Gabriel scores on his debut to put Arsenal 2-0 up
Photo: Fulhamfc.com

Fulham 0 : 3 Arsenal

It’s 8.8 miles from Fulham’s home to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium but on the evidence of Saturday’s season opener at Craven Cottage, the footballing gap is much wider. Fulham suffered their eleventh straight EPL London derby defeat and lost it by the width of the Thames.

Arsenal strolled about in the midday sunshine and perhaps due to a cool breeze off the river barely broke a proverbial sweat as they scooped their first three points of the season to go temporarily top of the league by 2.15pm, a position they still held after the evening games.

Alexandre Lacazette opened the scoring in the first half after clearances from both Fulham ‘keeper Marek Rodak and Tim Ream fell at Gunners’ feet. Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães beat Fulham defender Michael Hector to a Willian corner after the interval, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added the third after a sweeping move.

They will have tougher tests than this.

Aboubakar Kamara’s size posed more problems than his ability to the debutant in defence Gabriel and his equally confident centre back partner Rob Holding. Buoyed by the news that Fulham’s talismanic top scorer Aleksandr Mirovic was on the bench, they, Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin passed the ball about between themselves and Mohamed Elneny with little challenge. Arsenal were able to mount thoughtful attack after thoughtful attack, and despite the scoreline US international Ream had a decent outing. He won’t be top of the list to be upgraded.

In truth, 3-0 even flattered Fulham as Marek Rodak made one world class save and there were a few other scrapes and near misses which on a luckier day would have increased Arsenal’s tally.

Arsenal played in all blue which will have made Willian feel as at home as the London SW6 venue. He didn’t look quite at home at the start. Gradually however, the sheer quantity of Arsenal possession began to provide him with opportunities to influence the game.

With Mitrovic absent, he had in direct opposition perhaps Fulham’s only genuine EPL-quality player, left back Joe Bryan. After a free kick struck the post however, the Brazilian grew into the game and provided the cross for Arsenal’s second goal and the final ball for the third, although Aubameyang still had all the hard work to do.

“Arsenal were able to mount thoughtful attack after thoughtful attack”

It was his compatriot Gabriel who stole the show with aerial dominance the few times Fulham threatened and a goal of his own to cap a superb debut. It’s hard to see David Luiz starting too many Premier League games now.

But don’t be misled by the fact that Arsenal’s man of the match was a defender. This was their game and if anything, the preponderance of possession reduced any urgency each time they started to build an attack. The final figure of 54% for Arsenal is somewhat reduced by Fulham’s tendency to play the ball out from the back to no apparent purpose other than being the sort of side who plays the ball out from the back.

Fulham were relegated in each of their past two Premier League seasons, in 2013-14 and 2018-19 – conceding the most goals in the league both times.

Despite that, it was Arsenal who fielded new players. 10 of Fulham’s starting XI played against Brentford in the Championship play-off final. Most of them were at the club when they tumbled miserably out of the Premier League two years ago.

Arsenal started two new signings at Craven Cottage whereas Fulham fielded players who were available last season

Those players, Bryan excepted, were not good enough for the top tier then and don’t look to be good enough now. Mitrovic’s fitness remains a mystery. New signing Kenny Tete will help at right back when the opposition’s thrust is down the left.

However, Harrison Reed ad Tom Cairney were overrun in midfield. Neeskens Kebano just does not look like the same threat on the right as he does on the left. If he and Ivan Cavaleiro are competing for that left wing spot, a tough call will have to be made and Scott Parker will still need a dangerous right winger.

Kamara is not good enough even to be a back-up forward at this level. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa fared reasonably off the bench although Arsenal were winding down by then.

Cottagers’ fans should expect some signing news this week before heading to Leeds.

Arsenal fans enjoy the view from the top but the real Premier League season is yet to begin having comfortably beaten a Championship side.