Five Takeaways from Arsenal beating Fulham as Real Madrid looms large

Losing Gabriel could not have come at a worse moment for Arsenal writes Tim Cooper

1 - One in, one out

It sums up our season that just as we get our Starboy back for the first time in three months, we lose our defensive giant on the same occasion.

Every time we take one step forward, lady luck seems to intervene with the cruellest of timing.

Over the course of the season it has struck at all the wrong moments - and when it wasn't down to injury, it was down to referees and VAR.

Losing Gabriel, now firmly established as one half of Europe's best centre-back partnership, could not have come at a worse moment, with Madrid looming (twice).

At least we have ready-made replacements in Jakub Kiwior - a much better player than many of the boo boys think, and a player who has previously shown the personality to rise to the big occasion - and/or Ben White and Jurrien Timber (if he's fit).

Bukayo Saka's a different story. As much as we love Nwaneri, Saka is simply irreplaceable; he's already in the pantheon of world-class players that includes, ominously, several of the opponents we'll be seeing on Tuesday - Mbappe, Vini Jr, Rodrygo, Bellingham. 

But back to last night.

2 - Gabi's form is encouraging 

Leaving aside the loss of Gabriel, there was much to admire in the return to top form of Gabi Martinelli; that Fulham right-back, Castagne, will be having nightmares about the countless times he was skinned.

If Gabi can just get back to cutting inside on his right foot for those Henry-style finishes we know he's capable of, we'll have a formidable weapon in attack.

3 - Mikel Merino growing into striker's role

As for Mikel Merino, what can we say?

He's growing into the role, his movement is more striker-like with every game, and he's always known how to use his body strength and height to full advantage; whether his shooting instinct will continue to develop is anybody's guess but he's the one component of our team that has luck on his side.

Last night's goal was a weird combination of poor initial control, a quick recovery, an inaccurate shot and a fortunate deflection, but they all count, and any proper striker would be happy with a record of five goals in eight games. 

What else did we take away?

4 - Rice and Partey impress in tandem

Rice and Partey working better in tandem with every game they play together and Odegaard drifting around, probing for spaces but too often taking the easier option of shutting the ball to the widest point of the horseshoe.

Then again, you could argue that Merino doesn't make the darting runs off defenders (and that's not his fault) for Odegaard to find with a crafty through ball, so he tends not to play them.

But we all wish he would rediscover his shooting boots - that wild swing over the bar was not his finest moment.

As ever, Nwaneri offered power and poise, balance and vision, best exemplified with that assist for Merino's goal; darting to the byline and cutting the ball back sharply to the man in space.

Elsewhere, he's got Saka's ability to keep the full-back guessing whether he'll go round the outside on his right or cut inside and shoot with his deadly left.

5 - Where will Ethan play with Saka back?

The only real question about Ethan is where will he play (or even will he play) with Saka back in the team?

It's interesting that Timber seems to have nailed down that right-back position even now that White is fit again, and I think it's fair to say Jurrien offers more reliability in defence while White shows more ambition in attack, with that well established understanding with Saka.

And either of them can fill in at centre-back if required.

As for MLS on the other side, he shows such maturity as a player: there was one moment in the second half where he used his low centre of gravity and surprising strength for such a small guy to slalom past and through three or four defenders towards the Fulham box.

But he has the impetuousness of youth, inevitably, and would be well advised to curb his natural instinct to run into forward channels (one of which led to the Fulham goal), as well as the occasional indiscipline that is already putting him on refs' radar before a ball is kicked.