Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage against Fulham was a significant setback, described by manager Mikel Arteta as ‘a sad day’.
The loss, marked by a lack of effective strategy and execution, has raised concerns about the team’s direction as they conclude 2023.
The game began with a flicker of hope as Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead early on. However, this initial promise quickly faded, and the Gunners’ performance deteriorated.
Despite controlling 61% of the game with significant possession, Arsenal’s approach was notably lacklustre, characterised by slow, uninspired play and a lack of innovative ideas.
This approach resulted in only three shots on target, with most attempts being blocked almost immediately.
The defeat was not just another loss; it brought an end to Arsenal’s impressive 48-game streak of not losing a top-flight match after scoring first, a record that had been intact since January 2022.
Now sitting in fourth place in the Premier League, just a point above Tottenham, Mikel Arteta’s team finds themselves in a precarious position, with their recent form raising serious questions about their tactical approach and readiness for upcoming challenges.
After the game, Arteta reflected on the loss in front of the Sky cameras.
“Really tough day. A sad day,” he said. “Three days ago [2-0 defeat by West Ham] we played a game we lost that we completely meant to win it, today was our worst game of the season. The pace, the purpose we have in attack, defensively we were second best, we could not dominate and had issues because of that.
“We didn’t do enough with that [possession] – not enough purpose speed or threat. We were sloppy with the ball. It wasn’t good enough. We didn’t deserve to win. When you have opportunities to go top of league on 31 December and now end up with really bad feeling that is football. The lines are really thin.
“If we play like we played in the other 19 games we will be up there [in the league at the end of the season]. If we play like today we will be nowhere near. Today was a really difficult day to swallow.”
At his press conference, Arteta reiterated the same points, “Painful, that’s how I’d sum it up,” he said.
“We had the opportunity to be top of the table after 20 games with the consistency that we’ve shown, and we haven’t managed to perform well enough to earn the right to win the game. Three days ago we lost a game that we fully deserved to win, but today was a very different story.
“We weren’t good enough, we simply weren’t good enough in ball possession – we gave so many balls away, we didn’t have enough rhythm, enough purpose, enough threat, and defensively we were second best.
“We couldn’t control them directly, it was so easy for them to win that first or second ball and have the opportunity to run; we conceded two exact goals like we did against West Ham, and if you do that in this league, it becomes really difficult to win.
“When you don’t change the result, they [the subs] didn’t [work]. That’s for sure, it didn’t work in the first half, and it didn’t work in the second half. Throughout 100 minutes, we were never at the levels that we wanted to [be at].”
Asked if the result was down to fatigue, Arteta was clear it was not.
“No, we weren’t efficient enough,” he said. “We didn’t have enough ball speed, enough movement, enough threat, and when we did that, we gave too many balls away. Not only when we were playing, but after regaining it straight away, which is the most dangerous moment to give away.
“When you do that, and you don’t have consistent momentum, we never got set in the final third in the right moments, and you concede two goals like we’ve done, then it becomes very difficult to win the game. Today we didn’t deserve to win the game, and that’s very clear and simple.
“Because you drop games in this league, even if you win with 120 points but in Anfield we lost two points and had a big performance. We lost three points against West Ham but had a big performance. Today was a different story and that’s why we feel sad because we weren’t at the levels that we’ve been at for the other 19 games. That’s the reality.
“We certainly need a reset after today because that’s going to be in our tummy for a few days. The game against West Ham felt very different because you can move on, it can happen. What happened today cannot happen again.
“If you do that, you’re never going to have the chance to be where we want to be. Today it could have been a beautiful way to finish the year top of the league. These are the margins and you have to find the balance.
“It could have been the best day and it can be even the worst day because you have lost a game but we have to look at ourselves in the mirror because today is the worst game that we had this season, that’s for sure.”