Fulham 2 Arsenal 1
The good news is Arsenal will start 2024 only two points off the league leaders. The bad news is, well, just about everything else.
This was supposed to be the period that cemented their title aspirations; the crucial few weeks in which Mikel Arteta’s side built up a points haul to sustain them when winter turns to spring and the depth of their rivals’ squads is likely to play an increasingly important part in where the trophy ends up.
Instead it has exposed their biggest frailties and led to increasingly serious questions over how realistic their credentials are.
Defeat here against a Fulham side that had lost their last three league games by an aggregate score of 8-0 means a busy December that began with narrow victories over Wolves and Luton has concluded with just one win in six across all competitions. One new year’s resolution might be to forget that the past few weeks ever happened.
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With his side looking worryingly toothless in attack as the season has worn on, Arteta opted to recall Eddie Nketiah in place of Gabriel Jesus for only his second league start since a brilliant hat-trick against Sheffield United. The impact was nonexistent.
Nketiah was entirely anonymous throughout as the visitors asked precious few questions of Bernd Leno, hitting the target just three times all game. Those calls to sign another forward in January only continue to mount with each match.
For Fulham, the strange rollercoaster ride continues. Having scored just 10 goals in their opening 12 fixtures, they then blasted 16 in their next four before a recent barren run that coincided with Raúl Jiménez’s absence.
His return saw him add yet another goal to his growing haul and, alongside Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s smart finish, secured a comeback victory after Bukayo Saka’s early opener.
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That lone Arsenal goal had came courtesy of the kind of swift break that leaves opposition supporters wondering quite how it happened. From David Raya’s roll out to Kai Havertz, the ball was hastily spread wide to Gabriel Martinelli, who was granted the freedom of Craven Cottage to surge his merry way down the flank unimpeded as he reached the Fulham penalty area, cut inside and aim a shot towards the far post.
That Leno was able to palm it away mattered for no more than a split second as the rebound had the misfortune of hitting Saka’s right foot concurrently with the Arsenal winger poking his leg forward – not so much guiding it into the net as prodding in the right direction and hoping the ricochet would fall favourably. It did.
Few could begrudge Fulham their deserved equaliser just before the half-hour. Barely six weeks ago it would have been laughable to suggest Jiménez might ever become the unlikeliest of goalscoring talismans in this part of west London. Yet since a dismal run of 33 goalless Premier League appearances, he now unexpectedly has five in his last seven.
This one ended a Fulham run of three league games without a goal – during which Jiménez missed all but 22 minutes through suspension – and was one of his easier tasks thanks to a magnificent delivery from Tom Cairney, whose ball travelled all the way across the six-yard box, allowing the Mexico striker to tap in at the far post.
With a calf issue ruling out Oleksandr Zinchenko, a galling day for his replacement Jakub Kiwior – noticeably targeted by Fulham’s attacks – ended prematurely when he was hooked at half-time in favour of Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The Japan defender knew little about his role as the assist provider for Fulham’s second. João Palhinha’s header from a Fulham corner deflected off an Arsenal head, leg and finally Tomiyasu’s shoulder before falling perfectly for De Cordova-Reid to lash home from close range.
Arteta’s mood might soon have worsened had Raya not pulled off a spectacular flying save to deny Cairney’s curled effort from range which looked destined for the top corner.
As the most torrential sudden downpour forced uncovered spectators to scramble for shelter, Arteta tried his best to alter an outcome that had for so long looked inevitable. The introduction of Jesus and Leandro Trossard saw a switch to 3-5-2, and the visitors inevitably enjoyed more time in the Fulham half.
But Fulham were excellent value for their win, even coming close to a third in the dying minutes when substitute Andreas Pereira drilled his free-kick against the crossbar. – Guardian
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