Corners are great, but Arsenal need more from open play
For the second game in a row, Arsenal produced an xG of around two, while giving their opponents very little at the other end. It was enough for the win against Manchester United, but not enough here.
It was also the second game in a row where 75 percent of Arsenal's xG came from corners alone. From the dead ball the Gunners are phenomenal, but at the moment they are not doing enough from open play.
Arsenal have barely managed 1.0 xG in their last two games away from the corner flag. “It's never enough if you don't score three, four or five,” Mikel Arteta said after the match. “If we want to improve, we have to be better in every action we take.”
Fulham's low block frustrated Arsenal. Of course it was; they have the fifth best defensive structure in the division when it comes to expected goals conceded. Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard were barely given a sniff down the flanks, while Kai Havertz was muscled out of the duels by Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey.
Arsenal have to deal with low blocks most weeks. “This is football. We can't cry about it,” added Arteta, whose team must become more creative when they don't have corners. Sam Blitz
Is Robinson one of the best left backs in the league?
Bukayo Saka barely got a sniff. It was only when Arsenal had a goal disallowed for offside in the final moments of the match that the winger finally got free from Antonee Robinson.
Part of the reason why Fulham are such a bogey team for Arsenal, who have not beaten the Cottagers for three games now, is because one of their best players has been restricted by the same wing-back each time.
“Not just this afternoon, if you look back at last season, the two games he played against Arsenal, you see more or less the same situation,” Marco Silva said at full-time.
Before he then makes a big statement: “He's one of the best left backs in this league.”
That is certainly the case. Last season he had more assists from open play than any Premier League full-back and now he leads the way among defenders with four assists. But just like against Saka on Sunday, his defensive numbers also stand out. Robinson is a key player in both boxes for Silva's side.
“He is a top player if he has to play again in three days,” he said. “He's a real athlete. He's really improving season after season.”
In the age of inverted full-backs and defenders jumping into midfield, it's refreshing to see an old-school full-back stand out in the Premier League. Is Robinson ready to make a move in 2025? Sam Blitz
Promising signs for Ruud and the Vossen
It's only two games and the leap of a new manager is always a factor, but Van Nistelrooy looks to be making an impact at Leicester.
It was missing The Foxes intention in the first half, but came out from a different angle after the restart, which would indicate a positive response to the team talk.
Admitting again was a blow, but the response was enormous. On the initiative of Vardy, who continues to defy his age, Leicester fought back and found a way to make it a two-match unbeaten run under the new boss.
With Ipswich losing late, it's a four-point gap in terms of the gap to the bottom three, and it could be huge if this pressure comes off the shoulders of the new boss in the early stages of his time here.
“The second half performance allowed us to score two goals,” the Leicester boss continued.
“We controlled the game and they are one of the best football teams in this competition. We only get one point with a better performance than Tuesday. Stupid old game!”
It's still early, but the signs are promising. The best way to endear yourself to the fans is to get results and Van Nistelrooy has continued to do that today – but Newcastle away will be his biggest test yet. Patrick Rowe
Brighton let another lead slip away
“We have to be more mature,” Hurzeler said after the game.
Fourteen points have now been lost through position loss for Brighton, which is more than any other team in the Premier League.
No team can win every match, but if they had secured even half the points they avoided, they would be comfortably in second place.
Three games without a win and a tough clash against rivals Crystal Palace, live on Sky Sports, is not an ideal situation. Certainly not if trust is low.
“When you're 2-0 up you're in control of the whole game. You should be disappointed,” the Brighton boss continued. “We are punished for two easy mistakes. The third time this season.
“We have to find the right game management.” Patrick Rowe
Muric costs Ipswich – time to drop him?
The theory is that a goalkeeper can earn you a certain number of points per season. This may be especially true for teams at the bottom of the Premier League. Just look at Mads Hermansen at Leicester; he was their best player this season.
The opposite can be said about Arijanet Muric in Ipswich. He is a liability.
His summer signing from Burnley for £15million looks in doubt after his moment of madness to run off his line and cut the angle on Dango Ouattara when it was a defender's job. Ipswich didn't look too unsettled in the second half and could smell that all-important first home win, but that mistake led to Bournemouth's equalizer and the rest is history.
Burnley fans won't be too surprised by Muric's latest top-flight blunder. He was officially responsible for two mistakes that led to goals against Burnley last season, but there were numerous unofficial mishaps that played a part in their relegation.
He cannot be trusted at this level. Lewis Jones
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