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Confirmed Arsenal team to face tough Fulham test

(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

As always, the media is full of scare stories about how many Arsenal players are going to be missing for every game we play, but Hey Ho we just carry on winning no matter who is in the starting line up, so we shouldn’t be too worried today.

As usual, the focus is on how depleted our back line still is, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu out for a while. Gabriel and Calafiori are supposed to be taking late fitness tests. Myles Lewis-Skelly may also be missing after an injury in training, but of course we still have Saliba and Timber, and in fact Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko performed well against Fulham, so what injury crisis is there?

As for the rest of the squad there doesn’t look like there are any problems, so Arteta will be spoiled for choice.

This makes me think that the team would be resonably easy to predict, except for the small matter of a Champiuons League game on Weds, which may convince Arteta to do a bit more rotation than expected.

So let us see what Arteta’s picked…

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162 Comments

      1. gotanidea,

        That being the case, won’t Traore just switch to Partey’s side. I think that Timber should have been left at right back, and Tierney at left back.

        The only genuine left back we have. For those who question his fitness, if he’s on the bench he’s fit to play.

        1. Traore can’t play inverted-LW well, hence the conventional RW role

          Tierney can’t invert as good as Timber does

          1. Then just play Tierney as an actual left back, I know it’s radical thinking on my part, but I’ll take the blame if it goes wrong.

            1. We’ve been using the inverted-LB tactics and almost won EPL twice because of them

              Previously, we used attacking LB tactics for more than fifteen years and couldn’t win any major trophy with them

              1. FA Cup is a domestic trophy, pretty big one too. How many trophies in all have we won with inverted fullbacks?

                One I believe, and FA Cup at that.

              2. gotanidea,

                You say almost winning the EPL twice, with inverted left back as opposed to attacking LB tactics 15 years without success.

                Well we haven’t won anything using either tactic then have we. So, what is your point.

  3. I don’t know, but I’m getting a bit worried about Calafiori and his injury profile. I just hope we haven’t gotten ourselves another potential crock

  4. I dont like it with Partey at right back….the midfield will not be at 100%
    why is Arteta stubborn?Can’t he just play Tierney at left and Timber at right with Partey in the mid?

    2. He just doesn’t trust tierney to play the inverted left back role and has no intention of playing a traditional leftback. Love tierney but arteta does not trust him and he knows it.

      Never liked partey at RB but he’s like the 4th choice option.

  5. Arteta is more likely to bring in Skelly-Lewis than Tierney if a change is needed at left back. The coach has shown little faith in Tierney, I think he’s in the bench as an emergency. I could be wrong

    1. I’m a big fan of Lewis-Skelly – of the two I’d normally tend towards the experience of Tierney for a game like this (and I suspect arteta would too) but when was the last time KT played any first team football?
      I think we will see one of them coming on in the second half.

    2. Not just Kiwior, LB Timber, Rice on left side and DM Jorginho all caught out. We seemed more concerned with pressing than staying Organized.

      We have to be better and stay organized, Fulham can get at us on the counter as we’ve seen; Partey at RB and Jorginho in midfield is our soft spot.

      Tierney at LB and Timber at RB and Rice DM with Merino LCB seems more balanced and better defensively, but hey gaffer made his choices.

    3. Saliba could have blocked the shot. He misjudged the player he was against. He stopped thinking he would cut inside. Himinez is on his favourite foot. Poor.

  10. If we do not equalise before HT then we are certainly dropping points
    And we shouldn’t expect more from Saka today
    Robinson have always been good against Saka

      1. But the way Fulham are defending with low block and drop deep with 5 at back as Iwobi also joins the defence
        It’s more likely we are not gonna score

  11. I like Trossard but unlike Martinelli, he doesn’t run at the defence. When he gets the ball he invariably stops and plays it sideways or backwards. What’s the point.

  12. Fulham are growing into this game since the goal. We need to be more clinical in attack because Fulham are defending very well.

    1. Yup – I don’t think we’ve played too badly, Fulham have played very well. They’ve largely nullified us in open play and have been ready for the corner threat.

  16. I really hate it when we play crab football. I know there’s a long time to go in the match but I’d like to see a bit more decisiveness.

