As the ball headed towards Arsenal’s right flank again and again, the Fulham defense moved happily like dancers in sync with the rhythm.
It was a pattern of predictability that ultimately led to the Gunners losing two valuable points against the Cottagers and damaging their title bid, and it is something they will surely have to adapt in the future.
Many reasons can be pointed out as to why the north London club failed to win a match they overwhelmingly dominated in terms of shots, possession and passing. Their xG said they should have won the match. And if Gabriel Martinelli had been a millimeter further back when he received the ball before crossing for Bukayo Saka with two minutes left, or if Thomas Partey had headed in his free header, they would have won.
But the most notable reason they didn’t get the three points was the over-reliance on the right side of their attack that Fulham had discovered. The ball was stuck to the wing where the team’s most talented players, Saka and Martin Odegaard, are hiding.
So much so, that 53 percent of Arsenal’s offensive play was on that side, compared to 26.3 percent of the time they went to the left.
That allowed Fulham to devote extra bodies to their left side to nullify the Gunners’ preferred area, with Alex Iwobi inserting himself as a right-back in defensive transitions to create, in effect, a back five.
Arsenal’s dependence on Bukayo Saka (left) and Martin Odegaard (right) is starting to hurt them
Mikel Arteta’s team suffered a blow in the title race with a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Saka’s late goal was disallowed by VAR but Fulham’s defensive line kept it in check.
Left winger Leandro Trossard often called for the ball in acres of space. Their cries were largely ignored.
The specific case was reflected in the final minutes. Saka’s disallowed goal in the 88th minute, ruled out for offside, came thanks to a cross from Martinelli, from the left, a rare incursion on that side of the field. How Arteta would have fared with this area used before.
Accusing Arsenal of being predictable with their wing play against Fulham seems harsh when the team has scored five goals against both Sporting Lisbon and West Ham in recent weeks.
But Sporting seemed to have never seen Arsenal play before and took on Saka, giving him time to look up and combine with Odegaard or put balls into the box. And West Ham looked like a team with little confidence and Arsenal were able to eliminate them. The right side policy worked. It’s when it doesn’t work that problems arise. Can Arsenal change strategy and be just as effective on the left?
Fulham were magnificent. Marco Silva highlights Antonee Robinson’s management of Saka. He stuck resolutely to his task, limiting Arsenal’s hopes of advancing down that right side. But teams know that Arsenal’s offensive strength lies at the feet of Saka and Odegaard, making neglecting the other flank a viable option for them. Especially if Arteta’s team does not adapt.
Both Saka and Odegaard enjoyed 71 touches each. Trossard, who was replaced by Martinelli after 60 minutes, only scored 35. Martinelli had 25, which, to be fair, is high for the limited minutes he played.
It’s a general pattern of predictability that didn’t just happen in Sunday’s game. So far this league season, Arsenal’s attacks from the right flank (45.6 percent) outnumber those from the left (31.2 percent). It is a one-sided element that is a stain on the team.
And perhaps it has left them too dependent on set pieces. Arsenal’s last three goals have come from corners, the two against Manchester United sealing a 2-0 victory for Jurrien Timber and William Saliba and Saliba’s against Fulham again. It is well documented how good they are in dead ball situations, they are miles ahead of their opponents over the last season and a half in terms of goals scored from set pieces.
Arsenal have relied heavily on set-piece goals in recent weeks, struggling with open play.
Leandro Trossard frequently asked for the ball on the left wing, but his cries were ignored.
ISAAN KHAN from Mail Sport
But objectives are needed from different avenues. Since the 2017-18 season, Arsenal’s ratio of set-piece goals to their total expected goals (xG) without penalties is 37.1 percent, the second highest of all Premier League teams in that period .
Higher than West Brom’s 36.9 per cent in 2017-18 (Tony Pulis was manager before being replaced by Alan Pardew in November) and Sean Dyche’s Burnley in 2019-20 (36 per cent) .
It is surprising that a team fighting for the title is in this group. In fact, the only team to finish in the top four since the 2017-18 campaign with a share greater than 30 percent was Newcastle in the 2022-23 season (31 percent).
As seen in previous matches, Arsenal are capable of scoring many goals, even without set pieces. Saka will, of course, be a weapon that Arteta’s men will turn to often. It’s a tried and tested route that often works, deftly giving an assist to a teammate or scoring himself.
It’s when that route is blocked, as it was at Fulham, or Saka and Odegaard aren’t having the success they’re used to, that the Gunners need to have a Plan C (if set pieces are Plan B).
Arsenal are in the middle of the title race. There are a lot of points to gain and lose, but if they want to stay there, they might want to start looking both left and right.