Arsenal FC vs Fulham FC Emirates Stadium, London April 18, 2021 8:30 AM EST / 13:30 GMT Ramada: Lieutenant, please. I'm talking to you as a psychiatrist. I'm recommending that you be grounded. Topper: You've got to be joking! Ramada: Look, if I were joking, I would've said "What do you do with an elephant with three balls?" Topper: *shrugs* Ramada: "You walk him and pitch to the rhino." Topper: You are serious. So Arsenal got serious on their trip to Prague, and now they return to the Emirates with aspirations for a winning streak. Fulham makes a fair opponent to realize that dream: Since upsetting Liverpool, Handsome Scott Parker's Cottagers have dropped 4 straight and are very close to assuring their return to the Championship. Much like Arsenal's relegation-threatened opponent from last weekend, Fulham's chief issue has been the inability to produce on the offensive end, yielding a mere 24 goals in 32 matches. Mitrovic and Cavaleiro have managed only 3 goals apiece, while the midfield has been so busy defending or misplacing long balls that they've only contributed a combined 5 goals. FFC had a run coming into mid March that hinted at a possible escape, but with a loss this weekend they would need 9 points from their last 5 matches, which includes contests versus Chelsea and ManU, so expect them to come out swinging with whatever strength they have left. For Arsenal, Odegaard was listed as doubtful last I saw, and we know Tierney and Luiz are out. Expect at least some players from Thursday to get a rest (Laca? Saka?), but Arteta has implied the lads are ready and hungry to finish the season strong. Look for the side to keep working on defensive solidity and overall execution, while patiently working the ball early before feeling any need to take risks in attack. I say 2-0 to the lads in red. It's the early match of the day but thanks to summer hours in the States not too early, so grab a hearty breakfast (or a bourbon) and cheer on the Arsenal! C'mon you Gunners!
To a large extent, this fixture represents the end of our competitive season, or more precisely, the first of several dead rubbers. But from another view, this is actually the most important part of the season. It's become pretty clear for me over the last month or so the direction the club has to go, at least for next season and probably the season beyond that as well. Put the future of the team with ESR, Saka, Odegaard, Pepe, Martinelli, Tierney and Partey. Sell PEA, don't renew David Luiz, sell AMN, Nketiah, Reiss Nelson, AMN, Guendouzi, Bellerin, and at least one of Chambers, Mavropanos, or Saliba. Buy Odegaard, a Rb and a DM (or box-to-box). The biggest obstacle in this path is Arteta. Arteta has been excellent for us in terms of strengthening the defense, in terms of coaching and developing players, and in terms of rehabilitating out-of-form veterans. Even if Arteta is sacked, the club should be very grateful to him in terms of saving a previously sinking ship. But at the end of the day, it might not matter. Arteta seems to have very strong inclinations toward grinding out fine-margin wins with veteran players that he believes, that in spite of whatever other attributes they may lack, are more reliable than young players making the transition away from being prospects. Simply put, that attitude is just wrong on the merits, and in contrast to the time when Arteta took over (or Emery's time), we don't have to squad to try that anyway. Arteta simply has to get with the program. If he can't or won't, sack him, end of. If he does, Arteta is probably the best manager we could hope for, for where we stand at the moment. And that's more important, for me at least, in terms of evaluating Arteta compared winning the EL or anything else. And that's where these next bunch of games fit in, starting with Fulham. The focal point of our goal threat has to be Lacazette, because he can bring in all the other attackers in the game, just like the second Slavia fixture. If we can solidify what we hopefully learned from that game, we ought to be able to win most or all of our remaining games, and get a head start toward the summer and next season.
Random variation is in top form right now Alexandre Lacazette has scored with each of his last five shots on target#ARSFUL— Orbinho (@Orbinho) April 18, 2021
A bunch of rotation which is fine, expected & wise. Except that I have concerns about risky overuse of Laca, Saka, ESR... Oh, and the very rare start for... Matt Ryan!!!!! (pray that doesn't meant that anything is wrong with Leno... just a much deserved rest?)
One other welcome benching today is.... Tim Howard. Meanwhile NBC is leaning into the anti-racism message and the powerful visual statement that Laca and the boys made on Thursday at Slavie.
Gabi Marinelli is showing tons of tenacity, dangerousness and desire to make a difference. Keep it up lad!
BEAUTIFUL team goal.... Ceballos 1-0! Header enabled by a great chip cross by Hector. BUT VAR is going to chalk it off