    1. Yeah, our pace is slowing already but that has a lot to do with how well Fulham is playing too. I’m sure Fulham will tire in the second half if we can keep a fast tempo up..

  19. We are just one dimensional. Once Saka and Odegaard combination is stopped, we got nothing else. The left side is non existent. Plus we are paying for playing players out of position. A mid as Rb, Rb as Lb and wannabe striker that never cut as striker in any top team.

    1. When it works it works it works. When it doesn’t carry on with the same old, same old approach anyway.

          1. But Score board is still 1-0 to Fulham
            And we have not created any clear cut chances
            Don’t look at possession stats
            Just see our performance

    1. He’ll most likely do nothing until the 85th minute when he’ll panic, then ask the whole team to attack causing us to concede. I would have preferred he leaves Partey at DM or AM and plays an attacking game, even if we end up with a 4 – 3 scoreline instead of this boring and idealess dross of a game

  24. Saliba was keeping Jimenez onside, but Raya should’ve been able to block Jimenez’s shot

    If I were Arteta, I would replace Trossard with Martinelli because we need more penetration from the left wing and replace Jorginho with Merino

    1. Saliba didn’t commit to the tackle – the shot was good, so can’t blame Raya really imo. I think saliba took a chance on Jimenez not being able to score from that angle/distance and slowed to prevent him cutting inside to get a little closer to the goal. Jimenez called his bluff. I’d call that a rare example of saliba’s relative inexperience showing – it wasn’t the time to take a chance

  25. A difficult half of football and not ideal having a makeshift back row yet again. We started well enough with plenty of possession but it rather fizzled out at the business end. A couple of chances from us but no cutting edge as yet. An excellent goal from Fulham and Smith Rowe should have done better- thankfully he didn’t otherwise we would be 2 down. Possession hasn’t equated to goals.

    2. Summed up perfectly, SueP. I would just add that our attack has slowed to the point we are going backwards and sideways too much again. I want to see more from Havertz getting behind the defence and causing more problems for Fulham. Havertz has been quite poor of late imo.

      1. GunneRay
        We were slow building up, I agree and I can’t stand it either. Havertz was unnecessarily offside a couple of times. I think Fulham deserve credit for sticking to their task

  26. Far too slow we look very lethargic. So Disappointed with the players, no passion or it would seem no effort but we surely won’t play as badly in the 2nd half

  27. Newcastle deja vu 😅 This team ain’t winning the league, time to accept. A proper striker in January might change our fortunes but the over-reliance on set-pieces is revealing our inability to score open play goals.

    1. Spot on
      It’s Newcastle Deja vu
      And yes we are missing proper CF
      Arteta made mig mistake by not buying proper CF

  28. Toothless and no invention. Please don’t say we have played well. Fulham have been comfortable and their goal was far too easy.

  29. What is it with Fulham? We give them players and we give them goals and we give them games. I really want to smash these guys, because they have been a bogey team in the last 2 years, but we never seem to do it, just give them more and more players.

    2. It’s not about Fulham
      It’s about Marco Silva
      He really knows how to beat Arteta
      He always been better in tactics against Arteta

  31. The way we are playing, they never going to score even if they play all night. Fulham is comfortable with sideway passing and keeping everything infront of them. With the fulham highline, I like so see Saka and Trossard making inverted inside run to catch them off guard.

    1. Don’t expect anything from Saka
      Robinson have always been good against Saka in Past
      And he is doing well today as well
      There are very few LB in PL who can defend against Saka and Robinson is one of them

  32. Why in God’s name did they buy this Calafiori guy? He’s never been fit to string 3 games together consecutively. I hope they stop doing business with Bologna, first Tomiyasu and now him. In fact, all the left backs have been useless and not dependable. Some radical decisions needs to be taken, especially with Tommy and Tieney.

  33. I’m sorry, but in this game, MA’s line up is not working.
    His insistence that Partey plays at RB is nonsensical, when he has to switch Timber to LB to accommodate him!!
    Why on earth have two actual LB ‘s on the bench, then ignore them in order to mess uo the midfield and RB positions.
    Martinelli has to come on in place of Trossard, Tierney or Skilly at LB, Partey move to midfield for Jorginho and Timber at RB.

