On the Whistle: Fulham 2-1 Arsenal - "A truly dismal performance to end the year"

Happy New Year! Or not, as the case may be. Arsenal beaten in their final league game of 2023 at Fulham by two goals to one. A really disappointing result and a really dismal performance. You know, that's the big difference from the West Ham game. Obviously, Arsenal have lost consecutive games in the league. One win from five now. I think 11 points dropped across the 15. It's been a really sticky, sticky patch and one that could prove very costly come the end of the season. But in a lot of these other games, you looked at the performance and you thought, well, you know, the fundamentals were there, you know, against West Ham. Arsenal did a lot right. Mikel Arteta in his post-match press conference came out and said, you know, we did a lot right. We just didn't finish the chances. Now, I will just quickly sort of voice my interjection there, which is that that is part of the game. I do think there was this kind of prevailing wisdom that finishing is just kind of completely random, a roll of the dice, you know. The team, it's their job to get into their positions and then it's all in fate's hands. I'm afraid that's simply not true. I think your execution in the final third is coachable and Arsenal need to be better in that regard. They were good in that respect last season, this season not so much. But there were kind of fundamental principles of play in place against West Ham. Today against Fulham, Arsenal were really, really poor. I think the way I would summarise it is by saying that even William Saliba and Declan Rice didn't look particularly good. I think when you're saying that, you know it's been a bad, bad day at the office for Arsenal. And the funny thing is, the stupid thing really, is that they couldn't have wished for a better start. You know, Bukai Saka on the score sheet within five minutes, Arsenal got that bit of luck in front of goal that maybe they've not had in some recent games. You know, Saka followed in, credit to him, happened to be in the right place at the right time. Gabriel Martinelli took a good shot, it was an excellent save from Bernd Leno. And I don't know how much Saka knew about it really, it just sort of came off him and looped up into the net, just onside. We'll take that, settle us down, you'd think, play our football. But no, Fulham really came back into the game strong. And it's interesting, you know, they pressed us very hard. It's interesting who they pressed and who they didn't press as well, you know. They were very happy to let Kibio have the ball at left-back and he gave it back to them quite a few times and was withdrawn at half-time. I have to be honest and say, I don't yet see it with him. I've said that a few times, particularly because we're only really ever seeing him at left-back. So I feel a bit harsh judging that, but I do not think that is his position. I don't think it's going to work for him in the longer term. You know, he's been here a year now. I'm not sure Arteta trusts him. I think he's probably the fourth choice left-back behind Zinchenko, Timber, Tomiasu. He doesn't get any game time really at centre-half. Yeah, there's a bit of talk about him potentially going and it wouldn't hugely surprise me. I mean, at the moment, he's kind of in the Fabio Vieira camp for me of having an awful lot to prove, albeit having had less opportunities to do so. What else to say about the first half? So Fulham pressed us and they played through our press really well and actually they got their equalising goal. We pressed them, Declan Rice squeezed right up, Ben White squeezed right up. We won the ball and then we gave it away. We gave it straight back to them and suddenly we were out of position and they could hit us with a counter-attack. Those transition moments are so key. If you go in to press and win that ball, you've got to come away with it and you've got to keep it because you've committed at that point in time. Arsenal committed, they didn't keep it, Fulham broke and it was well executed. Again, I think Kylian Mbappe's position wasn't great. I don't mean to be picking on him, but it's a really good ball to the back post and a good finish from Jimenez. No chance for David Araya, who I should say, by the way, I thought did well on our opener. You know, came and claimed across and quick throw out, set us away, Martinelli on the break. That was a good moment from him. So, Fulham, I think, were the stronger team in the second half of the first half. We get into the second half and you're thinking, well, Arsenal might settle down. Tomi Asu comes on for Kivio, good to see him back for how long? Probably not very long, given he's got to go away with Japan. But the second half performance was worse than the first. What can I say? There was just no threat whatsoever. Despite the changes we made, Jesus came on, we went to two up top. Trossard came on as well. I don't think the shape worked particularly. You know, we went to that kind of three at the back. We desperately lacked someone to provide kind of an overlap, I felt, on either side. We just didn't really have that because, you know, we had a back three of Gabriel, Tomi Asu and Saliba, and none of those guys want to make an overlapping run to the byline. So it got very congested in the middle of the pitch. There was obvious frustration from the players, a bit of anger at each other. And yeah, we never really threatened Fulham, obviously got their second goal from a corner. It was a bit unlucky, I'd say, in terms of the ricochets, but you'd also have to say it was untidy. You know, Arsenal had two or three opportunities to clear the ball. They lacked conviction in doing so. They didn't make a contact and Fulham, I mean, there was, you know, probably only about as much luck as there was in our opening goal. So can't have too many complaints. And frankly, we didn't deserve anything from the game. I was praying for an equaliser. I think if we'd got away from that game with a point, it would have been a very good point because it was a performance that warranted a defeat. And justice was served. Fulham were very good today, but this was a team coming off the back of three defeats. We needed something, having lost to West Ham. And we really, really, really underperformed