EPL matches. Unfortunately we can’t bring Trusty back to compete with him, but maybe Tomiyasu or Tierney can be tried out in the left CB position

    We really need Zinchenko and Partey fit to play against Aston Villa, otherwise we’d likely have similar problems

      2. No Tielemans at all, first he is not a DM second he is bang avg B2B who brings nothing to team apart from back wards and side ways passing.

        1. he’s been awful since end of last season as well. I don’t think we are in for him despite what all the reporters are saying. He’s not fit for the Partey roll at all so idk why we would try to sign him. I truthfully don’t consider him THAT much better than Xhaka.

          1. I’ve been saying this since we got linked to him.
            There’s nothing he literally did better than Xhaka. Theo only reason people rate him over Xhaka is because of Xhaka’s rep.
            He’s bang average and I don’t see why fans keep talking about him like they don’t watch him play.
            Also how TF is it people keep saying we need him in case Partey’s injured? They don’t even play same position, and YT is way worse than Xhaka defensively.

            1. Tielemans’ short game, dribbling and shooting abilities are all better than xhaka’s imo but GX is physically more solid and I think more conscientious defensively and his aerial abilities are quite valuable. I’m liking how xhaka is playing right now anyway – seems to suit him well – and I’m no longer convinced YT would be an improvement at all as he’s coming across a bit flakey. He certainly isn’t a good fit for Partey’s position.

      3. El Neny is doing a fine job in that department. He has not got the passing range of Partey- that is why he is a deputy – but he gets the positional play, is solid defensively and keeps passing moves flowing. Most importantly, he has the intelligence and the experience to understand he is back up and has to curb his natural game and imitate Partey’s for the sake of the shape of the team.

        I doubt Tielemans wants to be anyone’ s backup. If he signs he will have Xhaka’s place in his sights.

        1. the way they’re playing I think they are good enough to stay up. Good to see a keeper of Leno’s quality starting…. and more importaantly we still got the point while he played lol .

      5. Leno did what Leno usually does – brilliant all game long and then drop one clanger to kill his team.

        1. Want to add the complaints were Martinez Vs Leno… history changers best shut up because I will not stop calling it out when it happens

        2. Ramsdale kept us in the game or else we would have been beaten up. Good call by Mikel (as usual) to dump Leno last season. We should end this Yuri talk like we ended the, Neves rumours. We need a top class back up to TP, but Mikel must have worked that up. Good to see us the food chain even if it is after 4 games, it sets out good positive vibes.

    3. GAI. Leno is a very good goalkeeper, who was sold for a “give away” price by Arsenal, when he should have been retained to compete with Ramsdale. Two players at least competing for each position.

      1. Ozzie, let’s give Turner a chance, a US national, Mikel must have seen something good in him to hire him. Remember the ever reliable Bred Fridel? Leno was and will remain an average keeper unless he remain s focussed for 90+ minutes

        1. And Arteta’s philosophy is to move on unhappy players for the sake of the mood in the squad.

          It seems to be working.

          Turner is fresh out the MSL with point to prove in English football. He could be just what we need. If not Hein is a great prospect who is picking up internarional experience and Okonkwo is doing well at Crewe

    1. We could have easily gone up 3-0 by half time. It was a tough and a bit unlucky day in terms of finishing up the chances we were creating, but we fought back and won it.

      Kudos to the lads.

  4. This is what I want from Master Odegaard, to stamp his authority on the game and not be producing quality in bits. I want him to fulfil the potential he showed at a young age. We need that consistent quality from him to connect midfield and attack properly. Fulham did very well today and I was happy we adapted to their defensive tactics because as time goes on teams will adapt to our more efficent press and possession tactics. I can see my g balled out today and his finishing was bad but his touches and the way he plays makes him dangerous and he helped change the game. He needs to start with Gabriel more often so Gabriel would be coming more centrally and not dropping deep or outside the area. We need Gabriel to maintain his form because we can’t lose steam. We must maintain our position and go all out till the end and the belief will be stronger. We don’t care what others say about Arsenal. Well done to Arteta and the boys.

      1. He needs to do more of what he’s doing now and keep the energy up. He is very important in this team so when he does well in bits it affects us. If I was Arteta I’d tell him to keep the energy up, that’s is when he’s at his best.

