Sometimes you just have to stand back and admire a performance.
On an afternoon when Arsenal were under pressure to respond to Manchester City’s late victory over Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta’s men produced a scintillating display of football at Craven Cottage to take all three points at a canter.
The only possible complaint an Arsenal fan could have was that they didn’t win by six, so utterly in control and so spoiled for guilt-edge chances they were.
In the end, there were goals for Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, while Leandro Trossard – a surprise inclusion to the starting line-up – came away with three assists. The Gunners were so good, however, that there really should have been additional goals for Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus before the end.
All said and done, though, the win was the most important thing and they managed a potentially tricky trip to Fulham – who are well in the mix for European places this season – as if it were a friendly against a League Two side, and I say that without seeking to be disrespectful to the hosts.
Sure, the crowd were flat and the players lethargic but they simply couldn’t live with what we were doing. Our passing, our movement, and our attacking intent were first class from the outset. The team were producing passages of passing play reminiscent of the peak Arsene Wenger, tiki-taka era and no amount of pressing or spoiling from Fulham could prevent our progress.
Stand out on the day was Martin Odegaard, returned to the side after a bout of illness kept him out of the midweek trip to Sporting CP. The captain was, in every sense of the word, fantastic. His touch, technical quality, and passing range have no peer in this Arsenal side and very few peers in the Premier League. The crowd were treated to some of his best on Sunday afternoon, with a succession of highlight reel plays.
Worthy of mention too, of course, was Trossard who has been a sensational addition to this squad. He has taken to the false nine position with absolute alacrity and has proven himself not simply a menace for defending sides but also incredibly productive. Three assists in this game was just reward for a quite brilliant effort. His movement and willingness to support both wings, in particular, is unreal.
Coming into the match, I’m sure Arteta would have been grateful for the opportunity to withdraw one or perhaps two players within the 90 minutes but, such was Arsenal’s ease, the manager was able to offer rests to Saka, Zinchenko, Trossard, Xhaka and White, which would have been beyond his wildest dreams and is a huge boost for a squad that will need careful management across the league and European competition in what remains of the season.
I can’t pretend I was confident heading into today’s match. I expected a tough, physical test from Marco Silva’s side but, thankfully, it never materialised. While the hosts were more competitive after the break, the game was already dead and it became a case of game management for an Arsenal side looking to protect a healthy lead.
Sometimes you win ugly, sometimes you win late and, sometimes, just sometimes, you produce a performance that takes your breath away. This truly was a museum piece. Stand back and admire it.
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