    2. He doesn’t trust his remaining left back options – he’s not moved timber to accommodate partey at RB because he wants to play partey there, he’s felt our best fullback pair is partey and timber from the options we have, and MLS and Tierney are either not ready, not good enough or not fit enough. If zinchenko were fit today (arguably worse than partey at fullback, but he is trusted in that position), he’d have started and partey would have been in midfield, I’m quite sure.

    4. Ken, Lewis-Skelly hasn’t been a LB for long. He’s like Zinchenko, a CM. He only started playing at LB in Pre-Season iirc.

  35. The way we are playing, we are never going to score even if they play all night. Fulham is comfortable with sideway passing and keeping everything infront of them. With the fulham highline, I like so see Saka and Trossard making inverted inside run to catch them off guard

  36. The results this season are all on Arteta. This is his squad and Arsenal have spent a lot of money to assemble it and he’s bought injury prone fullbacks, no coverage for Odegaard, has a bang average forward. There shouldn’t be so many holes in the squad when you’ve had SIX seasons to assemble it. We are wasting Bukayo Saka’s best years. He seems to be the only player on the pitch today.

    1. We bought Calafiori and Mikel Merino to compete with City this season, lest also remember that. That was supposed to bridge the gap. Even if we somehow get 3 points today we can’t deny what is blatantly obvious and that this team has regressed significantly this year.

          1. But we are more threating only through set plays
            After Utd game everyone was comparing us with Stoke City but don’t you think so that they have point??

  37. It’s so laughable that we are actually looking dangerous from set plays only
    People are right
    We are really a stoke city
    I was not giving any
    That’s offside

  41. Shame Havertz wasn’t able to get a better touch from Odegaard in the box just now, but that goal has really boosted the team

  45. Nwaneri for Odegaard don’t understand
    Nwaneri should have been introduced for Trossard
    Martinelli is so wasteful

  47. Wow, that’s a change and a half. If it pays off will Arteta be viewed as brave or did he have no choice because Odegard is spent.

  51. Maybe we’ll actually get some new attackers next season. Or we’ll buy our 11th defender for this squad.

    1. Liverpool will win because they are way better than us. Oh and have players that can actually score a goal which Mikel likes to forget is the actual point of the game.

        1. Yup. At least Wenger actually won stuff to achieve his invulnerability from being sacked. Mikel has just an FA Cup which AW could win even in his worst seasons. Literally could’ve kept AW and we’d have a similar trophy count.

          1. AW had no transfer budget for a long while, he could have won a lot with the injection of funds MA had. MA really needs to win something for us and I hope he will.

      1. Yes
        Fulham were poor actually
        We were more terrible
        There was a competition between Fulham and Arsenal to show who is more poor and shit
        And at least we win that competition

  61. For Fulham that must the luckiest and undeserving draw on the face of the planet. I don’t think we should that downhearted, we should’ve won, we deserved to win, but you don’t always get in life what you deserve.

    1. The only chances we created were from corner kicks. Having possession, putting in bad crosses, and passing around the opposition box doesn’t mean we played well. This game was far below the standard arteta has set.

  62. Gyokeres is a must for this team and Partey should never plays RB. Creativity is zero for the whole 90 mins
    Arteta needs to leave after this season if fails to win any major silverware.

  63. Somethings wrong. Arteta’s had 5 years and he’s now being overtaken by Liverpool and the Chelsea managers in their first seasons. Oh, and also just as City become beatable. Go figure.

    2. Bryan, all you’ve done is moan and whinge all through the game, I’d hate to be sitting anywhere near you at a game!

        1. I think that’s unfair, if the second goal had counted, the whole feedback would’ve been different. The XG and all the stats say we should’ve easily won. Fulham were just very lucky.

          1. Gmv8,

            Are you being serious, why do people take this XG and all the stats that come with it seriously.

            None of that matters, stats don’t score goals players do.