    2. Yup, it’s about time that Odegaard stop being nice and grabbed the squad by their throat with his Viking hands.

  5. My God, if that wasn’t redemption, I don’t know what to call it. It was a stupid move to concede that sort of error at the back in the first place.
    Saliba who’s so much younger played much more composed than you.
    You shouldn’t be making such errors, but fair play for getting the winning goal.
    Elneny is not it please, we really need a midfielder for Partey.
    Solid game from everyone, everyone.
    Ødegaard MOTM.
    Zinchenko joining in the celebration like he’s been here for years.
    This squad❤️❤️
    Now on to Villa.

    2. Errors happen, and thats a very common error now with all the playing out the back. Gabriel is the more rash of the two which is very good but also has it’s drawbacks. Was a really awful decision, but he didn’t put his head down after that and came up with the winner, so credit to him. And yes, loooveeed that Zinny celebration! He’s all in on this team haha!

      1. I get it, but it was too poor a error. He had all the time in the world. I have nothing to complain about like I said : Redemption. He redeemed himself and I’m very happy for him because he was so disappointed after the error

        3. Guys all these error talk we have are saying is can be avoided if we can get a good/younger thomas party deputy in caicedo’s mould.
          Elneny isn’t it all day not even in parteys shadows. Dats why he keeps being average
          He loves playing safe no forward drives he doesn’t like taking risks as partey does, just raking up sideways passing records or accuracy no good tackling like he tried last season

          Gabriel had no good option for pass as Tp offer always, tho he should’ve cleared but I believe arteta should look into it.

          The likes of casimero, camavinga, toure etc.
          All takes calculated risks & good work rate elneny was non existent except for the passing.

    3. We need a DM, a partner for Partey. Tielemans is not the one either and I don’t know why some are so fixated on him. A DM could seriously transform this midfield. We are lucky to have a quality traditional box to box player in Partey and if he was paired with a very good DM our midfield would be levels higher than it is. I’m still hoping that is the signing we make.

      1. Agree 100% about us needing a true DM. That addition would solidify our midfield more than anything else.

        It’s been a missing piece for years that Wenger stubbornly refused to address. I was hoping Arteta would fix that issue, but so far he has chosen to ignore it and look elsewhere for answers.

        1. Its so annoying that we aren’t signing one because a quality DM instantly transforms this team. Partey has so much quality to offer going forward. I’ve seen him for club and national team and I know his best role will always be box to box. If I met Arteta anywhere I’d tell him to sign one but hey this is where I am.

        2. 👍👍 Kev and Durand – we are all prophets crying in the wilderness, since the departure of Gilberto Silva.

      2. I don’t get the obsession with Tielemans either. It’s like our fans don’t watch other games apart from Arsenal’s, and I can understand that but I don’t see what he offers us. He’s piss poor and he’s not even a DM.
        If only we could get SMS from Lazio

        1. Tielemans I always assumed was xhaka competition. In terms of watching games did you watch Chelsea Leicester? Tielemans was one of Leicester’s best players. We are not signing a DM Elneny is back up. Lokonga is viewed as future and if he moves to 8 it is sold then Patino (apparently our best academy product ever) is out loan.

          2. I saw the game, and it was another average performance from him.
            Still he looked like he was their best player when the whole squad’s been piss poor.
            Perez came on, and even put in more class than Tielemans was doing all game. Vardy cost them that game.

        2. I’ve never wanted Tielemans .I’ve always seen him to be good but never the player others make him out to be. I like SMS but now Xhaka is being played as box to box and that is where SMS is best. Well if we won’t sign a DM we may as well sign a quality box to box mid I guess.

    4. Elneny is so mediocre. One scene where all defenders were chasing back while Elneny was comfortably pacing himself in the middle and fully exposed the right side while our middle needed to help on the left. I don’t mind he couldn’t dribble or pass or shot, at least make good efforts in defense. We need depth in the middle, he is not even a decent substitute.

  6. Start by saying this was an extremely strong and well organised Fulham – they will beat a lot of good teams.
    Tried to play beautiful football but couldn’t finish. Missed Zinchenko a lot – for me Tierney wasn’t comfortable and is very much second choice. Ended up winning ugly but who cares! Great team spirit and one hell of a captain, head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch.

    1. Guy
      You summed it up to perfection
      Odegaard is getting better all the time
      Good looking football but no real bite today but football is like that so I’m fine with it
      Had the Knicky Knacky Knoos to fight back
      Excellent!

