Arsenal 2-1 Fulham

A visit to the Emirates Stadium yesterday was akin to stepping back in time. If the game itself was a severe case of déjà vu, the first minute was something plucked from every Arsenal fan’s worst nightmare. As with the majority of Arsenal’s pre-season, very little could be gleaned from this match in terms of assessing their true capabilities. Jens Lehmann’s lapse of concentration gifted David Healy his first top-flight goal after fifty-one seconds, leaving Arsenal in a position they were in so often last season, chasing the game at home. The major pre-match talking point was an injury to first-choice Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi after twisting his wrist in a warm-up; Lehmann might well have wished a similar fate had befallen him.

Alex Hleb immediately took up the reins and proceeded to exercise the freedom of his new role behind Robin Van Persie to its fullest, dropping deep and into the channels, running at Fulham’s defence and posing the biggest threat. The Belorussian seemed to be the sole beneficiary of the 4-4-1-1 system adopted by Wenger, as Eboue (in the right-midfield position) and Fabregas spurned numerous simplistic passes and looked distinctly off the pace. Hleb’s probing runs forged a scoring opportunity for Tomas Rosicky who missed the target, before being brought down himself in the area by Chris Baird. Hleb looked to have beaten the former Sunderland defender, who was fortunate not to be penalised. Rosicky, renowned for his long-range accuracy, once again shot wide shortly after. It was the Arsenal of 2006/07, dominating possession, showing impressive passing, movement and technique. But, they were as profligate as ever.

New signing Bakary Sagna increased Arsenal’s pressure when his intricate one-two with Emmanuel Eboue took him away from two Fulham defenders. His low ball into the box was mis-controlled by Robin Van Persie; leaving Rosicky to lash a half volley inches wide. In complete contrast to the rest of the game to follow, Fulham’s deputy goalkeeper Tony Warner was static.

After eighteen minutes Sagna again combined effectively with Eboue, before squaring to Hleb, once again in the box- and once more he could only find a Fulham defender and not the equaliser. Zat Knight conceded the corner but Warner looked to have the shot covered. So often the personification of Arsenal’s problems, Hleb was controlling all Arsenal’s attacking play, but nether neither he nor his team-mates looked capable of finishing them.

Simon Davies then presented another reminder of how imperative the elusive equaliser was for Arsenal- this time on the Fulham right. He cut back inside Gael Clichy easily, and hit a low pass across the box to the goal scorer David Healy. His intelligent run and shot was blocked by an outstretched Kolo Toure- conceding only a corner and not the 24th minute second goal that would probably have been too much for the visitors to relinquish.

Rosicky continued to cut in from the left, and where perhaps Hleb et al would have chosen to cut the ball back, the Czech midfielder chose the snap-shot, which the impressive deputy Tony Warner pushed around the post. Six minutes later Steven Davis ended a rare Fulham attack by falling under the challenge of Cesc Fabregas. Although looking a valid claim at first glance, replays showed that Davis had clipped his own heels looking to put Fulham 2-0 up. Earlier Hleb had gone down from a seemingly harmless challenge, although he put in a far less vociferous claim than the new signing from Aston Villa. Neither looked like valid penalty claims.

Eboue again contributed with a run infield, finding Tomas Rosicky outside the Fulham box. Rosicky cut inside onto his right and struck a fierce shot that Warner could only push wide. Arsenal were as dominant as ever, but Warner was looking defiant. He proved so yet again when Van Persie broke down the left and played in Hleb eight yards out- the often-awry Belorussian seemed hesitant once again as he took a touch before shooting low. Warner made an impressive block, but a first-time shot may well have been beyond him. Van Persie then concluded the move with another low near-post drive that Warner turned wide. The crowd had risen to Arsenal’s dominance and sensed an equaliser. Yet another low shot was then pushed aside by Warner, this time from Rosicky cutting in from the left flank.

