Arsenal comfortably dispatched Fulham 3-0 at the Emirates. Bukayo Saka’s brilliance overshadows all else but don’t overlook Viktor Gyokeres scoring from Saka’s assist, setting up Saka’s goal, and then getting his brace before the end of the first half. You really can’t ask for much more from Arsenal. They put the match away in the opening 45 minutes, rested key players ahead of the Champions League, and improved their goal difference, which could be what decides the Premier League title.
It turns
out that the cure for Arsenal’s attacking woes was a healthy Bukayo Saka. Shocking, right? Who would have thought that having your best attacker fit enough to do dangerous attacking things would make everything run smoother and look better? The winger’s mere presence on the pitch draws focus and stretches the defense wide, which creates time and space everywhere else. You’ve got to dedicate so much more defensive resources towards him than anybody else Arsenal can deploy on the right side, and even when you do, he beats you anyway.
Poor Raul Jimenez. I don’t think Marco Silva drew it up such that his striker would be isolated 1-v-1 defending Saka in the box but somehow that’s where the two found themselves. Saka’s cut back sat Jimenez down and his cross was inch-perfect — close enough to entice Bernd Leno to come for it but hit with the pace and placement to elude the keeper. Gyokeres had a 9th-minute, tap-in goal.
Viktor Gyokeres was excellent today, too. He worked as hard as ever and added a bit of finesse / touch that we’ve not seen much of this season. His assist on Bukayo Saka’s goal is case-in-point. His hustle and work got him on the ball near the Fulham box. Often this season, we’ve seen him dribble into trouble (or straight into touch) or curl back and pass it to nobody in particular. Today, he threaded a pass between two defenders to pick out Saka’s run. The winger ripped it by Leno low to the near corner.
Arsenal put the game out of reach in first half added time. Leandro Trossard recycled the ball to create a set piece second phase of play and lofted a ball into the middle of the box for a deft, glancing header by Gyokeres into the far corner.
Going in 3-0 at halftime allowed Mikel Arteta to take Saka off at halftime for Noni Madueke. Arsenal shut things down from there. The team throttled back to see out the match and gave Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres a bit of rest ahead of Tuesday.
Arsenal could have been playing against 10-men for the final 20ish minutes of the match. Sasa Lukic was lucky not to pick up a second yellow card for hauling down Myles Lewis-Skelly from behind around midfield. I reckon he’d have been booked for the foul if he wasn’t already on a booking. Sorry, I just had to. 😉
I was a bit surprised that Riccardo Calafiori, who is just back from injury, played the full match. The Italian’s attacking instincts and contribution will likely fly a bit under the radar given the standout performances from Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres but his technical level and willingness to get forward helps open things up, too. He’s also another target for Arsenal in the air and on set pieces. He had a goal called back for offside in the first half and had a header go off Leno’s head (the keeper knew nothing about it) and onto the bar in the second. I’d expect we’ll see Piero Hincapie start against Atletico Madrid, with Calafiori in reserve as an attacking impact sub, if needed.
Myles Lewis-Skelly had an excellent game playing as a central midfielder. It is his natural, preferred position after all. He won 7 duels (1st on the team), had 96.9% passing accuracy (1st on the team), and made 63 successful passes (2nd on the team). His first instinct is to get the ball forward, which is a valuable one to an Arsenal side that is accused of being too careful and conservative. It was an encouraging performance in what has been a disappointing sophomore slump season.
Not to be too much of a downer, but I’d wager that part of his success was enabled by the absence of Sander Berge for Fulham and the poor play of Harrison Reed, his replacement. But you play the opponent in front of you, right? It felt like MLS got caught on the ball a few too many times, but nothing came of it. His teammates cleaned up behind him or he won the foul. You know the one — the foul where he shield the ball to draw the contact and usually gets but when he doesn’t it can be a disaster.
Bottom line: he had a great game but let’s not jump to conclusions or lament him not getting more minutes in the middle. I’m not sure there will be much opportunity for additional minutes in the middle this season anyway given Tuesday is the last midweek match of the campaign, but we (and Mikel Arteta most importantly) should keep this showing in the back of mind. He should get more of a look in his natural position next season.
Leandro Trossard put in a much improved performance. Perhaps his lingering hip issue has cleared up enough to stop hampering his play. Really, there were positive signs all over the pitch for the Gunners.
This win felt good. It has to have felt good for the team, too. Arsenal are doing their part. They’ve moved six points clear of Manchester City to put more than a bit of pressure on their two games-in-hand. That’s all Arsenal can do. Keep winning and push that goal difference up! I believe. Do you?
