Fulham Preview: Can Arteta solve for a deep-block?

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Well, here we are, the first game of the season. It’s pounced on us. I’ve barely had the time to miss football, yet here she is, back with a 3 game a week schedule for the next 3 months. I am VERY excited.

Fulham is a tricky game simply because we’re not really sure who is going to show up. Both teams could spring a surprise. Arsenal could turn up like they did against Villa. Fulham could roll over like they did that time we thought we had our Arsenal back.

We need a win. There’s no glory in a draw. Arsenal needs to start the season the same way they played the FA Cup final. Everyone needs to show up focused. This season we’re gunning for top 4. Arsenal can’t have another transition year. We have the talent to do it. Arteta picked up a bag of shite in December, he took us from 8th to 8th, but the half-season table showed that we finished 4 points off 3rd (in 5th). If we’re that close to 3rd in March, we have every chance of taking a Champions League spot.

There are 4 very important games coming up before the international break. Anything above 9 points will be classified as very good. Most would say the big game is the Liverpool one, but for me, it’s actually the Fulham, West Ham, and Sheff U games that pose the threat.

Arsenal’s challenge this season will be dealing with deep blocks. We lack creativity through the middle and we haven’t really addressed that this summer so far. There has to be a solution. Arteta needs to evolve how we play this season. It’s no good becoming the London version of Wolves. We need to rack up points against the little teams this season.

There are some potential solutions. The biggest bet we’ve made is that Willian will carry over his elite form from last season. He had a great record for balls into the box last season. We’ll need some of that trickery tomorrow. The big question is whether Arteta opts to play him out on the left, or whether he moves him into a modern #10 role.

We could also see Mesut Ozil back in contention. The German international is out of the cold and he’s making a fuss online that he wants to play. Say what you like about him, he’s a deep-block specialist and if willing, he’s more than capable of being a solve for us there. Question, as always, is how much does he care?

There are also some other potential solves that are little more far fetched. Saka ‘might’ get a shout as a #10 at some point this season. Could be a little early for that. Especially as he’s been so good from wide positions. We also have ESR who can play in those pockets. He had a great time at Huddersfield. Would Arteta take the chance? I’m not sure (not tomorrow as he’s injured). Especially not for the first game.

What we do know is this: Fulham under Scotty Parker are pragmatists.

They will set up with a sturdy team tomorrow and they’ll look to nick a goal on the counter. They clearly aren’t elite pragmatists (they finished 4th in the Championship and there’s been a serious debate about #ParkerOut among entertainment starved fans), but they’ll be an early test for us. They have some decent ball-playing defenders and they have a bully of a target man in Mitrovic. Those two factors combining have been the death of us over the years. Hopefully, there’s a strategy tomorrow to work around the obvious plan that’ll be rolled out.

So here we are, heading into our 13th year together (feeling so emosh). This should be fun. We have a solid setup. We have a brilliant young manager. We have a vibrant squad of young players eager to make it happen. We have a chance to make the top 4 if things fall for us. Let’s enjoy it, it’ll be a fun ride. Lots of ups and downs. But we’re heading in the right direction regardless. I’ve not been able to honestly say that in a very long time.

Enjoy the game and listen to the podcast. Whoever gave me a 1* review, I hope you have some mild internet disruption today. Yeah, I’m that serious about the slander.

Also, I fixed the link issue on the newsletter. It should not be working perfectly!

COME ON YOU GOONERS!

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CaliGooner

Just keep signing Brazilians, seems to be working so far.

Captain Tierney

Leftside

Leno is just so good that world class saves game to game has become a norm for him, Arsenal fans just expect it and dont get excited by it.
They seem to like catching the ball nowadays, a lot.

Jamie

Willian obviously trains like a monster and it shows the way he plays.

yagunnersya.. Back to Fortnite.

salparadisenyc

CG

Enough with the Fulham were bad… fucking hell you can only play whats in front of you.
It’s the premier league, 3 away points is huge and always will be notably for a team that collected how many away points last season?

Dissenter

raptora
-Holding was due to be sold until David Luiz’s neck flared up. He may still end up leaving when/if Luiz returns in time.
-Pap Sok is on the way out.
-Mustafi has the Ozil disease, her respects his contract a lot.
-Chambers is injured and can still be sold in January when he’s gotten some minutes to prove his fitness.
-Mari???

