Analysis: Fulham

Fulham set up in a 3-4-3 shape in possession, with Cyrus Christie and Ryan Sessegnon providing the width either side of Jean Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in midfield. Andre Schurrle and Luciano Vietto supported Aleksandar Mitrovic in attack.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s players were ineffective in possession. They frequently tried, without success, to clip the ball into Mitrovic with his back to goal, in an attempt to play off him through sets in front or passes around the corner and in behind. They tried to play into their forwards as early as possible upon the regain of possession, but they were limited, particularly in the first half, to creating opportunities through counter-attacking play. When building possession, they found it difficult to break Arsenal down and often resorted to clipping hopeful crosses into the penalty area.

When the visitors restored their lead early in the second half – Andre Schurrle had equalised late in the first – Jokanovic boldly replaced centre-back Tim Ream with striker Aboubakar Kamara. This resulted in a switch to a back four and allowed Fulham to operate in a 4-2-3-1/4-1-4-1 structure. The intention woluld have been to try to cause problems either side of central midfielders Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka, while still maintaining the threat of the front three and the width of the full-backs.

This switch left the hosts vulnerable to counter-attacks, however; they now became less effective at dealing with their opponents’ advancing full-backs and maintaining sufficient central cover. There were several instances in the second half when they had 10 players inside Arsenal’s defensive third, in an attempt to pin them back and eventually penetrate. While this resulted in an increase in possession in Arsenal territory, they still couldn’t find a way through and were limited to finding space in the wide areas, where they were quickly closed down by two players and forced to deliver pressured crosses into the box. The areas they consequently left vulnerable were ruthlessly exploited by Arsenal, who scored two of their five goals on the break by utilising the advancing runs of Hector Bellerin from right-back.

Out of possession, Fulham operated in two systems. They would perform an extremely aggressive and organised high press when Arsenal tried to play out. Mitrovic would press the goalkeeper, cutting off the passing line to one of the central defenders; Vietto or Schurrle would lock on to the near-side deep midfielder (Torreira or Xhaka), while the other attacker would then look to affect Arsenal’s other centre-back; Seri and Anguissa would pick up the remaining deep central midfielder and any advancing attacking midfielders; and the ball-side full-back would track the opposite full-back, leaving three defenders against Danny Welbeck and Alexandre Lacazette. Their other method was to sit back in a 5-2-3 mid-block, where Sessegnon and Christie would tuck in with the back three, and Seri and Anguissa would try to protect the defence centrally in front.

Schurrle’s goal just before half-time came as a result of their co-ordinated press, as it forced Arsenal into errors and provided Fulham with players in advanced areas for counter-attacking opportunities. The Gunners, though, delivered a clinical performance overall, giving the hosts little chance to hit back.