    1. Elneny makes Arsenal a 10 and a half men, he is not capable of charging, dribbling, tackling, he just walks on the pitch passing simple occasionally. I thought Nketiah will replace him, not Tierney. It’s going to be a long, tough season and Elneny is indeed a mediocre, weak player.

      1. Elneny is Elneny deserves his place in the squad and has done nothing but be a servant to the club. Find a name that has been sold that could replace Partey if not stay quiet Respect our squad they lay it on the line for the badge and I believe they genuinely do. That they respect it, two way street.

        1. Guendouzi could easily. Don’t give me that posh about his attitude. He could easily replace Partey in midfield. That being said, him being a player for arsenal doesn’t exempt him from criticism and looking at your other posts you’ve made it clear you won’t have anyone saying anything that isn’t positive about the club or the players. Angus is right. We need a much better option off the bench or it will be another case of what could have been this season

      2. I totally disagree with yours and a few others opinion on Elneny, though I respect your views.

        Fulham rarely had a clear chance from our middle path while his simple passing and angle positioning allowed our fluent Midfield.

        We created so many chances to score 2 or 3 in the first half, also no other player can be blamed for the goal we conceded, it was a bad mistake from Gabriel alone.

        Generally speaking the team played very well without 2 important players in the team and could have won more comfortably on another day.

        Good win in the end

  8. YESSSS, the fighting sprit we will need to keep showing. Actually glad this match was harder. We’ll keep coming across these types of challenges during the season and need to be mentally strong. Gabriel from zero to hero. Top mentality from him and everyone on the pitch. Also, if Nketiah cleans up some of his touches he can be very very good for us. I like wht I saw from him today.

  10. Hard fought victory today.

    it’s long long time that I’ve seen such fighting spirit

    I’d have Mitrovic for us no bother.

    Odegaard unbelievable game today

    Ramsdale Ben White both played well

    Nketia did very well

    Hopefully Partey and Zinchenko fit for villa. I think Tomi starts as well

    Get in another good result

        1. Am quite surprised none of the bigger teams have gone for Mitrovic as he would add something different coming off the bench..

          Remarkable scoring record last year or so !!

  11. I’m so glad we got a “scrappy” 3 points. We won’t be fluid in attack all season so if we can pick up 3 points like this, we could surprise the world with a trophy or 2 this season

    1. 1000%. And no hate on Elneny, he does what he does perfectly fine, but he’s not the guy to boss a game.

  13. Not every game will be smooth and perfect, this is kind of the fighting sport I have been longing. For me the lineup that started first 4 matches should always starts

    2. If he still remembers Xhaka’s provocative celebration in World Cup 2018 against Serbia, I don’t think he’d want to be Xhaka’s teammate

      1. Lol..
        U’re a weird fellow..
        The kind of things u bring up.
        I’m sure even Mitrovic has moved on from that

  17. Couldn’t watch it properly as camping and the internet here was awful,but 3 points is 3 points .
    Onwards and onwards GG

        1. You mentioned that earlier and on tv it did seem quiet and it did take the goal to galvanise the team

          1. It struck me because at every other point this season it’s been more than fine. Like I said the season ticket hoggers that sell most the time turned up. That is not enough to explain the quietness… as a fan it was embarrassing. Given our start.

        2. I lost my appetite sincerely. Despite the win and how happy it made me feel eventually, it drained me somehow

  18. What a game Odegard had. Amazing passes and ball playing. One big difference I have seen odegard this season is him running back and also defending. Arteta made a wise choice making him the Captain.

  19. Thanks to team and all who contributed to our maintaining our 100% start this season.

    Gabriel is a solid defender, but he should never again try dribbling in our danger area (that is not his strength). Each time he triied, it has always ended scrapy at best. Good thing he redeemed himself and the team.

    OT: Liverpool went for the kill, spelling their name with goals.

    1. I doubt people have taken time to check our schedule from midweek on. There are back to back games. The world cup is coming at a bad time.

  21. Great comeback win, from a game we should have never had to come back from!!

    Anyways, stoked beyond belief that the team did everyone proud, especially Gabriel.

    Playing with Elneny is playing with 10 men, he is slow, passes sideways or backwards, can’t turn and dribble past anyone.

    Come on and get us 2 mids Edu and co.