Sanmi

Bojangles
The reason you were amazed is because you havent been watching Arteta’s team closely. Drop the criticism lenses and actually watch the games since Arteta came. Even the ones we lost, there was always a clear game plan. The opponents seldom have chances.
Where the issues have been are against deep defending teams, Willian seems to be a solution to that, because he is good at picking passes, long range shots and drifting around the AM position.

TT

“with him bellowing on from the touchlines instructions throughout”

As opposite to Wenger’s mortal combat with his zip?

Marko

Ishola I’m begging you shut the fuck up with the going to ground stuff we’ve been hearing it for weeks and without context. You do this with most players we get linked with you’re just that miserable. Funnily enough it’s always been about his going to ground with fuck all being mentioned about his tackle and duel success rate. Going to ground? Bad. Going to ground with something like a 78/80% success rate? Complete silence from you.

Bamford10

There were some positive signs today — Willian, Aubameyang, Gabriel, Ceballos — but that was a terrible, relegation-fodder team we just played. The real tests will come when we face solid, quality, pacy, athletic PL teams, not to mention the likes of City, Liverpool, Chelsea and United.

Emery’s Arsenal beat Fulham 5-1 in October 2018 and 4-1 in January 2019, so let’s not get too carried away.

Some positive signs, though.

Ishola70

raptora
“People are so fast to write Fulham out.”

Put some money on them then to stay up.

You will get handsome odds.

Bet you won’t though.

Their team and squad screams Championship and they played quite open today. They even lack shut up shop components.

Leftside

TT

Or moaning in Bould’s was, who looked to be paying no attention or assaulting water bottles in anger.

Dissenter

Marko
I agree with that last comment of yours.
Willian did a lot more than just assist, Saka will, learn tonnes from him. He’s probably the X-factor why we may get a top-4 place.

Sanmi

Bamford
You can’t conclude that Fulham are relegation fodders until they play the others and have similar results

Leftside

CT

Beggars belief, but the majority are as knee jerk as you will find.

Sanmi

Bamford
What’s different about arteta’s team is we hardly give chances away. Watch our games.

Jamie

Emery couldn’t keep a clean sheet against Fulham.

raptora

Ishola, calm your tits down. We just won by 3 goals. Fk is your problem lol.

Dissenter

Bamford
‘Emery’s Arsenal beat Fulham 5-1 in October 2018 and 4-1 in January 2019, so let’s not get too carried away.”

Good point but we do have a lot more balance and know-how in our game now.
Your reminder is great though.

shad

“Elneny is playing himself into the team, will be difficult to leave him out after his last 2 performances”

Not his biggest fan tbh, but he kept things tidy. Has a great engine but isn’t the box to box we need.

Ceballos instantly changed our attacking threat..always pushing forward. I like Gabriel’s precision passing. Also Leno had a few touches with his feet an he wasn’t too rooted between the sticks. Small improvements here and there that are very noticeable.

CG

Sal

“”””CG Enough with the Fulham were bad””””

They were.
They were absolutely bloody useless.

Any combination of Arsenal x32 man squad beat this rabble today.

But you are right, you can only beat whats put out in front of you.

3 zero. Pats on the back.

(Liverpool v Leeds United will be proper soccer today.)

Leftside

*boulds ears

izzo

Even though it was Fulham i can see Willian could get close to breaking assists records this season. He might find it harder against the likes of ManCity and Liverpool but against the rest I can see him picking apart defenses for fun. I think we should only sign Partey and let go of Aouar who we can get in January if creativity is still an issue or next season. Smith Rowe can understudy Willian for the season. What a goal by Auba!!!Nothing stopping him from topping the chart! Strange weird feeling about Arsenal this season. I’m usually a pessimist… Read more »

Ishola70

Marko Weagle was the main one on here to voice concerns about Gabriel going to ground too much in tackles and I said that I had seen him do that as well on occasions. Sometimes with very physical players which Gabriel undoubtedly is they can overdo it and start flinging themselves around and lose composure and think they are superman. I’m hoping Gabriel is not one to lose his composure and patience and he uses his undoubted very good physical attributes in a controlled mature way. No need to start weeping though just because this has been brought up. We… Read more »

salparadisenyc

Pedro

Putting record signing on bench to have Willian then pull that performance is quality, shows a lot.
Also didn’t see Elneny getting into side, clearly had effect on Ceballos. Love to see it.

