Arsenal hoped to return to winning ways against Fulham, but they were defeated 2-1.
Mikel Arteta walked off the field, shaking his head after the game. His players may have let him down yet again by not being clinical, but he must also bear some of the blame.
I don’t know about you, but his starting lineup was wrong. He was intended to refresh his offensive by resting Gabriel Martinelli, but he chose to rest Gabriel Jesus instead. Gabriel Martinelli requires some downtime to recharge. He didn’t have much of an influence against Fulham; Arsenal had to overrely on Saka’s wing. Starting Emile Smith Rowe or Reiss Nelson on the left wing could have been impactful.
That said, there are some concerns about Arteta’s substitution calls.
Do you think it was a good idea for him to sub off Havertz? Given how the game was, the German was Arsenal’s sole option for targetman and spam crosses, but he was subbed off.
Leandro Trossard at left wing, where he has never had a successful game in recent times, is also an unwise move by Arteta; versus Fulham, Emile Smith Rowe should have been given a chance instead of Trossard.
However, subbing Tomiyasu for Kiwior at halftime was a wise decision. The Polish defender has yet to break into the Arsenal team, and I doubt he’ll ever play left back again.
Overall, we should trust Arteta; he is a genius, no doubt about it, but the Spaniard must act swiftly because Arsenal’s title hopes are dwindling.
Jack Anderson
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