Fulham vs Arsenal: Notebook

Notes from the match and rewatch

Pre-match

Arsenal are not looking great with injuries here. Kiwior continues in the place of Gabriel, Zinchenko is hurt and unavailable meaning we see Timber move to the left and Partey to the right.

The big surprise is that Jorginho comes in to the midfield. Merino stays on the bench and it is Rice and Odegaard in front of him.

This implies it is a control team because with the fullbacks and Jorginho it will probably not be a swashbuckling attacking team.

I don’t love it but looking at the bench the Merino decision is really the only one I might second guess here.

Tierny is just coming back from a long term injury and hasn’t even played in the under 21 team, he doesn’t have the match fitness to trust him to start.

Lewis-Skelly is also just coming back into the team after being out on an injury. Away in the Premier League on that is probably a less than ideal situation for the manager.

First Half

Arsenal have started pretty strong here early. They have pushed Fulham bac and had wave after wave of attack. Not getting shots yet but starting to up the pressure. Very right sided but ball is moving quick.

3 - Arsenal get a corner, Rice puts it in a good spot. It is sort of between Partey and Saliba and it is Saliba who glances at it and it goes wide. That’s a big chance.

6 - Havertz tries a run behind and it is spotted by Odegaard who’s ball is pretty good. Kai went to early and it is offside.

8 - Should Trossard do better here?

10 - Fulham have their first extended run of possession. It hasn’t really moved the ball much up the field but they are getting a foothold in the game here finally.

Fulham 1-0

From a second ball, Fulham catch Arsenal narrow and they can’t get pressure out wide. Jimenez gets goal side of Kiwior, who pauses and looks like he got stuck on how to defend this and he is out of the play,

Saliba nearly gets there but not quite. It goes in the side net.

16 - Trossard tries a ball behind to Timber but the weight is off.

20 - Arsenal try to get it central but it just can’t stick here. It is also so static when it gets there, the players have no option to play it first time and that is just not a spot where you can hold it.

24 - Trossard finds Rice running from deep with a ball over the top. He takes it first time on the bounce and it goes just wide. That is good from Arsenal, some nice movement that we haven’t seen much previously.

25 - Trossard generates space and his cross finds Saka, he can’t keep down his volley,

27 - Odegaard needs to keep that run going.

28 - Rice very good breaking up a counter. Partey giveaway puts Arsenal under pressure.

34 - ESR almost gets through the Arsenal midfield, his touch lets him down. Timber caught napping on this one.

35 - Havertz good run, Trossard just off on the delivery.

37 - Rice again saves the day on a potential break. Flashes speed.

Saka gets a fraction of space and fires a shot, wins a corner. Odegaard nice pass to progress that up the field there.

39 - Nearly. Saka finds a pocket of space and spots Rice who has beaten his marker. He is just off from finding him/stretching to get it.

42 - Rice showing his Rice skills. Goes box to box, nearly gets on the return from Trossard. That was good.

Halftime