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Joao Palhinha's 87th-minute strike forced Arsenal to settle for a 2-2 draw against a 10-man Fulham despite dominating the game at the Emirates Stadium on August 26th.
The Gunners were forced into an early lead when Bukayo Saka's misplaced back pass was successfully intervened by Andreas Pereira. Upon dribbling into a space, the Brazilian calmly slotted the ball past the wrong-footed Aaron Ramsdale during the opening minute of the game.
Mikel Arteta's side's thrust was not sufficient during the entire first half when the hosts were on the lookout for the equalizer. However, the scenario changed when Tete's clumsy challenge brought the substitute Fabio Vieira down inside the penalty box. Bukayo Saka converted from the spot to level the score in the 70th minute.
Less than two minutes later, one substitute assisted another to drive the men in reds into the lead. Eddie Nketiah's slide reached Fabio Vieira's low cross to hit the back of the net. When the game looked settled after Calvin Bassey's red card, the visitors struck once again before the end.
Midfielder Joao Palhinha's strike put an end to Arsenal's winning start to the season by placing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from a corner. The hosts were searching for the go-ahead goal, but the visitors defended with determination to see off the game.
While Arsenal will be gutted to miss out on three points, the Cottagers will be content with a point on the back of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford last week.
We shall look at five talking points as the Gunners share spoils with Fulham at the Emirates.
#5 Poor finishing cost Arsenal the game
Although football is played on the pitch, stats cannot be completely ignored. The Gunners had 11 shots on target to Fulham's 3 throughout the game and amassed an expected goal of above 3 compared to Fulham's 0.46. This shows the lack of clinical nature in front of the goal.
Chances fell to Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, and Kai Havertz, but none of them were able to make it count. Mikel Arteta will be paying heed to these missed chances to bounce back against Manchester United next week.
#4 Mikel Arteta needs to solve Kai Havertz conundrum
Kai Havertz does not bring the balance of defense and attack to the existing Arsenal side. The German international made five ball recoveries, but his lack of urgency in the attacking side weakened the Gunners' offensive threat. Most chances were created after Fabio Vieira was introduced into the fray.
Arteta needs to take a huge call to use Kai Havertz properly in the existing set-up. With Thomas Partey and Declan Rice shielding the backline, Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe deserve a run of games to prove themselves in a similar position. The duo is more likely to be in the mix of goals as they are attacking-minded.
#3 Joao Palhinha is Fulham's standout player
Joao Palhinha has earned a lot of fans since moving to Fulham last summer. The Portuguese international's excellent performance against Arsenal saw him make 11 ball recoveries and 6 tackles. This is the most by any Premier League midfielder this gameweek.
The 28-year-old defensive midfielder, who has been a crucial asset to the London outfit since joining them, attracted interest from Liverpool and West Ham. However, they were put off by Fulham's hefty demands in order to retain the midfielder's services.
#2 A foundation to build for Marco Silva
Marco Silva enjoyed a top-half finish (12th in the table) by leading Fulham to 52 points last campaign and will be under pressure to deliver more or less the same. With Aleksandar Mitrovic deciding to swap Fulham for Saudi outfit Al-Hilal, it remains to be seen if the club decides to add more options on top of signing Raul Jimenez.
Following their 1-0 victory over Everton, the men in white faced heavy defeat at the hands of Brentford last weekend. However, the Portuguese international would be happy with the team's display and result which saw them drawing in a tough place like the Emirates.
#1 Eddie Nketiah continues to blossom
Eddie Nketiah, who is playing as a back-up to Gabriel Jesus, has scored two goals in three games for the Gunners. The Gunners' academy product came off the bench to devastating effect to hit the back of the net from a sublime cross from Vieira in the 72nd minute.
Not only is the 24-year-old scoring goals, but his movement in and out of the penalty box is giving a headache to the opponent's defenders. Nketiah will have a big role to play as Arsenal hope to win some silverware this campaign.
