A 1-1 draw at Fulham isn’t the worst result for Arsenal, but with so little margin for error in the title race it feels like a dagger blow for Mikel Arteta’s players. That Bukayo Saka thought he’d won the game late on, only to have his header ruled out by VAR, was further salt in the wound on a frustrating afternoon for the Gunners.
Here’s what the managers, players, stattos and pundits made of the action…
Mikel Arteta on the result…
I’m gutted that we didn’t win it because I think we absolutely deserved to win the match from the beginning to the end. We did almost everything that we had to do to win it. But this is the quality of the opposition – with one chance they score a goal. And then the margins of the league as well, which are four millimetres. You know, we could be sitting here with three points after a very, very strong and dominant performance against a really, really good team. That’s how we feel.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Fulham boss Marco Silva on his side’s performance…
The first thing is to praise the players for their commitment. On the ball it wasn’t the game we like to play normally. The weather conditions weren’t the best. They are really strong in the pressure. In some moments we should have kept the ball. Not many chances [for Arsenal] I think were good chances. We knew they’d start the second half strongly. I’d like to see us making better decisions because we had some good moments to punish them more but they equalised.
Source: Sky Sports
Fulham (0.11) 1-1 (2.00) Arsenal
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) December 8, 2024
Martin Odegaard on the mood in the camp…
The mood, obviously now, is disappointed because we didn’t win, but we have to move on to the next, they come so quickly now. There’s no time to be too disappointed, we have to move on and make sure we win the next one and that’s it.
Source: Arsenal.com
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Fulham midfielder Sander Berge on his side’s resilience…
I thought it was a strong performance. A big week for us, three games, Spurs away, Brighton on Thursday, it’s difficult to go again on the Sunday, the games come thick and fast. I’m so proud of the effort from everyone. It was a big goal for us early on, the team spirit was there, everyone fought hard, our shape was good. Arsenal are an elite team, they created problems for everyone, we held on well and when they get the equaliser so early in the second half and push so much for it, we were quite deep, so it was all about showing the morale and spirit to stay strong and stay in the game. We did really well to take the point.
Source: fulhamfc.com
Fulham 1-1 Arsenal 📈
A late Bukayo Saka goal was ruled out for offside to deny Arsenal all three points in a game that they’ll feel they should’ve won.
theanalyst.com/2024/12/fulh…
— Opta Analyst (@optaanalyst.optajoe.com) December 8, 2024 at 4:20 PM
Arteta on Saka’s late disallowed goal…
I saw Bukayo was on for sure so I didn’t even think about Martinelli being offside in that case. But that was the case, they disallowed it, very unfortunate because I think the team deserved to win.
Source: BBC Sport
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Ian Wright on the result…
We haven’t lost and that’s the main thing.
Source: premierleague.com
20 – Arsenal have scored 20 goals from set pieces (excluding pens) in the Premier League in 2024; their joint-most in a calendar year in the competition (also 20 in 2009). Perfected.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) December 8, 2024 at 3:42 PM
Paul Merson on Martinelli being offside in the build-up for Saka’s disallowed goal…
In football terms, it’s criminal what Martinelli has done. You cannot be offside. I’d be surprised if he’s not on the end of one in the dressing room by the manager. You can’t be offside when you look along that line.
Source: Sky Sports
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Arteta on playing a ninth different backline this season in the league…
Unfortunately, we’ve lost a lot of defenders, we have to adapt, we play with some players who’ve never played in that position in Thomas and Jurrien (at right and left-back] but the team is still able to play in the way we want to play so credit to the boys because they really want it.
Source: BBC Sport
This is the first time #Arsenal have scored a goal from a corner in four consecutive matches across all competitions since October 2021.
— Harvey Downes (@harveydownes92.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 3:16 PM
Arteta on whether Fulham’s defensive tactics at corners were fair…
Yeah, for sure. If it wasn’t something fair it’s for the referee to decide, so I don’t think there were any issues there.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Arteta failing to capitalise on Liverpool’s postponed match…
We really want it, we have good momentum, and obviously, it was a really crucial moment for us to go for it. We certainly did, we certainly tried, and we were so close to do it, but unfortunately, we didn’t manage to achieve it.
Source: Post-game press conference
6 – Arsenal haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last six Premier League away games; their joint-longest run without one during Mikel Arteta’s time in charge. Stung. pic.twitter.com/g4cKOhpFhZ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2024
I think people miss the point when criticising Havertz. He’s not a bad finisher and his hold up play and pressing are very good. His problem is that he is 0% creative. He never plays creative or risky passes , he always takes the safe and simple option. This isn’t always a bad thing, but he needs to mix it up a little because I think he has all the ability to do it.
He literally got an assist today.
That was a flicked on header.. hardly a defence splitting pass.
Assist stats are deeply flawed and a completely inaccurate way of measuring creativity. I don’t take them seriously at all. Currently an assist is credited to a player if he plays the final pass before a goal. That means if player X plays a 4 yards pass to player Y and player Y smashes the ball into the top corner from 25 yards out, player X has an assist, which on a technicality might be correct but we all know if complete bullshit. The problem we have on this site, as it’s become a bit of an echo chamber, is… Read more »
100% agree. Even Saka’s stats are a little bit inflated because of this. It’s why I hate this current obsession with “goal contributions” rather than goals. It’s misleading.