today. It was poor. The worst of the season, I think, by some distance. I think Nicol Arteta will be very disappointed. I think he's got things to reflect on himself. I'll run through some quick thoughts on the team. Ryot, look, he made a few saves as he had to. I thought his distribution on the opening goal was good. No complaints particularly. The back four, Ben White doesn't look right to me. As Gary Neville would say, he's not right. Yeah, he's not at the level he was last season. We look vulnerable down that flank. Conceded down that flank again. Saliba, I mean, listen, he had his positive moments, but this was not the composed performance we're used to seeing from him. Composure was, I think, what has kind of come out of this Arsenal team that they had seemed to have loads of a few weeks ago. Gabriel was angry today, was emotional in his play. That's not when he's at his best, in my opinion. Kibio I've spoken about. I don't see it as a left back. I don't see it in midfield. Rice tried, tried, tried to make things happen, but I think even his execution was off its usual level. Martin Odegaard, nowhere near what he produced against West Ham. We looked to him to kind of find a way through the defence. He wasn't able to do it. Kai Havertz, I think, I don't think he's a great passer of the ball, particularly when it comes to passing forward. I think he's good laying the ball off, laying it back, passing sideways. I don't think he's great at looking up and playing passes between the lines. And I think when you don't have Zinchenko in the team, probably Zinchenko is the only player who stopped Rose today. That's a problem because we've lost Zinchenko and we've lost Xhaka. And I know that Xhaka evolved a bit away from this as a player, but for a long time, his greatest quality was his ball progression through his passing. Zinchenko obviously brings a ton of that. Without either of those things, I think some of the weaknesses in Havertz' game become obvious. I think with the right players around him, he can still be a real threat and of real use to us. I didn't think he played particularly poorly. I just think there's an aspect of his game that he doesn't have. And I'm not sure you gain that at 24, but I might be wrong. Odegaard not great. Xhaka got the goal, but missed a very good chance in the second half on the volley. I think he had time, more time than he thought. Martinelli, I actually thought did all right today. He had a bit more space to run into and I think it was a bit more of a threat. He's kind of out of favour with a lot of people at the moment, so maybe there'll be more criticism, but I thought he did okay. Eddie was completely anonymous. I thought this might be a game that would suit him. He didn't get a kick in fairness, nor did Gabriel Jesus when he came on. I think it'd be really tempting to kind of chuck Eddie under the bus. Believe me, I am tempted and I think there is definitely an upgrade opportunity for Arsenal in that position. But at one point we had two centre-forwards on the pitch and neither of them got a kick in the game. And I think that's because from back to front, the team didn't function today. Listen, I think it's good as an analyst to kind of hold your hands up and say when you get stuff wrong. And I did not see this decline in Arsenal's results and arguably performance coming. I really did not. You know, I know we lost at Villa and there were some concerns about the execution of the final third then. But we beat Brighton really convincingly, should have been by more. I thought the point at Anfield was a very decent point, always is. And at that point in time, you're looking at Arsenal, they're top of the league at Christmas in a really strong position regarding the title, regarding the league. And they've squandered that with two defeats, unexpected defeats at home to West Ham, away to Fulham. London derbies, Arsenal was so strong in their London derbies last season, well less so this year. Four points, or was it five? Five points dropped from two games against Fulham this season. And Arsenal sitting fourth, spurs on their tails. It's not over. I'm sure people will be trying to proclaim all sorts of things after this defeat. But Arsenal are in a very interesting title race. I'd have Liverpool ahead of them, I'd have City ahead of them at this point in time. In terms of whether they look the favourites or not. But they are in it. And if they produce a second half of the season at the level of the first half of last season, then they'll be right there at the end. But that's kind of what's required at this point in time. They need an extraordinary run to kind of seize control of their destiny and of the Premier League. And obviously, off the back of a performance like that, you can't necessarily see it coming. Anyway, I'm going to leave it there. Before I go, I just want to wish you all a very happy new year. I know it may not feel like it right now, but I had a great 2023 with the birth of my son and everything I've been doing professionally and personally. It's been a really lovely 12 months. I'm grateful for that and grateful for your part in it, helping with these videos, watching, liking, subscribing, all those things. It's all very much appreciated. I hope for all the best for you in 2024, whether you've had a good year or not. It'd be lovely if we remember 2024 for a long time to come with an Arsenal title, I mean, or a trophy of some description. I do think, I wonder how people's attitudes towards the FA Cup tie with Liverpool in a couple of weeks' time will change now. Or it's a week, I think, in fact, isn't it? Sorry. I wonder if people might have, you know, if we were top of the league, said, oh, I'll play the kids, you know, forget about it or whatever. I do think now people might say, well, maybe we should have a go at that competition because we want to win something here and the league is not necessarily in our grasp as it once was. Yeah, all the best to you and your family and your friends for 2024. Thanks for the support. I'm in my son's bedroom right now. Actually, I've been banished to here because the family are making noise in the living room. But I'll speak to you all soon after that Liverpool game, if not before. Have a good one. Take care, guys. Lots of love. All the best. Bye-bye.