One more decisive weekend within the title race? Fairly most likely. Whereas Liverpool had the Saturday off following Storm Darragh’s intervention, Arsenal had the chance to go inside 4 factors of the Reds.
Did the Gunners take that probability? In fact, they did not. Mikel Arteta‘s males have been made to rue their first dropped factors because the final worldwide break following what was a fairly laboured show at Craven Cottage.
Raul Jimenez opened the scoring early on the conflict earlier than Arsenal fought again by way of but extra set-piece wizardry.
With out Gabriel, William Saliba has turn out to be the go-to man, now scoring in consecutive Premier League fixtures.
Reality be informed, Fulham not often threatened and it was Arsenal who dominated proceedings. A late winner seemed to have arrived courtesy of Bukayo Saka, just for Gabriel Martinelli to be flagged for offside by VAR after bedlam had occurred within the away finish.
So, on a day of negativity for Arsenal, have been there any positives to take from the conflict?
Arsenal’s greatest performers in opposition to Fulham
Saliba has been a person mountain since Arteta first named him on a Premier League staff sheet over two years in the past now.
He was a rock on the again as soon as extra in opposition to Fulham and was the person who gave Arsenal a route again into the sport.
With Gabriel lacking once more by way of harm, the goalscoring burden has fallen on the shoulders of Saliba from set-pieces and he isn’t let Nicolas Jover or Arteta down one bit.
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Whereas his purpose in opposition to Manchester United a couple of days in the past went in off his bottom, this purpose was fairly extra deliberate, sticking the ball residence from a matter of yards out after Kai Havertz had nodded it into the Frenchman’s path.
Saliba wasn’t the one constructive. After a monster performance against the Red Devils in midweek, Declan Rice was a surging ahead from midfield as soon as once more.
His dead-ball supply was inch-perfect on a variety of events and he left the sector having completed four of his seven crosses, three key passes and a 98% move success price general. Not dangerous in any respect.
That mentioned, who was the principle man at fault in west London this weekend? It was arguably Jakub Kiwior.
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Jakub Kiwior’s efficiency in numbers
Worry. That was the first feeling amongst Arsenal supporters contained in the Emirates final Wednesday. Gabriel was absent, as too was Riccardo Calafiori.
Nevertheless, their deputies in Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko did a wonderful job of minimising the menace posed by Ruben Amorim’s staff.
In that recreation, the Poland worldwide was close to flawless, leaving the field with an 85% pass success rate and a duel success price of 80%, shedding only one all evening.
That very same stage of efficiency was not obvious within the away conflict at Fulham with the previous Spezia man at fault for the hosts’ solely purpose of the sport.
Kenny Tete performed a ball in behind the Arsenal defence which wasn’t minimize out by Kiwior. It seemed as if he was caught in two minds. The ball was there for the Pole to throw himself at and make an intervention or he may have backtracked sooner and stopped Jimenez from racing in behind.
Sadly, Kiwior was in a position to do neither and allowed the Mexican to dart away from the defence and fireplace previous David Raya.
It has been every week that is arguably summed up the 24-year-old’s time in north London. Inconsistent.
|
Kiwior vs Fulham |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes performed |
90 |
|
Touches |
76 |
|
Correct passes |
62/70 (89%) |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Crosses |
0 |
|
Floor duels gained |
0/1 |
|
Aerial duels gained |
2/3 |
|
Tackles |
0 |
|
Interceptions |
1 |
|
Pictures |
0 |
|
Dribbles |
0 |
|
Stats by way of Sofascore. |
|
Handed a 5/10 rating by the Standard’s Simon Collings, it does not make for excellent studying from a statistical standpoint both. Kiwior could have accomplished 89% of his passes however he didn’t make a sort out, was dribbled previous as soon as and did not win a single floor duel both.
He could have higher days, that is for positive, but when Gabriel or Calafiori are match when Arsenal tackle Monaco within the Champions League they need to return to the aspect.
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