Exactly, it’s not a accurate reflection of what’s actually happening
0% creative is a bit of an exaggeration but I generally agree. But I think it’s a vision issue with him not a technical issue. Similar to a lot of the best English midfielders in the past he has the technique to give a good pass but not that Odegaard/Fabregas/Özil genius to see how the play will unfold by the time his pass reaches its target.
He has other strengths though and I think he will keep getting better, as he has been.
Chippy isn’t wrong, though 0% is harsh. I can remember some nice assists from Kai without thinking too hard. It’s not a problem if the balance around him is right, and he is surrounded by Odegaard and Saka for that reason. He’s a facilitator first and foremost, and every attack needs them. Though I think he’s capable, like you say, of being more than that, it seems like that’s his mentality, a team first guy.
I still remember that glorious cross field pass he played to Saka in the game against Tottenham in the run in last season. Brilliant vision and technique to ping the ball dead on Saka’s foot. Havertz definitely has that magic in him.
https://youtu.be/UwvRYMuH4Ew?si=iwQnQI7X9Yg2Eah0&t=70
He had a pretty poor performance I thought today, albeit he did get that header into an area where Saliba managed to turn it in, it will go down as an assist but I am not sure whether he is actually trying to get the assist.. felt like he just ballsed the header up and it fell kindly for Saliba, but fuck it, of course you take it. With that said I was very surprised he came off for Jesus? Like that goal showed by being an awkward presence in the box can make things happen and we were a… Read more »
Agree about Partey not sure we need another LB.
Missing some defenders. Only one of our front line is a dependable scorer. That’s who we are.
Kissing the title good bye? Liverpool will slip up…but I wonder if there’s any margin left at all for us…
Yes they will slip up at some point, trouble is, they need to slip up a few times and we need to be near perfect. I also think chelsea are in with a shout.
Hate to say it but I think our chance is gone, again.
if Liverpool slip up, probably Chelasea or City will capitalise…
How many times can we say “we move on to the next”?
22 more times.
What a stupid comment from Wrighty
These days you need to go for the 3 points and not worry about losing one point. It was different when you got 2 points from a win or when the other teams didn’t achieve 90+ points
If you cannot win don’t lose. Simples.
Nah mate, 1 point always better than 0 points. Also, we were going for it but other than Saka, we don’t really have any other players that can create their own shot while Liverpool have 3 such players. Martinelli and Kai are our only fast break options and Kai doesn’t really rotate, so he lacks a little zip in speed. We have three forwards that I would keep, Saka, Kai and Martinelli as a squad player to unleash in the second half. We need three new attackers, one a starting creative LW and two squad players to compete and rotate.
We should just play our best players in their best positions. Our best player is at RW, he works best with an overlapping fullback, so we put our best RB at LB and put our best CM, who’s going to invert at RB?? I know we’re a foot away from 3points, but ffs, TP5 at fullback just doesn’t work!!
I think you have a good point. The TP at RB games seem less effective going forward in general. Injuries have a knock on effect. We are down Calafiori, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhaes, with MLS and KT only recently back from injury. WTF kind of flex is that from the injury gods?? Our options at LB today we’re Timber, Kiwior, KT or MLS. The manager took the least worst one.
KT was the best option for me, keeps Timber at right back and Martinelli could have started with an overlapping full back instead of an central defender.
Yeah that’s another option if Arteta has enough faith in his players. And you know squad player morale does a nose dive when the player ahead of them is not available and the Manager would rather play other out of position than use them.
Not necessarily. There is the saying that necessity is the mother of invention. For a team which you expect to sit back and try to nullify our attacks Lewis- Skelly at left back would have been the best choice. He is a baller at left back and he is not too bad defensively. But more importantly it allows Timber in his best position and makes our right side extremely potent. Maybe tha would have ment a Martinelli start to afford him more protection but at least it will give the benefit of Trossard from off the bench. I guess all… Read more »
It’s awful rotten luck not to win this game. That’s 95% of what I have to say. Awful fucking luck. We played a really good game here. I remember it was the same type thing here last year. Pissing rain and wind, fixtures thick and fast, injuries, and a committed, gritty opponent. Robinson seems to be able to anticipate Saka’s inside move like no other FB in this league. All of those things were true last year and this year. Last year though, we deserved to lose. This year we absolutely should have won. That’s progress, though it’s a thin… Read more »
Yeah I think the issue was less how we played yesterday, more how we played during that stretch when Odegaard was absent. Unlike today most of those lost points were thoroughly deserved, and if we hadn’t lost them we’d be sitting here today more or less level with Liverpool and much less frustrated about this one result not going our way.
We should never forget what the PGMOL collectively did to us in revenge for a lawsuit the club filed against them last summer. I promise you will never see another player sent off for delaying the restart all season. Those plus the overturned DOGSO was worth about 4-6 points.
