The impact of the result could be over-stated. Arsenal would not have had too much to worry about in dropping two points had they note endured such a miserable start to their season. But they did.
Still, there was something markedly different about Arsenal compared to previous seasons, when they have frequently found themselves in this position; chasing the game at home, against a team happy to hold what they have, and dominating possession.
They were more direct, and that in part is down to the absence of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, departed this summer. With those two in the team, Arsenal would tend to try and look to find them when in possession, and they will always tend to try and probe and play throughballs in central areas. With Robin van Persie the focal point of this team, Arsenal are now playing more directly when chasing. Whenever the ball was won, rather than spending time being rotated in central midfield in front of the opposition’s penalty area, it was played into van Persie, or to Theo Walcott or Gervinho out wide. Gervinho in particular, was excellent after coming on, markedly more influential than Andrei Arshavin, ponderous as usual.
With Gervinho and Walcott, Arsenal have a more direct route to goal, and it was through them that they looked like scoring. Indeed Walcott supplied the cross from which Thomas Vermaelen equalised. And on the left, Gervinho consistently beat men and caused havoc in the Fulham box in the frantic last 10 minutes. Gervinho offers something very different for Arsenal to what they have offered in similar situations in the past. Where teams knew what Fabregas or Nasri would do, Gervinho is more unpredictable. As is van Persie too, and Walcott to some extent. Sometimes Gervinho will go out left, sometimes out right, sometimes he will pass, but he always looks to get to the line and cut it back, which creates panic in the opposition penalty area. Walcott similarly can do the same thing on the right, able to cut in onto his left, from where he almost scored the winner, but also able to outstrip defenders on the right. And van Persie in the middle is similarly unpredictable.
This is the new Arsenal, or at least the transitional Arsenal; more unpredictable in the final third, more direct. Perhaps not as precise, nor as exciting as they were last year, but possibly more effective. It is variety which they have been accused of lacking in the past, and it offers an intriguing insight into the new team Arsene Wenger is fashioning. The question is how will it change his team? They have improved quickly since the start of the season; so much should not be a surprise; with Fabregas and Nasri gone, Alex Song suspended and Jack Wilshere injured, Arsenal’s central midfield was completely decimated.
Fabregas, Wilshere and Song were the three playing most often, and if any were out, it would be Nasri, Abou Diaby (also injured) or Aaron Ramsey coming in. Only Ramsey of those players was even fit at the start of the season, and so it should not be so surprising they have recovered since Song returned and Mikel Arteta was signed. Arsenal have their midfield back. And with Wilshere still to return from injury, there is much optimism around. But it would be wise not to allow the team to pass the ball into Wilshere with the kind of religious devotion they did with Fabregas; variety has proven key to Arsenal’s recovery. Playing down the centre can be very effective, particularly for Arsenal, but they should not lose the element of unpredictability they have discovered since losing their talismen.
