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

Positive #2: Clean sheet

Mikel Arteta would have been desperate for a more solid defensive display in this match after conceding two goals against both Bournemouth and Sporting CP, and he got just that.

Fulham were restricted to just two shots on target as the midfield ensured that the home side struggled for the space needed to play balls into Aleksandar Mitrovic. Then, any time the Serbian was found, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes marshalled the striker excellently.

The team defended so brilliantly that Fulham were only able to record an expected goals figure of just 0.68, according to The xG Philosophy. We will need to produce this calibre of defensive resoluteness more often between now and the end of the season if we are going to be successful in our bid to win the Premier League.

Negative #2: Missed chances

Once again, I am having to nitpick in order to find a negative from the game, but we indeed missed some good opportunities to further extend our lead, which, on another day, may have cost us.

Most noteworthy was Granit Xhaka’s decision to attempt to control the ball, rather than shooting first time which allowed Bernd Leno to gather the ball as a result – causing an excellent passing move to go to waste.

Others were guilty too, and while we still essentially put the result beyond any doubt before half-time, the same could have been achieved far earlier if we were more clinical in attack.

Continued on the next slide…

Positive #3: Gabriel Jesus returns

The moment every one of us have been waiting for; Gabriel Jesus returned to the matchday squad for the first time since sustaining an injury at the Qatar World Cup. Arteta introduced the Brazilian in the 77th minute and he looked very sharp; almost netting upon his return to the squad.

Speaking after the game, the boss was thrilled to have Jesus available for selection again.

"“We didn’t know whether it was the right game for him today. A few days ago, he told me he was missing something and then yesterday he looked me in the eyes and told me he was ready. Then today we had the opportunity to throw him in because it’s that first step to give him the boost. He looked free and generated two big chances straightaway, and it’s great to have him back.”"

Eddie Nketiah, and recently Leandro Trossard, have done superb jobs respectively of filling the void left by the 25-year-old. However, with that being said, we are a far better side when Jesus is leading the line and his return is a massive boost for us heading into the final stage of the season.

Negative #3: No minutes for Emile Smith Rowe

Finally, on a personal level, I would have liked to have seen Smith Rowe afforded another opportunity to get some minutes under this belt. Like Jesus, Smith Rowe is currently being reintroduced into the squad after a lengthy absence and, slowly but surely, is returning to his best.

This game, especially once the result was secure, was another opportunity to provide him minutes to aid his recovery. But, this is less of a negative and more of a personal preference. Resting players such as Bukayo Saka is just as important as rehabilitating Smith Rowe and there is no obvious right or wrong answer in this situation.