True. I’m just pointing out that if we’re going to say we drew yesterday despite playing well and deserving to win, we should probably be fair and also admit we didn’t play particularly well in some of those matches.
Yeah, Newcastle comes to mind . All the others I think we could have won without their “intervention.”
Players that needs to step up Gabi the striker, Gabi the winger, sterling, trossard, rice, kiwor, zinchenko, Kai, Raya, Merino Saliba and also the manager (stop playing partey as RB)or else we won’t win
Raya? The player who single handily kept a clean sheet against ManU. Nah, not having it.
Fulham (0.11) 1-1 (2.00) Arsenal The xG right there says it all. On the balance of play we should have won the game 0-2. Jimenez’ finish could not have been more perfect. I couldn’t believe my eyes when his shot went in from that angle. It didn’t seem possible. Martinelli played a beautiful cross into the box for what should have been the winner and deserves credit for that, but he should have kept himself onside. Out wide and able to see across the entire backline the winger needs to keep themselves on. It’s frustrating to have a brilliant last… Read more »
We were good. I’ll take this performance again for the next game and for any away game until the end of the season. We would win most of the time. Got footballed today.
League title is gone for us this season. We now have to witness either the bin dippers winning it in their first season under Slot, Chelsea being vindicated for their ‘buy everyone’ tactics or corrupt Abu Dhabi fc picking up their 700th dodgy title. All equally vomit inducing and thankfully I’ll be completely disengaged before any of that happens. That said, Sterling was never the answer to any question. Jesus probably has the worst goal contribution stats of any striker in any of Europe’s top leagues. We’ve gone into this season completely undercooked from an attacking perspective. When we aren’t… Read more »
Set pieces cannot completely cover up our relative weakness with the final ball in open play. We may have a stronger defence when everyone is fit but we have way less forward creativity and power compared to Chelsea and Liverpool and games like this highlight this.
What’s happened to Jesus? I’ve seen many players lose form, but he looks like a lad that has never played football before. I’ve never witnessed anything like it on this scale.
It looks like the knee injury he sustained during the world cup took too great a toll. He doesn’t have the same burst he once did and at the moment he looks shorn of confidence. It’s a terrible shame for a player who was so dynamic and effervescent in how he played. He really was incredible for us when he first joined.
I think, whilst both of what you said are true, you’re missing the fact that he genuinely doesn’t look arsed at all. He hasn’t once came on and ever looked like doing anything.
It’s like he’s accepted his fate of being a player that a) will never start a big game and b) will soon be not an Arsenal player.
I don’t know how, in an entire year, he hasn’t been to see a sports psychologist or something to sort his head out.
I like Partey and he’s in good form this season but we are handicapping our most threatening player in Saka by playing Partey behind him and shifting Timber over. The styles don’t mesh. If White is out Timber must play there and we find another solution at left back. If Tierney and Myles are on the bench you’d think they could at least share the load. While these results are on the team lacking that bit of creativity and it hurts, you should be able to afford a few games like this in a title winning season. That’s where I… Read more »
Yeah, Thomas has been great this season, shame about his heading..,
Partey might be playing well enough personally but he makes us worse as a team, he needs to be dropped
There’s not much you can do when the football gods are against you.
Don’t think Jimenez will ever score something like that ever again nor has he done it before.
On our side, you can blame nearly everyone but Raya who could not do it anything on the goal.
Anyway, only 9th of December. The hardest is still ahead of us.
The only thing against us yesterday was us
Let’s agree to disagree.
We dominated them at their place (although we were not exceptional) but struggled in their box which ultimately cost of 2 points.
Was it the football gods that brought us zinchenko tomiyasu calafiori and none of them can play? What about Lewis-Kelly? Tierny? Injured? We have reached a stage where we are nostalgic of Granit Xhaka with this pittyful Declan and less said about Merino the best. Lets see up front ..Jesus, Sterling…hmmmm fantastic. Just to remind the youth, this team had a frontline of Bergkamp Suker, Kanu, Henry, Wiltord with wingers Pires/Ljunberg who were.merciless when inside the box and/or rebounds. You watch our football 20-25 years ago and we are devestating one touch masterclass. Even in the ‘bad’ years (by bad… Read more »
Go to bed grandpa
As for the title race, I see it in reverse, in a way. Arsenal have dropped 16 points, meaning winning every remaining game would result in 98 points. Dropping the same amount in the final 23 (as the first 15) would result in 82 points, which I don’t think would be quite good enough. I think it will be a lower points total winning the title, but still in the 84-86 point range, potentially. In other words, Arsenal’s final 23 games has to be better than their first 15 games, which is still completely achievable considering everything that has gone… Read more »
When it’s called on side on the pitch and requires VAR intervention with a relatively fine margin, I am not sure the adage and associated flak (here for Martinelli) about – you’re looking down the line and have to stay on side – rings true.
Unfortunately once you become a pundit you loose the ability to use your brain (except for Wrighty who is the only sane one and Gary Neville who didn’t have a brain in the first place).