Arsenal dropped more valuable points in a Premier League title race that is beginning to look more and more like a landslide in Liverpool’s favor, as the Gunners could only muster a 1-1 draw on Sunday afternoon in a marquee matchup with local rivals Fulham.
Although Fulham are back in the European places for the second time in three seasons, everyone expected Arsenal to get another win against the Cottagers, who are not on the same talent level as the Gunners.
Yet Arsenal failed to impose themselves on the game, and their substitutes after the hour mark failed to significantly improve things either, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli continuing to struggle to offer a legitimate goal threat.
Arsenal suffered from a host of disappointing performances on Sunday against Fulham, but no individual player fell further below their usual standard than the captain himself, Martin Odegaard.
Coming into the Matchday 15 battle, Odegaard was praised heavily for his obvious importance to Arsenal, as the team’s fortunes had seemingly turned right around again after the young Norwegian’s injury return.
Hyped as a Premier League Player of the Season contender again, Odegaard fell back down to earth badly against an otherwise unimpressive Fulham midfield, leaving Bukayo Saka to do all the carrying on his own.
Odegaard tied his mark of three key passes against Manchester United with the same three vs. Fulham, but he did nothing else attacking-wise against the Cottagers with no dribbles completed, tackles, interceptions, or even shots.
The 25-year-old even lost the ball six times from errors of his own, failing to keep possession or progress play adequately for his team. Odegaard was subbed at 79 minutes after being overrun in midfield offensively and defensively, playing like a set-piece specialist.
If anything, though, the performance only proved the point that Arsenal are too reliant on Saka and Odegaard, because when one disappoints, as the No. 10 did in this one, then the whole team suffers as a result.
Nobody would have expected Odegaard, consistent as he is, to flop against Fulham, but even he is human. Arsenal got a downer of a performance from one of their best players, and perhaps in this case, Odegaard would have been better off not trying to do too much with all that weight on him of being “the guy” to save his team.
Joe Soriano