Arsenal stay high of the Premier League for an additional week.
In a lower than thrilling sport on Saturday evening, Mikel Arteta’s aspect received 1-0 in opposition to Fulham at Craven Cottage. Gabriel flicked on from a nook and the thigh of Leandro Trossard crossed the road.
Cue a well-recognized tune. Yet one more set piece, Ole Ore!
This implies the Gunners have now received 5 video games on spin in all competitions, however additionally it is the second successive Premier League sport by which their opponents did not register a single shot on the right track. That is the primary time Arsenal have achieved this because the 2003-04 Invincibles season in opposition to Birmingham and coincidentally in opposition to Fulham.
Man-of-the-match Bukayo Saka and match-winner Trossard will seize the headlines, however one other of Arteta’s most trusted pupils – extra on him later – additionally underlined his significance to the west London aspect.
Arsenal star man vs Fulham
The largest dilemma in staff choice in opposition to Arteta on Saturday was who to play on the left wing, as Ebelesi Eze was deployed centrally to fill Martin Odegaard’s void.
Each choices hit house throughout the worldwide break. Trossard scored for Belgium in Cardiff and Martinelli scored for Brazil in Tokyo, however Arteta will little doubt really feel vindicated in his choice.
Trossard, who scored in its place in opposition to Athletic Membership and Port Vale final month, has began every of the final 5 video games within the Premier League and Champions League, and his first league objective of the season, which he crossed the road on the weekend, will show simply how essential it’s.
Nonetheless, that is nothing new, with the Belgian scoring 31 targets and offering 25 assists for the Gunners, contributing to a objective each 130 minutes on common.
The truth is, solely Saka (42) has scored extra targets for Arsenal than Trossard since his debut in January 2023, simply forward of Kai Havertz and Martinelli’s 29 targets.
So, whereas Trossard rightly will get all of the plaudits, which Arsenal participant deserves to be within the highlight for his eye-catching efficiency at Craven Cottage?
Mikel Arteta’s new favourite chaos service provider
The introduction of Miles Lewis-Skelly was considered one of final season’s key storylines.
In simply 5 months, {the teenager} went from taking part in in entrance of two,400 spectators to raise the EFL trophy to beginning within the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals in opposition to Actual Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Nonetheless, it bears repeating that the England worldwide has but to start out a Premier League sport this season, and that’s by means of no fault of his personal, however purely as a result of Arteta is hooked on what Riccardo Calafioli has to supply.
The Italy worldwide performed simply 1,497 minutes and began simply 16 video games in all competitions in his first season in North London, however has began all eight Premier League video games thus far this season and has remained injury-free thus far.
His efficiency in opposition to Fulham on Saturday evening was Calafioli at his chaotic finest.
Calafioli vs Fulham | ||
|---|---|---|
statistics | Calafioli | match rank |
anticipated variety of targets | 0.04 | ninth place |
shot goes off beam | 1 | third place |
defensive motion | 5 | sixth place |
clearance | 4 | 4th place |
actual path | 27 | ninth place |
Move completion charge | 87% | ninth place* |
a duel was held | 9 | sixth place |
An aerial duel happened | 5 | 4th place |
contact | 50 | ninth place |
common ranking | 6.8 | eleventh |
*Not less than 16 passes accomplished. | ||
Statistics by SofaScore | ||
As outlined within the desk, Calafioli’s statistics don’t stand out in any explicit metric, however he ranks excessive in quite a lot of numbers, highlighting his contributions throughout the pitch.
The £42m Italian appeared to have damaged the impasse early within the first half, however his highly effective volley was disallowed for offside. Journalist Charles Watts states that this objective could also be among the finest canceled targets in trendy Arsenal historical past.
If you concentrate on it, Pepe vs. Chelsea, Leicester vs. Trossard and Bournemouth vs. Gabriel within the FA Cup last are different doubtless candidates.
Again to Calafioli, he continues to impress, with Andrew Mangan of Arceblog calling him “very strong defensively once more” and, paradoxically, James Benge of CBS declaring him “essentially the most thrilling man in sports activities leisure.”
To again this up, the left-back has surprisingly tried 16 pictures within the Premier League this season and, in fact, scored on the primary day at Outdated Trafford, which is the second most of any Arsenal participant after centre-forward Victor Goqueres.
That is why he is undoubtedly as essential as Starman Saka nowadays.
The truth is, the truth that this defender combines good defensive presence with being a chaotic on-ball contributor, one thing usually missing on this Arsenal staff, is totally invaluable, particularly when confronted with low blocks.
On Saturday, Arteta’s aspect achieved their eighth clear sheet this season in simply 11 video games in all competitions, an unimaginable determine that may not have been doable if one of many again 4 had performed a task in defence.
William Saliba and Gabriel have deservedly acquired a variety of reward, and Julian Timber’s distinctive efficiency this season has additionally acquired a variety of plaudits, however Calafioli’s contribution shouldn’t be neglected, as he gives a lot to this staff actually everywhere in the pitch.