    Top for the table!! woohoo:-)

    1. Oh stop it please, I give up sometimes with fans like you dissing Elneny when he had a decent game and passed forward more times than sideways or back. I expect you think Ødegaard had an average game too. Playing with 10 men comment takes the biscuit!

    2. Oh stop it please, I give up sometimes with fans like you dissing Elneny when he had a decent game and passed forward more times than sideways or back. I expect you think Ødegaard had an average game too. Playing with 10 men comment takes the biscuit!

      1. Yeah,
        Elneny and Xhaka, a combo of blinding speed and athleticism.

        You probably thought that combo along with Ozil were good together too.

        Moving forward, need someone who is physical and technical enough to make forward passes and has the capability to get us out of trouble from deep when under pressure with speed, vision and touch!

        It has been clear to see for years with those 2, period.

        1. Cmon Aaron! Neither are the best players in the world, but also they are nowhere near as bad as you say they are. Elneny is not Partey, but Partey has a unique skillset you don’t find so often. He wasn’t negative today and he played just ok, as did most of the team with the exception of Odegaard (who also doesn’t have blinding speed). He’s a backup player and knows it – you really think De Jong would sign as a backup? He’s a loyal pro in our squad – and it’s really unnecessary to single him out for criticism today.

          1. Partey ain’t playing 60+ games.

            Need another mid, maybe 2 or AFC will struggle as the did last year at the end of the season and lost top 4 by 1 point to you know who.

            Just get it done Edu and co….

            1. Gabriel is always Prone to Mistakes.. we may not be that Lucky next time. And Hey should quit his Long balls kicks to strikers. He’s not my Favorite!

              Martinelli needs to Mature more, he’s too school-boy for me.

              The real Captain of this Team is Granik Xhaka, you could see that from when the Armband got to him, he commanded and knew what the team needed to do. A Matured & True Leader!
              We need to take our Chances earlier in games, Art of goal Scoring needs to be instilled.
              There’s hope for the future 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

      2. You nailed it. Elneny is nothing to write home about. I took time to watch him very well today and found nothing to make him to be in arsenal. He doesn’t press, he doesn’t tackle, he doesn’t defend, he doesn’t attack, only sideways and back passes. He should be sold asap.

  23. Also Ben White has had a fantastic season so far.I told my friend Tomi will not just walk back into the side. Even with a yellow he remained calm and composed the whole match. There seems to be some agenda towards this man and I really dont get it. Fantastic game from him.

      1. Noone gives him credit particularly those that felt he hurt Saliba (despite playing in the same 1st 11.)

    2. Maybe an agenda possibly, fair enough, I just don’t see one. Gabriel looked loose today, but White is 3rd best CB, Saliba so far is the best CB of the lot, again so far.

      Tomi when healthy was our most consistent defender last year, and I see a bright side here.

      White is competition for Tomi, but also keeping Saliba and Gabriel sharp or else they could get dropped.

      Let’s remember Tomi and Tierney are coming back from injuries, and it’s an uphill fight to get into starting 11.

      I love the competition, and I see no reason to drop White or Zinchenko, except injury or rotation. A dip in form may necessitate a change, but no one should automatically walk back into starting 11

      2. I wonder how well Tierney suits our system now tbh. I think zinchenko and white play the inverted fullback roles well and I believe Tomi can do it as he’s comfortable centrally. Tierney seems more of a winger-type. Could be wrong – maybe the system is flexible enough to adjust to different players

      3. It’s very obvious to everyone, Arteta included that Partey can’t play all season long (even if he’s not injured).
        I’m thinking that Ben White may be the DM option going forward

    3. Totally agree RSH. I hope I’m wrong but I have a feeling he’ll get the Xhaka treatment from a section of our supporters for all of his Arsenal career. People don’t understand how high his football intelligence is, how he plays in multiple positions and gives everything for the club. He’s so underrated, but not by Arteta.

  24. MA has introduced something new to this team which I feel is the reason Tierney wasn’t fully effective as the new pattern favours Zinchenko.
    Leno just showed us all what he always did when in arsenal goal defending corners, he is never good with punching out and we always conceded from them but today we benefited from it.
    Tough game…. tough win…

    Ode MOTM

  26. Great win today. But it was a difficult game. We have again learned, there are no easy games in the PL. Ødegaard was IMO man of the match. Fantastic performance once again by him.. I think Saka does need a rest, and I wondered why Smith Rowe did’nt have a run in the second half instead of Saka, who was poor today. We really need more power in midfield. cos at times we were a bit weak and did lose the ball to often.

