Football

Arsenal vs Fulham player ratings: London rivals share the spoils in a rainy afternoon

August 26, 2023 5:55 pm

  • Arsenal maintained their unbeaten home record against Fulham.
  • Andreas Pereira and Joao Palinha scored on either end of Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah’s goals.
  • The home side was punished for their sloppy defensive display and lack of clinical edge in front of goal.
Arsenal vs Fulham player ratings: London rivals share the spoils in a rainy afternoon
Photo by Icon sport

Arsenal player ratings

  • Aaron Ramsdale 5.7/10: Taken slightly off-guard at his goal line for the swift opening goal, though the goalkeeper couldn’t be held significantly accountable.
  • Thomas Partey 3/10: With reluctance, he retraced his steps to the defensive position whenever Arsenal lost possession, consistently leaving the team’s uneasy defensive formation vulnerable.
  • Benjamin White 3/10: Struggled with his physical duel against Jimenez. His passing was off the mark as well.
  • William Saliba 6/10: Made some successful last-minute tackles, but did not have a great day overall.
  • Jakub Kiwior 5/10: Could not provide the possessional fluidity Arsenal demand from their centrebacks.
  • Martin Ødegaard 7/10: Showed off his excellent passing range once again.
  • Declan Rice 5/10: Arsenal’s record signing could not effectively breach the Fulham block with his deliveries.
  • Kai Havertz 4/10: Moved into the right places, but the execution was just not right.
  • Bukayo Saka 8/10: Was at fault for the early goal Arsenal conceded, but tormented Antonee Robinson throughout the match with his incredible trickery and skills.
  • Leandro Trossard 4/10: The Belgian could not make the most of his first start of the season as heavy first-touch repeatedly let him down.
  • Gabriel Martinelli 6/10: A livewire as always, but lacked in end product.

Substitutions

  • Eddie Nketiah 7/10: Led the line more effectively and was rewarded with a goal for his fantastic positional sense.
  • Oleksandr Zinchenko 7/10: Improved Arsenal’s passing dynamics as soon as he came on.
  • Fabio Vieira 8/10: One of his best cameos in an Arsenal shirt. His presence was felt all over the pitch. Won a crucial penalty.
  • Jorginho: Did not affect the match substantially
  • Gabriel Jesus: Did not affect the math substantially

Fulham player ratings

  • Bernd Leno 6/10: Made no mistake against his old team.
  • Kenny Tete 4/10: Conceded the penalty. Did a decent job in neutralising Martinelli.
  • Issa Diop 7/10: His physicality made life difficult for Arsenal forwards.
  • Calvin Bassey 4/10: An underwhelming display in his first start for Arsenal.
  • Antonee Robinson 3/10: Strugged against Saka throughout the game.
  • Saša Lukić 5/10: Had minimal impact on the midfield.
  • João Palhinha 8/10: Did not step back from committing to challenges. Scored the equaliser for Fulham.
  • Andreas Pereira 7/10: Was at the right place, at the right time for Fulham’s opener.
  • Harry Wilson 5/10; Had a quiet first half. Was more effective in the second once he moved more inwards.
  • Raúl Jiménez 7/1: A lively presence up front. Nearly scored a stunner.
  • Bobby Decordova-Reid 6/10: Caused problems for the Arsenal defence every time he got the chance to run into some space.

Substitutes

  • Tom Cairney: Did not affect the game substantially
  • Adama Traore: Did not affect the game substantially
  • Harrison Reed: Did not affect the game substantially
  • Tosin Adarabioyo: Did not affect the game substantially

Arsenal’s game kicked off on a sour note as Andreas Pereira seized upon Saka’s mistake to register a goal. The Gunners promptly sought a reply, with Gabriel Martinelli gathering Ødegaard’s cross-field pass and cutting inside from the left to unleash a shot towards the goal. The player wearing the number seven jersey for Arsenal also escalated his drive to atone for his blunder. Although Arsenal’s offensive strategies exhibited promise in the initial half, they lacked the clinical touch needed to find the equalising goal.

Fulham had ample opportunities to extend their lead. The host team displayed some uncertainty at the back, and the Cottagers came close to taking advantage of it, which could have resulted in a 2-0 scoreline. Jiménez caught Ramsdale off guard with a daring scissor kick attempt that narrowly missed its mark. A few moments later, Harry Wilson found himself with a chance after capitalizing on a Saliba mistake, but his effort also strayed off target.

Bukayo Saka restored parity in the second half from the penalty spot, before Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to put the Gunners ahead. With all three points seemingly in the bag, Arsenal were left shell-shocked as Palhinha struck late to claim a point.

Man of the Match: João Palhinha (Fulham)

Palhinha silenced the Emirates crowd with a fantastic late goal, but that was far from his only contribution to Fulham’s commendable away performance at Arsenal. He broke up play with his excellent challenges and worked incredibly hard in the whole match.

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