3 positives & negatives from the dominant 3-0 win over Fulham

Leandro Trossard starred as Arsenal cruised to an impressive 3-0 away victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage. The result restored their five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners wrapped the game up in the first half, with all three goals coming before the break as they made easy work of what appeared to be a potential banana skin given Fulham’s great form in this campaign.

3 positives & negatives from dominant 3-0 win over Fulham

Positive #1: Leandro Trossard

Wow, what a performance from Trossard. It was deeply concerning when the Belgian was forced off early against Bournemouth last weekend, but he bounced back with a bang this time out.

He provided all three assists for our goals against the Cottagers, showcasing once more his tremendous ability to create opportunities for his teammates in his new false nine role.

Our captain, Martin Odegaard, is also a huge fan of the 28-year-old and was keen to praise him after the game.

"“He’s brought some amazing things to the team. I love to play with him. He’s always there to link-up, he always looks for the combinations & when he’s in the box, he’s good at finding the right pass. I’m really happy to have him on the team.”"

We may have missed out on Mykhailo Mudryk in January, but Trossard is currently proving that he may have actually been the better option the entire time.

 Negative #1: Sloppy play at times

Picking out negatives in a performance of this quality is extremely difficult, and while it may be harsh, we were guilty of conceding possession needlessly in dangerous positions on more than one occasion.

Playing out from the back in the way that we do naturally comes with its risks, and therefore, players can occasionally lose the ball. But, when it happens too often, as it did in this game for some time, it invites unwanted pressure onto our defence.

At only 2-0, had Fulham taken advantage of one of those opportunities, we may have lost our momentum and handed the home side the initiative, and most importantly the confidence, to go and grab an equaliser. As it stands though, we came through those moments, and particularly in the second half, the team were far better in this regard.

Continued on the next slide…