Bamford10

Sanmi Actually, I can. That Fulham team is terrible. Terrible. And I am watching our games, mate. We may be giving up fewer chances, but we are also playing in a relatively conservative set-up. Whether it will work against the better teams, whether it will produce top four quality results over 38 matches, whether Arteta will stick with it or switch to a set-up that is more attacking but which leaves us more open to the opposition’s attack — all this remains to be seen. As I said, some positive signs. But let’s not get carried away. That was a… Read more »

Leftside

The whole “it was Fulham” is quite an inane point. You get three points for a win regardless of the opposition and all wins/points get us closer to our goals. We’ve shown we can compete with the better sides in 2020 in the league, todays game is the kind of game (away especially) we may have come unstuck in.

No need to be so miserable some of you.

Ishola70

I take from your response Raptora that you won’t be putting your coins on Fulham to stay in the EPL then.

Freddie Ljungberg

Good result today, some good sequences too. Gabriel looks good already, great goal. Was always mystified when some on here called him slow, he obviously isn’t. Imagine when Saliba is ready to play too, he’s even bigger than Gabriel. Bellerin still the weak link in defence, not a very good game from him, lost the ball way too much and has been bitten by the wrestling bug it seems, Sok being a bad influence. Willian looking good, already matched our former Cams assist record from last year, think we’ll be fine if we don’t get another Cam in, more important… Read more »

Bojangles

Sammi

“Bojangles
The reason you were amazed is because you havent been watching Arteta’s team closely. ”

I was sending up the fucking drama queens who were throwing a tantrum here when they saw the starting lineups.

Redtruth

It obviously didn’t help a newly promoted side having no vocal support behind them.

raptora

Ishola,
Go jack off. You are apparently unhappy.
Imagine bringing up betting to prove a point like everyone in the world is a gambler.

Marko

No need to start weeping though just because this has been brought up

Again not one mention or regard to how well he does in duels and at tackling instead just the goes to ground stuff. You wouldn’t have an agenda going on would you? Surely not you Ishola

Jamie

Still running interference for Emery. Some things never change.

James wood.

Hands up to Elneny he has been very good topping
it of with his best performance today.
What I like about him —- He is not afraid to pass the ball forward.
MOM for me.

salparadisenyc

I will never understand the need for some to defend Emery, essentially our Moyes. A better version but filled the same gap.

Marko

Has to be said the quicker we get in our midfield targets the better cause you just know that it’s options that are keeping us from a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and reverting to a back 4 will free up seeing Pepe and Willian in the same line up

Ishola70

Raptora

I’m happy but of course not delirious as the win was expected today.

What happens though is some want to make the win a bigger thing than it is.

No need to.

We have plenty of games coming up where the opposition team will be better than Fulham. Lots. And then we start to draw real conclusions from any victories from them.

Dream10

No Eze in the XI for Palace. Roy Hodgson letting the people down smh.

Ishola70

Marko

Don’t you dare try to paint that I am against Gabriel.

Just because I want to see how he does get on with certain aspects of his game seen from previous doesn’t mean I am against him.

If you don’t say he is the second coming of Christ it means you are against him.

Ridiculous.

Sanmi

People saying Elneny only played sideways passes should remember their job is primarily to locate the wide men early. And keep the back secured when wing backs go forward

Redtruth

Sal

It may have escaped your attention but we did finish 8th last season

The Godfather

I almost feel sorry for Pepe when comparing him to Willian
The gulf in class is shocking

Freddie Ljungberg

“On Lacazette… He is in my plans and is a player that I like a lot. He knows he has Eddie on his back, or next to him, I would say, who is going to push him. Whoever is in better shape is going to play. The same for everyone in the team. On Elneny… Mo has been excellent since day one in training. He is a player that I know really well because we played together. I know what he can give us and how willing he is to improve. Today he was phenomenal. On Holding leaving on loan…… Read more »

salparadisenyc

Red

And why do you think that is?