    1. Sala was far from oor Websirfer IMO but Ode what a player. Good show and fighting spirit from the gunners onwards and upwards. Teams are going to fear this Arsenal side.

      1. The main task of a winger is to create chances for the other players. Saka did not create many chances. He was IMO weak at that.

  27. We need a solid back up for Partey. Saka too. We have about 9games to play in October alone.
    Pepe could’ve filled in for Saka in the cup games., but he’s gone.
    Edu pls work ur magic b4 the end of the transfer window.
    It’s 4 down, 34 to go!

  28. Enjoyed the fight back but we were playing a team that could be in the relegation fight and certainly in bottom half of table this season … in fact thats probably true of our 4 openers … so we need something in next few days … problem is we have dithered around a midfielder and it’s not clear who is willing to sell with 4 days to go as that leaves no time for a replacement …I have my reservations about tielmans though he is better than elneny and xhaka … an attacking option might be possible .. nketiah is not going to make it at this level .. been obvious for a long time .. though he is working harder these days … looks like the mancs will b the first real test

    3. Nketiah was great. You were part of those who said he’s Championship level but from the eye test its clear he isn’t. If he was at Chelsea or any side outside of the top 6 he’d be banging them in. He should not be on the bench and I don’t know why Arteta benches him when he was the second best player in preseason and poses a higher goal threat than any of our wingers. We may not have won if he didn’t come on. His movement caused havoc.

      1. To be honest I’m starting to think finishing is one of his least impressive abilities; he’s looking top quality in all the other areas that matter – movement, close control/dribbling, passing/interplay, pressing etc.
        I’m happy to say I was wrong, as I did doubt whether he could cut it (never said he was championship level, personally, but i did doubt he was arsenal level).

        1. He has very good ball striking and can shoot very well with both feet but the annoying thing is he has a tendency to be rash infront of goal. If Nketiah gets the chances any of our wingers get in the first team they will not be able to bench him. He will definitely outscore them. At no point should we bench Gabriel for him but looking at what he did last season he is capable of scoring many goals so should be brought in as an inside forward or hold up the ball to let Gabriel come central. How Arteta benches him or people still call him average is beyond me.

          1. I like him as a wide forward because he links well with Jesus and offers something very different to Saka and Martinelli, and he’s not one of those strikers who only cares about attacking – he will work hard defensively when asked to.
            I guess the only problem is that he is our 2nd option at CF. If he’s playing loads of games alongside Jesus, we risk both of them getting burnt-out – we need to be able to rest one and play the other during at points during the season.

            1. That partnership with Gabriel has potential to cause a lot of havoc that I think its worth playing them both. Their pressing alone can kill teams. For me I appreciate that Gabriel is our best attacker and if Nketiah starts Gabriel must still play. Maybe we can bring in a taller forward and explore that. If we sign a winger for me he should represent a significant upgrade but even so I just have this feeling that potentially Nketiah can score a lot of goals in this team.

              1. I’m hoping balogun comes of age in France (it’s looking promising) and is ready to be brought into the fold next season. That would give us the third option and enable us to play Eddie and jesus together more often. I agree – from what I’ve seen they work extremely well together and would be a real problem for any defence

          2. The great thing is that, as good as Jesus is, Eddie does not appear to be massively worse. They’re actually quite similar in style and I won’t be worried when Eddie does start games as Jesus is out/rested.

            1. Yeah I told someone on Twitter Nketiah is a semi Gabriel. I can imagine them doing that ”call me” celebration when they play together and one scores.

      2. He will be playing at Southampton or somewhere similar within a couple of years .. reminds me of Iheanacho … my prediction for a striker who does not have a killer instinct or vision of those around him … he’s improved his work rate for sure but that’s simply not enough for a team that wants to get back in to CL … time will tell I guess

    4. Top of the table and you’re still complaining! You’re underestimating both Fulham and most of the teams in the league RW1. Bournemouth are probably the only fall guys in this division. Most teams now have spent big money on good players and have very smart managers. There will be many many “shock results” this season. Fulham are a good team and will beat many teams in the Top Ten. Last season we were losing to these types of teams and we still finished fifth. Don’t undervalue our start as every single game can be lost, and 4 wins from 4 deserves praise. Feet on the ground is fine, but give credit where it’s due.
      And the same for OUR players. Every fan wants new players, although perhaps you have forgotten how many we have bought already this summer? Because there may be better players out there (IF we had endless money) does NOT mean those we have are poor, because they are not. “Dithered”! It’s a night to appreciate your team not knock them.

