Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 292

Date: 8th December 2024

Opposition: Arsenal

Score: 1-1

Fulham goal scorer: Raúl Jimenez

Weather: wet and blustery

Atmosphere: good in the cheap seats

MOTM: once again, it’s impossible to see past one man (and if he was standing in front of you, you really wouldn’t be able to see past him). There were Moments in the first half when the only person not applauding Issa Diop would have been Joachim Andersen who must be wondering how he’s going to win his place back. Diop was not only outstanding in an otherwise excellent defensive unit - calm, commanding, always in the right place and always doing the right thing - he led one of our best attacking moves of the game (and still got back to deal with Arsenal’s next counter). A very loud shout-out once again to Sander Berge who must be wondering what he has to do to actually be MOTM

Post-match hot chocolate: Costa

We ended our blog on Thursday’s win over Brighton saying, “There is tough opposition ahead but we have nothing to fear. This Fulham team can match anyone on our day.”

Three days later, our fabulous team proved us right when they went head to head, toe to toe and, in Berge’s case, shoulder to head with a very strong Arsenal side.

This wasn’t just a football match - it was a battle. A battle of tactics, of wills and of nerves. Marco named the line-up everyone wanted to see including both Berge and Lukic in the mythical double pivot (which is where instead of having one player who receives the ball, spins round and passes it, you have two players who do that). Having two tough, no-nonsense, hard-tackling players in front of our deep but solid back line meant that whilst Arsenal bombarded us with their….er, arsenal, we just soaked up the pressure.

We did this for almost the entire match and what’s particularly notable about this isn’t that it more or less worked, its the fact that it was done by a team who normally play attractive, expansive, attacking football; who keep possession and make the most of it. And it wasn’t all done by the defensively minded players. Alex Iwobi, who scored two stunning goals on Thursday was scrapping down the sideline; Raúl Jimenez was in Mexican bandit mode - the first line of defence and the only outlet when times got too tough at the back. This was the Serious and Organised version of Marco Silva’s Fulham.

It was a seasoned, combative performance from Raúl who used all his hard-won experience and all his wiry physicality to win duels, hold the ball up and link the play. And to score an exquisite goal. A lot of credit has to go to Kenny Tete for an inch perfect, ground-skimming pass so good that Raúl didn’t have to alter his stride to latch onto it but Raúl’s finish was calm and composed, a deft touch that found the net with surgical precision.

As we’ve already said, Issa & Co played a defensive masterclass against an intense, dynamic press. Arsenal huffed and puffed but had virtually no chances from open play.

We have to mention Berge again here and his seamless adaptability as well as his tireless trouble-shooting. He can not only replace Lukic, he can play along side him as well. There were some scary Moments when instead of hoofing the ball away the team tried - and didn’t always succeed - to play their way out of trouble plus Leno is still faffing around with goal kicks but the half time lead was thoroughly deserved.

There were two weak links in the line-up. We love Adama but his rare start went to his head and he gave the ball away and ran into trouble far too often. His finest Moment was shoving Kai Havertz so hard while they waited for a corner that Havertz slid down the slope into the Hammy End hoarding.

But Adama tried really hard. We’re not sure if the same can be said for Emile Smith Rowe who did nothing in the first half except fluff a golden chance and nothing at all in the second. Perhaps he was using the Mousa Dembele technique of playing against Fulham - being present but not involved. But that’s how he plays every game at the moment. We looked a lot better when Andreas and Harry came on.

Arsenal are famous for scoring from set pieces. Interestingly, their coach has based most of his routines on his observations of supermarket queues. There was the one where everyone hangs around minding their own business then as a new check-out opens they all rush towards it; and one where 4 people each pick a different self-check-out at exactly the same time. Football tactics, eh. Easy when you know how.

Unfortunately, Arsenal scored from one of these Sainsburys inspired drills and Fulham spent a lot of the second half living dangerously as the press became ever more relentless and decision-making suffered. But there was no panicking, no suicidal challenges, and very few heart-in-mouth Moments. Other than Andreas’s sharp but saveable shot there were no attempts on the Hammy End goal either but sometimes defensiveness is the better part of valour.

Arsenal thought they’d won it late on but VAR restored Fulham’s hard-earned and thoroughly deserved point. There were some edge-of-the-seat Moments after that (or there would have been had we not be standing up) but we held on in orderly fashion, in control of the last few minutes, resilient to the end. Arsenal were frustrated, their expensive stars subdued.

This wasn’t a memorable game but perhaps it should be because it showed a different side to Marco and his swashbuckling team. They don’t just do exuberant, exciting football. When they need to, they will fight to the end for cause and Club.

Random musings: -

- It was a shame that someone washed Arsenal’s blue away kit with their red home kit so the shirts ended up with mottled red patches

- But that’s nothing compared to the fact that their warm up kit is a jester’s outfit - one leg red, one leg green

- The Arsenal fans’ loudest cheer was for ESR. Which says a lot in several ways

- One of our neighbours mentioned Saka at half time and we were surprised. We genuinely hadn’t noticed he was playing, Antonee had contained him so effectively

- We were all dreading our first encounter with Chris Kavanagh since the Manchester shambles. We’re used to incompetent referees, inconsistent referees, even biased referees, but this is something different - the guy just hates us. Every decision went Arsenal’s way; yellow card challenges for us weren’t even free kicks against them. Someone so unprofessional should not be allowed to carry on working.

- And don’t get us started on Raúl’s yellow card. Presumably every player who takes anything other than the most direct route off the pitch when being subbed will now be yellow carded….

- The speakers were working in the Hammy End again

- Fulham have now scored in 14 consecutive Premier League matches.

Five points and five goals against three of the toughest opponents in the league in the space of a week. The matches aren’t about to start getting easier but it’s clear our team relish the most daunting of challenges. They are cool under pressure, at home on a huge stage.

They are doing us proud, they are doing us justice