Emiratesstroller

Good result.

Solid performance with well organised defence and frankly we could easily have scored more goals than we did.

On positive side Gabriel after shaky first 5 minutes looks like a solid defender AND more importantly excellent in the air. The three at the back formation does suit the team.

I still think that we need better players in midfield if we are going to compete for top 4 place
albeit Elneny looks a better player than under Wenger and Emery.

Redtruth

Sal

We lost too many games

Freddie Ljungberg

Reports that Martinez is in Birmingham having a medical and will be announced today. Good luck to him and hope we got a good fee. Too bad he didn’t have more faith in himself and stayed to fight for the number 1 spot but at least it helps us strengthen the team.

izzo

We need to sell all those fringe CBs Mustafi, Sok, and Chambers. Just take the low fees and be done with it. They are not getting any game time in any competition given we have Saliba, Luiz and Mari. Torreira and Guen need to be sold and Parey brought in.

TT

Nice sarcasm Pedro 😂

Captain Tierney

Emi Martinez having his medical at Villa today.
20m deal done.

1/3 fees for Aoaur in the bag.

Freddie Ljungberg

Pedro

Tbf Fulham looked pretty weak and played into our hands with an open game, not much press and no low block, ideal conditions for us. We do look better organized for sure and we have added a couple of quality players in Gabriel and Willian. Need 1-2 more to really feel comfortable of a top 4 push imo, and to get away from 3 at the back against weaker teams. Shouldn’t be needed if we inject some quality in midfield.

Leftside

You’d think top top goalies would attract interest from Europes elite.

Captain Tierney

Gabriel Magalhães’ Arsenal debut by numbers: 121 touches (most) 113 passes (most) 95% pass accuracy 5 ball recoveries 3 clearances 2 tackles made 2 fouls won 1 goal scored 0 goals conceded 0 x dribbled past And he was named Man of the Match

Ishola70

It’s about consistency of performance.

And Arteta just may be the man to provide it.

Just wish they would add better personnel though to the central midfield.

Freddie Ljungberg

Capitan T

Impressive numbers for a debut in a new league. Looks like we can finally have a solid backline again soon,been soooooooo long. Exciting stuff.

Receding Hairline

Yep has always been about consistency. If we can play every game like its our last then we can even surpass our targets this season even with that midfield. We need to show we want it every game.

Ishola70

For the record I am very enthused by the Gbriel signing. Just to quash any doubts immediately.

Said it was an exciting signing from the very start.

But I don’t want to see the boy flinging himself about everywhere. Controlled, good judgement defending is what is required.

S Asoa

Read your post Pedro.
Now after the game and with Williams’ 2 assist and a pre – assist it looks we can now grind Ozil nose into the mud..This vermin has played drakes with Arsenal and looks good not to give him a platform to showcase himself for his next signing. After the loot of 350 k pee week for nearly 3 years ,that would be poetic justice.

Dissenter

Leftside
“You’d think top top goalies would attract interest from Europes elite.”

How many back-uo goalies get sold for 20 million?… more so in the middle of a pandemic-transfer season.
To think you were accusing me of snideful remarks.

izzo

Martinez probably didn’t want to leave the Prem but think he should have just stayed with us. He could have gotten FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League games and if Leno gets injured and that’s enough game time for a no.2 keeper. Going to Villa is a waste and he won’t keep them up and they are shite defensively over a season. It’s not going to get him into the Argentina national team. Whatever as long as the money goes into buying Partey and possibly another CAM.

Dissenter

We should be thanking Martinez for his service to Arsenal and for giving us the opportunity to make an easy £20 million to strengthen the team.

Captain Tierney

I really don’t under why other Prem/Bundesliga/ any top 5 league teams in for Elneny. Agreed he is no prime Cesc, but if you need a tidy defensive midfielder with good physique, great engine, low maintenance, mistake-free, team player, good personality Elneny is your guy. An year of consistent football has improved his game a lot. Would easily get in any of the midfield outside the top 9 in the Prem, top 5/6 in Bundesliga/La liga/Serie A and top 4 in Ligue 1. The only Interest in him seems to be from Besiktas who want us to pay half the… Read more »

CHEN

People saying under emery we won 4-1 and 5-1 against fulham… but the main thing they miss out is the clean sheet.

