Mikel Arteta has refused to confess that the Premier League title has slipped from Arsenal’s grasp this season – however with the Gunners 9 factors behind Liverpool, forward of the Merseyside derby, it seems to be just like the league is in Liverpool’s fingers.
Arsenal have been underwhelming at occasions this 12 months, and while their harm points have been important, many thought it might be Arteta’s aspect, not Liverpool, to capitalise on Manchester Metropolis’s blip in kind.
With accidents to Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal have needed to depend on set-pieces at occasions this season – nevertheless, on Tuesday evening their opening objective in opposition to Fulham broke one Premier League document that implies they don’t simply play boring soccer.
Arsenal break a document with Mikel Merino’s opening objective
Mikel Arteta is more likely to see his aspect end 2nd within the Premier League for the second successive season (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Mikel Merino opened the scoring on the Emirates with Bukayo Saka including a second on his return from harm, earlier than a late comfort for Fulham via Rodrigo Muniz.
Merino’s strike was the results of intricate build-up play involving 50 uninterrupted passes – the longest-ever recorded consecutive passing sequence resulting in a objective within the Premier League since such knowledge was gathered from the beginning of the 2006/07 season.
Chadli’s document has been damaged.
Jurrien Timber’s via ball allowed Ethan Nwaneri to chop the ball again to Merino who guided the ball previous Bernd Leno by way of a deflection. Following Phil Foden’s strike firstly of the 2023/24 season, which additionally got here in opposition to Fulham, the Premier League revealed the checklist of targets with essentially the most passes within the build-up .
Foden’s half-volley sat second on the checklist behind Nacer Chadli’s objective for Tottenham Hotspur in a 4-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers in August 2014 – which featured 48 passes beforehand.
Whereas Juan Mata’s objective for Manchester United in opposition to Southampton in 2015 is subsequent on the checklist, of the highest 5 Manchester Metropolis truly had three of the entries earlier than Merino’s strike.
While Merino’s objective might not play an enormous position within the title race, it’s one that may give Arsenal followers hope for future successes, particularly given the narrative of set-piece reliance that had been urged earlier within the season.
Merino scored a record-breaking objective for Arsenal final evening (Picture credit score: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC by way of Getty Imagess)
Arsenal have scored 11 targets from set items this season, in addition to forcing one own-goal from a nook – a powerful tally.
Bukayo Saka, who ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo’s checklist of the most effective proper wingers on the earth proper now, has been a long-term harm absentee – however his return alongside Merino’s flowing objective ought to show that that is an Arsenal aspect that stay among the finest attacking groups within the league.