      1. I can’t believe the comments of some fans … we all love a win but serious fans should know that over the course of a season how we win is more important … city coming back from 2 down against palace was a statement our victory yday was more a relief .. there’s a massive difference!! as in any such sample there is a distribution of quality that is not random … that’s obviously true of EPL and whilst there are always surprises at both ends we know more or less who will be the strugglers and the contenders … and for teams aspiring to be at the top there are games that should be won against opponents who are clearly going to be struggling .. doesn’t always happen on the day which is the beauty of the game but over the season quality comes through … that said I agree that 4 from 4 is what we wanted and that there are real signs of improvement to welcome but also weaknesses that shoukd be fixed given we know what’s coming in October and those games will have a much bigger bearing on our season than this month .. sugar rushes are nice while they last but in the end we need something more durable

  29. The defence is still a big worry for me look at the problems fulham caused if that’s a Liverpool, man City we are getting punished still a long way to go to get to the level required to challenge for Premier league at least 4 top class players still required!

    2. I didn’t see Fulham causing too many problems tbh
      Every game is different so I’m not looking for negatives today. Fulham made it difficult for us to score

      1. Sorry Sue disagree every time ball come into box we looked vulnerable lost most of the headers ramsdale had to pull off couple of good saves not being negative a win is a win but plenty to improve on! Also Saka needs a break really poor again as he has in all 3 games so would give him a rest!

        2. Agree on both Mark, Saliba is not good in the air and Gabriel as we all know gets nervous after a mistake and he was all over the place defensively (excellent going forward though). I would love to get Neto as I agree that Saka seriously needs a break to recharge his form and enthusiasm. Today for me was successful due to three reasons – 1 tactically we are now drilled and the system works itself 2 Great will to win and team spirit 3 Odegaard – I think making him captain has taken him to the next level. Individually not many good performances but just those three will win us an awful lot of games. So ironically I’m reassured by what we did today!

  30. Arsenal really struggled a lot before winning the game against Fulham the question is arsenal did not play very well on that normal tatic and if we continue like this we not win on Wednesday night again Aston villa well need to amend the MF especially the dm to relief oppression for the defender.but than GoD we win. Up 3 point.

    1. Sorry Emma I can’t agree. Man City struggled for 60 mins vs Palace – are they suddenly a bad team? The tactics kept us in the game even though many players (and our finishing) were poor. We played them off the park first half despite having lots of below par players. And we won. And we deserved to. Every game will not be a great game, but to be a great team you have to learn to win every game, one way or another. And Fulham are currently a better team than Aston Villa. We will win, even with today’s midfield, BECAUSE the tactics are good enough to win us games where we are not outstanding individually.

      1. Too bad Odegaard couldnt talk to Haarland and Arsenal wouldnt stu p up the cash for him. First hattrick today to win the game for City.

  31. Fantastic. That answers another question – we can come back from going a goal down. Really tremendous win against a very tough side.

  32. Random thoughts! Fulham are a reasonably decent side and will not be in relegation fight for sure.
    Odegaard was MotM by a huge distance, despite only 43% of Gooners voting him as such on AFC site. Nketiah was a great success in his half hour and has a case to repalce an out of form SAKA, who was though just a little better today than so far this season. Weissed Zinchenko and PARTEY. Elneny tries hard but his woeful lack of real quality could well have cost us the win today. We need far better than him to deputise for PARTEY

    Gabriels mistake must be his last ever of that type or be dropped. No time for such amateur defending at elite level.

    Far too much playing back to SALIBA, who was terrific, but so much time was wasted when we needed to press forward. Yes , we retained possession but made no quick progress with all that playing back to SALIBA.

    Rotten ref, though no real controversial mistakes, just lots of frustrating ones from him. A feisty but very committed game and great to watch , even though it had a lot of time wasted by both teams , when we needed to get on with the game.

    Some thing MUST be done about the boringly long time it takes to get free kicks taken. And throw ins urgently need to become kick ins,( meaning a law change) as nothing is so boring as seeing a player stand there waiting to throw a ball, while ages passes with him not throwing it. Esp White BTW!
    FABULOUS fan support in the ground, as they can see, despite our mostly in but partly out perf overall today, something special unfolding before our eyes.