Why I feel optimistic about this season is that we are defensively sound. Remember, attack wins you games, defense wins you championship.

Regarding elneny and xhaka, as long as our wing backs and wide forwards creates chances for the striker and each other, I dont see a problem in them passing sideways 95% of the time.

But if we play 4 at the back, el neny and xhaka pairing wont work .

Ishola70

Willian arriving is going to hurt Pepe as well especially as we see it is more than likely that Auba continues not to play central striker.

Ozil was always surplus anyway regardless of Willian.

Dissenter

Captain Tierney
lol, we still have to BUY a back-up goalie , not all that 20 million is available for the midfielder

Emiratesstroller

Pedro There will always be posters on LG who will find fault however we play or perform. The positive from today’s performance is that we were comfortable in playing our game and Fulham managed just one shot on target. Last season we struggled against such teams. Whilst you cannot fault either Xhaka or Elneny for their performance I would still like to see Arsenal bring in one top quality Central Midfielder who is a game changer. One other interesting stat raised on BT was that Arsenal won 18 of their last 32 games. Only Man Utd from top 4 performed… Read more »

Captain Tierney

Izzo

If Martinez continues his form, he can be Villa’s saviour this season. No doubt.

Dissenter

We are selling Martinez for more that we sold Sczezny to Juventus
Hope we keep operating like this, to be fair Emi made it too easy for Arteta/Edu. Had he kept quiet he would haver had a good wage raise and guarantee of cup games.

Captain Tierney

Dissenter

I know right. Its just the Oxytocin in my brain right now.

I think our backup goalie shouldn’t cost above 5-7 mil and the rest should directly go into financing Aoaur.

Captain Tierney

Leno injury earned Arsenal a good 20 mil.
Without all that game time, Emi would probably have gone to a Championship side or a bottom table La liga side.

Captain Tierney

for peanuts.

Dissenter

I think it’s going to be tricky to get a back-up goalie that is good enough to keep Leno on his toes…and not cost too much.
The better keepers don’t want to warm the bench unless you’re United who can pay them more wages than most starting goalies earn.

Marko

Matt Smith scores on loan at Swindon

Marc

“Couple more midfielders and we’ll be a force this season.”

Get the right 2 players and top 4’s on.

Dissenter

We need too find a good loan for Willocks.
He needs to play lots of games to go up the next level. He’s not going to get a look-in if we get even one new midfielder because Elneny is getting the basics right.

izzo

Villa has shite defenders. Martinez won’t keep them up. Doubt Ollie Watkins will work out without the Brentford setup at Villa. Grealish and Mcginn is all they have going for them and that won’t keep them up over the course of this season with Leeds now in the league. Fulham, Villa and ??? definitely going down.

Captain Tierney

Willian will force Pepe to find the next level and that is very exciting indeed.
Pepe is definitely the better player in terms of his goalscoring and final third ability but Willian’s overall gameplay, dynamism, intelligent movement, work rate and experience makes him a better option for Arteta to execute his gameplan.
If Pepe can pick up a few of Willian’s qualities like his movements, first touch and work rate he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Marc

I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping Elneny as a squad player. People forget that the 97/98 team had Grimandi who would come in and do a job. What we desperately need is a couple of top quality midfielders and we’re away.

That and unload some of the excess players. The bids we’ve turned down for Xhaka and AMN would’ve bought Partey.

Dissenter

Captian Tierney
I agree that Martinez would have been sold this summer for a pittance had he not get that opportunity to shine after the restart.
There’s a reason why Arsenal didn’t take up the opportunity to extend his contract [and bump up his wages]. Someone in the hierarchy didn’t fancy him.
That’s what the player’s rep is supposedly saying that he is owed money by Arsenal; There was some bad blood beneath the surface.

Freddie Ljungberg

Notable difference in age and experience from the team that started the last 2 seasons, no kids in the line up today helps with consistency. Think it was a necessary route to take getting rid of most of the overpaid older players in the last 2 summer windows but no doubt it hurt us on the pitch. Glad we’re getting some balance back in the squad now after the first stage of the purge. By next summer we’ll be virtually dross free, what a feeling.

andy1886

Only at LG can you find posters who use an excellent victory to immediately come on and start bashing their fellow fans rather than enjoy the win.