Exquisite poise and balance was shown once again by Hleb, and it provided Arsenal with a rare one-on-one against the Fulham goalkeeper. His close control enabled him to play a weighted through-ball to Cesc Fabregas, who could not quite push it past the onrushing Warner. At half time it seemed all-too familiar for Arsenal and their fans. So many chances, nobody taking them.

After the break Fulham missed an opportunity to put the game beyond their North London rivals. Steven Davis started and nearly ended a straightforward cross- Healy drifting out to the right wing was allowed to cross the ball towards the head of substitute Bouazza. The ball broke to Davis who had continued his run, and promptly hit his volley straight at Lehmann. Davis was unmarked by the penalty spot- the absence of the “invisible man” Gilberto was becoming apparent. Normal service was quickly resumed when Rosicky burst forward through the centre, his low pass just too far ahead of Van Persie, who suffered a slight and ultimately benign collision with Warner- once again resolute in rushing forward to prevent the equaliser. The Dutchman had looked a little rusty throughout the match and his poor first touch belied his lack of competitive football.

If Tony Warner could not stop Arsenal, then Zat Knight did his best to. After his block from Hleb’s shot in the first half, he managed to intervene again when Rosicky hit a fierce shot from twenty-five yards, after Fabregas and Hleb had combined to play in a swiftly challenged Van Persie. The Dutch international then struck a free-kick inches wide, the Fulham fans’ wry chants of “Thierry Henry” breaking the resulting disappointment at another spurned opportunity, and juxtaposing sharply with a stark “In Arsene we trust” banner behind the beleaguered Fulham goal.

One of Wenger’s more unorthodox pre-season statements was that of his encouragement for his two central defenders to get forward and assist the attackers against massed opposition ranks. This was later to prove even more poignant, but there were glimpses of the evidence as Toure collected a short corner form Alex Hleb- a sharp one-two and the Ivorian attempted to curl a shot around Warner and into the far post- repelled by the goalkeeper and Diop in an increasingly desperate manner.

Clint Dempsey missed another opportunity to highlight Arsenal’s failings as Brian McBride capitalised on Sagna’s poor control- the two Americans carving what amounted to a poor finish inches wide of the far post. If Dempsey or Davis had taken either of their chances then it would
have been an almost insurmountable obstacle for the increasingly blunt-edged home side.

With seven minutes to go, Kolo Toure powered forward, brushing off two Fulham challenges before being impeded on the edge of the box by Carlos Bocanegra- the relief in the home crowd tangible. Robin Van Persie thrashed the penalty into the roof of the net with apt aplomb. The frustration was also there for all to see as the Arsenal players reacted to Fulham holding onto the ball- a series of unsightly yellow cards were dished out by Dowd to Warner, Diop and Flamini respectively.

Having appeared to have been dispelled by the equaliser, Arsenal’s nerves suddenly returned in resounding fashion as a long ball was headed on by Diop, and Toure’s attempt to control the ball spilled across the area and trickled wide of the far post. So often accused of overplaying in the opposition’s area, Arsenal were almost found guilty in their own.

With seconds left, Sagna lost the ball on the Arsenal right. Fabregas collected it and sent an arcing ball over the top for Alex Hleb- who chested the ball down but still didn’t seem to have the bouncing ball under control. Seemingly reluctant to shoot again, the number thirteen finally trapped the ball, before pushing it ahead of Chris Baird and drilling it low across Warner and into the far corner. Although more subdued in the second half than his influential first, it was fitting that the man who was behind the majority of Arsenal’s attacks would finally finish one, and ultimately seal the victory.

Despite the euphoria of the late winner, Arsenal will inevitably look back on the match and its similarities to those many hard-fought home victories at the Emirates Stadium. However much criticism is levelled at the North London side, the answer is simple. Arsenal need to be clinical. After conceding so early and in such comical fashion it is difficult to gauge whether much insight can be gleaned form this opening game- where the Arsenal players feeling the pressure throughout? Will they become more composed in front of goal? As with the entire pre-season campaign, Arsenal’s opening fixture has provided more questions than answers.