    Finally, any fan who STILL, even now, cannot see how well Arteta is driving us forward, should see a shrink, frankly.

    1. Gabriel Is allowed to make another mistake ever. Seriously he could be with us for a decade. Glad to see you big up Eddie unlike others but Gabriel comments really not necessary or did you forget how well xhaka is playing? Remind me

      1. Angus, My words , which you have not accurately read include the phrase, “OF THAT TYPE”!

        I said nothing about ordinary mistakes, that all players make. Please quote my comments accurately and in full , or not at all!

        1. Your definition of “of that type” is entirely subjective and only know by yourself so I stand by comment having read your comment accurately in the 1st place.

      2. Odegaard and Nketiah were the best players in the second half. When Nketiah came on he changed the game with his movement. We started creating so many chances when he came on and he should’ve scored at least one goal. It won’t be long before he’s starting.

    3. I think we should try Ben White as Partey’s deputy. Interested to see how Azeez progresses, he is playing that role for the u21s this season.

      All this talk about a DM, i dont get it? We are clearly not playing with a DM, Arteta is playing with Deep Lying playmaker. Even Elneny today was not playing as a DM.

      As for Partey, im not sure he was injured? He may have had to report back to the police station.

      Zinchenko certainly didnt look badly injured the way he sprinted down the touchline and was jumping up and down

      2. I think we missed Zinchenko the most today, he overloads the left and brings that calmness that Tierney does not. Tierney is not a ball playing LB, he is more of a run down the line and cross into box sort of player. I don’t think White should be tested as DM. He is not really a good passer of the ball. DM not only protects the defence but is also the initiators of attack..a ball recycler a link man between defence and attack. I would rather drop Xhaka in place of Partey when he is injured and play Vieira in Xhaka’s position.

        1. 👍 if we are not in for a decent B2B .. which xhaka is not .. then this is best solution and while u r right about tiernay he is a better defender than zivchenko

      3. Interesting analysis Atid re no DM role.

        In other games we seem to morph into different shapes depending on various things (e.g. having the ball or not), sometimes 352 and sometimes Zinchenko moves int midfield.

        If there’s no real DM, it could explain why we’re not buying one lol.

    4. Lol Jon – agree with most of those but as Angus says the Gabriel ultimatum is a little harsh! ALL players make mistakes but usually only defenders and goalkeepers are held to account for them. Whilst hoping they learn from them some learn but others will always have the odd howler. Gabriel, as Ramsdale, I believe fall into the latter category. Passionate committed footballers prone to a fragile over-confidence which if it costs their team spirals them into the other extreme of nervousness and self -doubt. We may have to live with it, because in my opinion at least both players are well worth their place in the team despite that weakness.
      Only 43% voted for Odegaard? Crazy!
      Do you think Tielemans is off? Not so sure. We can survive as is until the World Cup and get him for next to nothing in the January Sales… (;-))

  33. Fulham drew with Liverpool, so they are not mugs. The EPL is a tough league and all the games are difficult. It’s clear we still need a couple of players, but the team spirit was great and I love the enthusiasm of players like Martinelli and Odegaard who do not stop running for even a moment.

  34. Good result in the end. I’ve seen Gabriel get the blame for the goal we conceded, not just on here, but on other sites as well, but the captain should shoulder some of the blame, as passing across the penalty area was always a no no.

    Imho, we would’ve lost this game last season after conceding that goal, so well played the players and the management.

    1. It was Saka played the pass HD – check the replay. You could also see Gabriel having heated words with Saka after the game…

      1. Basic principle of football at any level; you do not pass/cross across your own goalmouth. Saka should be criticised for putting Gabriel in that position and Tierney for not droping back to provide an option for Gabriel to pass.

    2. Yes, that crossed my mind as well – strange pass.

      gabriel controlled it very well with his first touch, but his second touch pushed it slightly to his right, and as a southpaw he was then vulnerable because the ball was out of his comfort zone area where lhis left can control it…

      But I noticed that he looked up after the first touch, looking for a quick pass and what he saw was all his team mates running straight up the pitch away from him, past Fulhamd players who were then in the way of a pass!

      So he took the 2nd touch while playing with his head up – meaning he took his eye off the ball – which led to the slight miscontrol.