            All this expected goals rubbish, you can expect what you want. If the player doesn’t stick the ball in the net, what the hell doe’s the XG matter.😣

  64. That goal they scored was a complete lucky strike, the result is all on us. We have no play on the left or through the middle. It frustrates every arsenal fan that after all these defender acquisitions (at the expense of our offense), we would need to play partey and timber out of position. These threw off our cadence. Havertz in the middle has no hold up play, no speed, no center forward skills, MA shall consider his experiment a failure and get a proper forward. We created very few chances in motion, hope Jan transfer window may help.

      1. Oh, please. The first strike and spot on to the very corner of our net? I am not denying the brilliance of the play and how things worked out for him, the only chance after the game stated and that panned out perfectly is in and of itself lucky. Right back to their side Rice’s shot went above the bar. That goal surely won’t happen without skill and instinct, but luck was on their side at that moment.

        1. You don’t understand lucky. If you thought it was lucky. You also do not understand the striker either. He is a top finisher. Big difference.

  65. The big problem is. This squad is perfectly set up for 3 at the back. Today in the second half, we SHOULD at some point have gone 3 at tge back. There is NO need to move Partey and Timber at all.

  66. It’s easy to play Arsenal; take away the right side, and the left is useless; Trossard and Marinelli together aren’t competent LW; look into Khavacha or play the last disaster, Sterling. We do not have a striker, and it is very obvious. Tap Ivan Toney up or get either Gyokeres or Osimhen.
    We may not like to hear this, but we still don’t have a LB. Look into Hato or play Tierney.
    Zinchenko, Jesus are done in this club and I will also sell one of those LW’s

      1. @ Reggie, do you mean Timber, Saka, and Odeegard? So much more than what the left side offers. Partey isn’t as bad as the right but he brings so much more balance to the midfield with those cutting balls and movement .
        We have no striker; whatever Havertz is, he isn’t a striker and like Podolski said, he will thrive playing behind one .

    2. Honestly, Martinelli played better than Trossard today. He got us more threats in the second half. I do agree our tactic has been right side all the time. We have nothing in the middle, which kept us disconnected. Knowing Robinson historically defended Saka well should have tipped us to use some variation in our tactics, guess our team has not been built to do so.

      1. I don’t think he did at all. Trossard has a goal threat Martinelli runs with his head down and down blind alleys.

  67. While I’ve said in previous piece’s in previous days that I haven’t got a problem how we score our goals. I must admit to becoming concerned on two fronts at the moment.

    1. We need to score more from open play as well as set piece’s.

    2. It seems to me, that if Saka or Odegaard don’t create the chances in games, we don’t appear to have much else to offer on the creation front.

    Anyone else agree.

    2. It’s very difficult to score from open play when teams play with the very low block that Fulham played today. One way would be if we played a low block and hit teams on the counter attack, but then we don’t have enough fast players to play that way

  68. What exactly does Gabriel Jesus offer us? Martinelli? other than pace that is to no end.
    We really do need a proper winger in the mould of palmer who I rate higher than Saka imo

  69. @ Reggie, do you mean Timber, Saka, and Odeegard? So much more than what the left side offers. Partey isn’t as bad as the right but he brings so much more balance to the midfield with those cutting balls and movement .
    We have no striker; whatever Havertz is, he isn’t a striker and like Podolski said, he will thrive playing behind one .

  70. Yes Gizzle, where as the left has just the winger and L B. No support from 10, like the right does. Its the way we play.

    1. @Reggie The 10 happens to be Odeegard; our genius manager sold everyone who could deputize Odeegard and refuses to unleash the one from the academy . The issue with this team is balance. Partey is the best midfielder in this team so much so that Rice can’t play the 6. The drop-off from the first team to the bench is crazy. HAvertz, Callifiori, Merino, MArtinelli, and Trossard should be the backups, not the starters. Players like Zinchenko and Jesus shouldn’t even be in this club anymore. We need to grow a pair and get a striker like Marmoush, OSimehen, or Gyokeres, or get a loan for Ivan Toney in JAnuary . Moliero can put in a shift at the AM, Kekers, Robinson, or HAto at the LB, and any winger on the left.

      1. Balance with Odergaard is what I am on about. He always plays on Sakas side, ignothe left. The number 10 should be the pivot for attacks, left and right. We are unbalanced. But that is only the start.

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