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An Aaron Ramsey goal which was reminiscent of the start of the Wenger era was enough for the fans to sing ‘We have got our Arsenal back’. A performance which was clinical as they come. A display of steel after Fulham equalized in the first half, and more than everything, the pure style in all the goals scored made it a perfect weekend for the Gunners before the international break.
Alexandre Lacazette opened the scoring in the 29th minute when he latched on to a Nacho Monreal cross, turned around and shot a rocket past Bettinelli. An error from Nacho Monreal gave Fulham the equalizer and make the second half more interesting.
Second half goals from Lacazette, Aubameyang, and Ramsey finished a 5 star performance from Arsenal with a 5-1 scoreline. The scoreline would not show the way Arsenal found a way through a determined Fulham defence. There were no major errors made by the Fulham players, but pure quality shown by the Gunners.
Ramsey’s goal which was started by Ramsey in his own half had some exquisite passes before Ramsey finished the move with a back-heel. Gunners looked crisp and spontaneous in possession, especially through Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexandre Lacazette.
We take a look at the three major reasons which made Arsenal perform the way they did.
#1 Clinical finishing from Lacazette
Though Arsenal won 5-1, it was the importance of the first two goals which made life easy for the Gunners. The first goal was an excellent one where Lacazette turned in a split second to fire a shot past the Fulham keeper. Heran through the channels and latched onto any loose balls in the Fulham half.
He was fed well by Mkhitaryan in the first half and Ramsey in the second. Lacazette’s second goal gave Arsenal the breathing space. Here he teamed up with Danny Welbeck whose knockdown gave Lacazette the space to run and shoot with no defenders putting in a tackle.
Lacazette and Aubameyang have shown this season that they are probably the best strike partnership after the Liverpool front three.
#2 Right substitutions by Unai Emery
The Arsenal manager tactical astuteness of keeping Aubameyang and Ramsey fresh to have an impact in the second half paid off. His decision to give the squad a one day off after Thursday’s trip to Azerbaijan may have also had an impact on the team's performance.
After the 2nd goal from Lacazette, Emery could have played it safe by bringing in Guendouzi or Ramsey, but he brought on Aubameyang for Welbeck. This was a move which gave the Gunners some extra pace to run at the Fulham defence. The move paid off as he troubled the Fulham defence throughout the second half.
Unai’s move to bring Ramsey for the industrious Iwobi gave an instant result as the combination of Aubameyang and Ramsey gave Arsenal the third goal and with that the 3 points.
#3 The depth of the squad
If someone had said at the start of the season that Arsenal can win 5-1 without Ozil, Aubameyang or Ramsey it would have been unbelievable, but they did prove against Fulham that they have depth in the squad.
Iwobi showed that he is industrious, if not creative substitute for Ozil, something Emery will require in tough away matches. Lacazette showed that he can take the goal-scoring pressure in the absence of Aubameyang. Mkhitaryan showed that he can play in the no 10 role, if the need arises.
Rob Holding also showed that he is not just a back up for Sokratis, but a like-for-like substitute. Nacho Monreal who played in a back three in midweek showed his worth in the back 4. Danny Welbeck has shown great promise under Unai Emery and Emery’s decision to hold on to him in the transfer windows has yielded results.
Bernd Leno is a more than an able substitute for Petr Cech and his ability with the ball was commendable today.