      He was given a dumb pass then left isolated in his own penalty area. I have a lot of sympatrhy with him and not muchg with Saka or Tierney etc who ran upfield like a beginner. Gabriel got the blame because he’s the man who got dispossessed.

  35. Saka needs a break he’s not been on his game since day 1 of the season and continue playing him will fo him no good arsenal need to buy another wide player and take the pressure off him then you will see the real saka!

  36. Interesting stats from the bbc

    Arteta picked up 75 points in his first 50 games in charge (W21 D12 L17).
    He picked up 100 points in his second 50 games in charge (W32 D4 L14).
    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp won just one more game during his first 100 games than Arteta has with Arsenal.
    Arteta has won the same amount of games with Arsenal as Ole Gunnar Solksjaer did in his first 100 with Manchester United, while the Spaniard has won one more than Mauricio Pochettino did with Tottenham en route to the same milestone.
    In his last 50 games, Arteta has won more than all of those three opposition managers during the same timeframe and earned just two points fewer than Solksjaer’s Manchester United.
    To put it in perspective, the 32 games won by Arteta in his 51st-100th game in charge is just two fewer than Pep Guardiola did with Manchester City in his first half century of games at the club.

    1. Too early for most negative fans they would like to pretend such stats are new when they can’t pretend that their negativity was positive. They’ll twist it every which way but it’s too soon for them, they are still hoping we fall apart.

  37. Not the best performance again but a great and welcome three points. Not an Nketiah fan but i thought he played pretty well when he came on. We made hard work of the game and made silly little errors than need ironing out pronto. I also thought it showed up the problem we have when Partey is out but onwards to the next game.

    1. I thought the performance was good we controlled the game and football was fluid. We just did not take our chances. I am seeing that togetherness in this team which I have not seen for long time in any Arsenal team.

      1. We controlled areas where it wasn’t dangerous but until we threw the kitchen sink at it our front three were kept quite quiet. We are not creating as much as i think we should. I do think Fulham are a good side and are looking as though they could stay up though.

  38. Another solid and simple performance by Saliba. I don’t what it is but when he is playing in defence and when he has the ball i feel calm and confident. Gabi has been defending well in all four matches including this one as well but he has that potential to loose concentration and make silly mistakes. He needs to keep up his concentration for whole 90 min every match.

  39. Getting out of a tough match with a win can really show how mentally tough we are. And is as satisfying to me as a easier win

    Our boys are really showing what they are made off and it’s great to see.

    COYG!!!

  40. I felt for Meghales today. He was clumsy. Thank God he made it up. Our players should be ready for a more stiffer oppositions in the coming weeks. All the same, congratulations to arteta and the boys. The fighting spirit is awesome. They should be more business like from the blast of the whistle. The match would have been won by us in the first half if they were more focused. Time to get a back up for Partey and Saka.

  41. That volley pass from Saka over the 18 to Gabriel was a no no. It should only be done in emergency situations. That’s what led to the goal. Gabriel should have booted that ball out. Hopefully they learn from it. A good performance and a win is awesome. Next game please.

  42. Shocking from Gabriel. He had enough time to clear that ball but he started dilly dallying taking unnecessary touches and Mitrovic smelt blood and pounced on him! Oh well, we won but I hope Gabby will have his head straight in the next game. Such silly lapses in concentration are unacceptable.

  43. Am I the only one who wasn’t really impressed with Odegaard?

    Yes the fight was there and he played a few great passes and kept the game ticking, but he and Saka were guilty of being too elaborate. They had many chances to pull trigger but instead opted to pass.

    I though “passing the ball into the net” had left with Wenger

  44. Nketiah should start against Villa at the expense of Saka, but I suspect Arteta will leave him on the bench.I thought Odegaard and White were first class yesterday against a Fulham team which are very fit and well drilled.They may surprise some of the more acclaimed sides this season.

    1. Totally agree Grandad on every point, including the one that Saka will stay in and Eddie on the bench. Arteta is not yet confident enough to change things until forced to. Perhaps not surprising as on a couple of occasions last season when he changed tactics and line-ups to try something new (normally involving playing Ode further back) we got well beaten.

  45. Martinelli and Nketia been selfish yesterday, who notice it? It look like now our forward line everybody is trying to score himself than give the ball to onein a goodposition, except Saka and Odegaard. MA need to speak to the players because 3points first before any individual glory.

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