These people are just as bad as those who constantly slate the players IMO. Pot, kettle, black.

Leftside

There are too many variables and not one answer to your question Dissenter. Martinez had a good spell and will leave with best wishes but nobody should be guaranteed of a starting spot. That needs to be earned. I like Martinez but he has been massively overrated by a large selection of overly sentimental AFC fans who selective memories. Your last comment was another one of those snide remarks by the way. If you want to get spicy on here there’s plenty of posters that will indulge you – just not me. My initial response to you the other day… Read more »

Dissenter

Looking forward to seeing Bielsa today at Anfield.
I hear red truth has a barbecue going on right now to celebrate Bielsa coming to the premier league.

Leftside

*with (auto spell is horrific today)

Captain Tierney

Grealish, Martinez are top class players with world class potential. Mings, Mcginn, Luiz are quality too and if Watkins takes to the Prem nicely then Villa have got a very strong spine. Teams have stayed up with much much less. Prime example being Villa themselves last season. Heaton, Mcginn and their new big money striker all suffered long term injuries. Grealish carried them alone last season. He’s got very good backup this season. Dissenter Agreed. Willock needs a good loan. And we also have Guendouzi and if he comes back into Arteta’s good books he will also be ahead of… Read more »

Wingdings

Zaha > Pepe

Freddie Ljungberg

Dissenter

Think the players getting sold this summer are getting the wage cut back, was reported back when it was announced at least so it’s probably that money he’s owed. No biggie.

Capitan T

Have said it from the start but I think Willian will play Cam with Pepe on the right, getting in 2 top midfielders right now seems far fetched. Get a partner for Ceballos with Willian infront and we’d look dangerous.

Dissenter

Whatever Leftside
You were taking pot shots at Martinez on his way out forgetting that £20 million is a lot for anyone to pay for a reserve goalie that only did well for 3 months.
I mean….a top European team didn’;t come for him…so what?
If we put Leno up for transfer, which top European team will come for him in this football economy?

You’re just as capable of the same snide nonsense as anyone else.

Ben+D

Some here are just miserable sods! Go get a life. We win against a poor team, comments are about how poor the opposition was so no reason to jubilate; we lose, every reason to moan because it’s either a poor team we shouldn’t lose to or shows the golf in class between that good team and us; beat a good team, no reason to jubilate because they have beaten us many more times in the past so we should wait to jubilate after we’ve beaten several good teams! There is never a reason to celebrate for some fans on Le… Read more »

Leftside

Zaha and Pepe don’t even play in the same position.

Emiratesstroller

Whilst Wenger was undoubtedly a highly intelligent man I don’t think that he was a great tactician. He was far too one dimensional and in the last 10 years most opponents knew how
to play against us.

Arteta is clearly both intelligent but more importantly has a first class football brain.He is designing a team/squad which has that capacity to beat better teams than ourselves.

Captain Tierney

Dissenter Reportedly we did offer a new contract but with not a certainty if being #1 and wages less than Villa (60k a week). Read the reports he is owed some big bonuses which would probably have triggered after the Fa cup win and he’s earned that. And tbf to Arteta he has always maintained nobody’s place in the team is certain and he’s showcased that with Laca, Eddie, Pepe , Nelson, Amn, Bellerin, Mustafi. So its understandable he wont commit to Emi being a guaranteed no.1 . He also started Emi over Leno for the community shield showcasing he… Read more »

Ben+D

*gulf not golf

The Godfather

Arsenal really need to work on extending Emilio and then loaning him out to Villa for a fee.

Also it’s time to use this positive energy and complete our two main transfers and not allow foot dragging over money to derail all this positive momentum.

This is what ultimately screwed Wenger. When you are on a roll get the deals done as players wanna be part of a positive train.

Dissenter

Captain Tierney
Lol, I completely forget Guendouzi
That’s a conundrum for Arteta and Edu. There are no good answers because he has little or no role in this team unless we fail too sign a midfielder.

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