Key events
Odegaard tells Sky that his team weren’t great in the first half, sloppy on the ball and lacking energy and power. But they dominated most of the game so it’s frustrating not to have won. Though he thinks Fulham defended well, he acknowledges that Arsenal need to do better next game.
“No team is winning a title with Martinelli or Trossard at left wing. They’re good. Sometimes great players. But not good enough to make us the 90+ point side you have to be to win the title.”
I wouldn’t pinpoint the left as necessarily the issue – Havertz is also a good player, but a title-winning centre-forward? I’m less sure, and I also don’t think the balance in midfield is quite right. Which is to say I agree with the broad point: Arsenal don’t have enough quite enough attacking quality.
Sky are trying to amp up the controversial aspect, but Saka’s goal was disallowed because Martinelli was offside – it was close, but it wasn’t so close we can’t be certain the call was correct and necessary. I’d much prefer not to have VAR because I don’t like compromising the greatest feeling known to humanity, but in this instance, it worked as it’s meant to.
Live for you now:
Elsewhere, Bournemouth have come from behind to beat Ipswich, while two late goals have given Leicester a 2-2 draw with Brighton.
That’s a hugely damaging result for Arsenal, who miss the chance to put pressure on Liverpool. Instead, Arne Slot’s men inch closer to the title without having played, and it’ll take a pretty significant collapse along with a pretty significant run for them to lose it from here.
FULL TIME: Fulham 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal close the gap on Liverpool to six points but have played a game more; Fulham stay 10th.
90+7 min Saka brings the ball down but Iwobi is on his touch, Berge then brings the ball away, and Rice brings him down; he’s booked. There’s then a bit of afters with Pereira, but back to Berge, he’s played very well today.
90+5 min We’ll have more than the allotted five minutes because of the VAR check, but as I type, Saka picks out Leno with a cross and that might their last chance to snaffle a win. Fulham have been excellent.
90+5 min Arsenal’s failure to beat Fulham last season is one of the reasons they failed to win the league. This looks like being another extremely damaging result for Artetz and his men.
90+3 min This time, Rice goes for goal, I’ve no idea why, and he sends the ball well beyond the top corner he has no history of hitting.
90+3 min Martinelli has made a difference since coming on and he wins a free-kick deep inside the Fulham half; Rice is on it, and here we go…
90+1 min Change for Fulham: Lukic off, Cuenca on.
90 min We’ll have five additional minutes.
NO GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Arsenal
Yup, Martinelli went fractionally early, and he will not sleep well tonight.
But again, VAR wants a look!
Was Martinelli offside when he received the ball? He might’ve been, you know, and waiting for it, looking along the line, he’s no reason to be. None whatsoever.
GOAL! Fulham 1-2 Arsenal (Saka 88)
Cometh the minute, cometh the boy! A ball out to Martinelli, he curls gorgeously to the back post, and Saka heads down, through Leno’s legs, and in!
88 min Iwobi sticks a ball down the left and Robinson charges after it, no chance of getting it but he stops arsenal building.
87 min So far, Arsenal have’t been able to get Nwaneri on the ball.
86 min Robinson is impetuous when charging up to Saka, apparently knocking him down – I’m not certain there was contact – but this time, Rice’s free-kick sails past the back post.
85 min Martinelli squares up Wilson but his ball in is seized by Leno. For 10 minutes after the goal, Arsenal looked like they might score again, but since then, they’ve created little.
83 min “How would the red-card ban work if there’s a transfer?” asks Dan Naylor. “There’s almost always a transfer window in between when teams play each other. Does the buying team get a discount if the player they are buying has multiple suspensions he has to pay off next season? What if the team that was victimised by the bad tackle buys that player? Is the red card absolved?”
Discounts are a matter for the clubs; The red card is never absolved, it’s just a ban in the first available game. I’m not, though, sure what happens in the second half of the season I’ll have a think.
82 min Martinelli is booked for mouth.
82 min Brighton lead 2-0 at Leicester, Minteh adding to Lamptey’s first-half goal.
