Tactical Points from Arsenal's electric display at Craven Cottage

By Vinay Shankar (Tactical Analyst)

An incredibly fluid first half followed up by a rather relaxed second to maintain the lead at the top of the table.

• Leandro Trossard returning from injury was a big boost for the team as his flexibility as the striker gives a great balance in the forward areas without Gabriel Jesus. Gabby Martinelli has the potential to be a striker but his timid hold-up play and the lack of space centrally make it a desperate choice rather than a natural one at this stage of the Brazilian's career.

• Arsenal struggled with the ball initially as Fulham’s mix of pressing and mid-block prevented consistent progression of the ball into the forward areas. Once Granit Xhaka shifted into wider areas and Trossard found the spaces between the lines to receive the ball, things started running smoothly and chances were created regularly. Without their defensive anchor Palhinha, Fulham struggled to keep up with the interplay in tight areas and left their backline exposed.

• A big difference to previous games is the fact that Fulham pressed much higher and the significant improvements in playing out from the back under Arteta make it much easier to keep finding the spare man and break the press on a regular basis. The mix of coaching, structure, and technical qualities of the recruited players has allowed the team to make the jump and keep hurting teams. Xhaka is also much more comfortable against sides that press as his smart movements open up the space for the likes of Trossard and Martinelli even more.

• Fulham’s backline is not the most comfortable under pressure and the front four of Arsenal forced them into turnovers and forced them into vertical football in the wide areas. Without Willian, Andreas Pereira was the only threat with his passing and he was well-marshalled to extinguish any threat.

• In the second half, Fulham came out very aggressively and the away side relaxed a little in their energy levels to make it a very scruffy encounter but it was handled very comfortably and professionally as title challengers do.