81 min Merino tugs back Pereira and does well to avoid a card. Fulham look a threat on the counter now, or at least more so than earlier in the game.
79 min Fulham also make a change, Muniz on for Jimenez, their goalscorer. How affirming it is to see him a) on the pitch, b) enjoying his football and c) affecting games.
79 min I was just about to wonder when we’d see Nwaneri and here he is, replacing Odegaard. It won’t be long before he’s too good to omit.
77 min “Aren’t Arsenal fans a bit disappointed being a set-piece side?” asks Ian Copestake. That is meant to be for sides that can’t play football very well.”
I’m afraid couldn’t agree with this less. It’s not one or t’other, and the reason they get so many corners is because they force them; the reason they score so many is the quality of delivery and intensity with which they attack the ball.
76 min Martinelli finds Rice and he curls a lovely ball over the top and Jesus is in behind waiting! I think it holds up in the wind – it’s a right nasty day in London – but even so, Jesus should do better than smash fresh air into the top corner.
74 min Double change for Arsenal, Merino and Jesus on for Havertz and Jorginho.
74 min On which point, if a player gets a red card, how about suspending them for the next time the teams meet?
73 min Bassey fouls Havertz and is booked, meaning he’ll miss next weekend’s trip to Anfield. What a boon for Arsenal!
71 min Suddenly Arsenal welease Peweiwa, Berge curling beautifully into his path. And he gets away from the chasing men but, with no one alongside, he can only shoot from left of centre, seeking to sneak inside the near post as Raya goes down; the ball goes wide.
70 min …and he picks up Partey on the edge of the six-yard box as the various defenders run past him. Ye’ve gottae score! But instead he mistimes his leap and heads wide! Fulham just cannot deal with these corners!
69 min Martinelli gets a little space out wide but Wilson doubles up with Tete, conceding a corner. Rice will take…
68 min And when the ball is sent into the box, Rice does a good job of hacking away the second ball.
67 min Fulham win a free-kick on halfway following a gorgeous switch from Jimenez to Iwobi, who’s fouled by Partey. They’ll take their time over this, I shouldn’t wonder.
66 min Rice over the top for Havertz but, like Smith Rowe earlier, a poor first touch prevents him from getting in on goal.
64 min Lovely touch from Timber to earn space in midfield and though he then botches a pass to put Martinelli in behind, he’s a lovely footballer becoming increasingly influential as an attacking outlet.
62 min Arsenal are getting Odegaard on the ball much more often now. Fulham need to get men around him because he’s the man who makes his team tick.
60 min Arsenal send on Martinelli for Trossard, while Fulham try Pereira for Smith Rowe and Wilson for Traore.
59 min Another set-piece won by Arsenal, this time a free-kick which Odegaard pumps into the box … and the ball ends up going behind for a goalkick. Fulham can’t get out and, unlike before half-time, they look likely to concede.
57 min Arsenal are at it now, Timber driving over halfway and finding Trossard, who dips inside Tete and shoots … straight at Leno.
56 min “This Arsenal-Stoke comparison is ridiculous,” reckons Tim Stappard, the Pro Evo version of my favourite playwright. “But Arsenal a la Bayern have been constructing a team of tall players for a while. I remember Alex Ferguson being impressed by Bayern’s sheer size. Bit like most sports, it helps to be taller.”
Yup, this has been a major change in the game over the last five years: all the big lads now have feet, so there more of them.
55 min “Set-piece again ole ole” sing the away end, and Arsenal have a bit more zip to them now.
It’s a goal!
Robinson’s foot was beyond Saliba.
But VAR wants a look!
Was Saliba offside, or was Robinson playing him on? Havertz will be feeling nervous, because it shouldn’t even be relevant. I think it’s going to stand though…
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Arsenal (Saliba 52)
Of course! Rice swings it in and Havertz should score, four yards out and umarked. But instead he heads back across, Saliba the goal-machine prods home, and we’re level!
52 min No matter: Arsenal force another corner, on the left.
