Arsenal-Fulham: Gunners Learn To 'Win Ugly' with the Help of a Young Italian

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Arsenal finally won a game they didn't deserve to win. They need to win more games like this, they said on Match of the day. The need to 'win ugly.'

I always thought that winning ugly was a euphemism for playing really rubbish and getting away with it. Basically, a lucky escape.

This was what happened at the Craven Cottage yesterday. Arsenal played poorly and simply rode their luck. Fulham were the better side and deserved at least a point.

The gunners played some of their best football this season in their last two games, against Man Utd and Man City, and lost them both.

They play their worst football against a determined Fulham side and leave with a win and a clean sheet.

That's the puzzling, unpredictable nature of football for you, the best team sometimes doesn't win. However, after a long season, the table doesn't lie: You finish where you deserve to finish, and that's the simple truth.

POSITIVES FIRST

Vito Mannone in goal for Arsenal, making only his third premier league start, was outstanding for the gunners. He made a string of crucial saves and was solid through-out the game. A '10 out of 10' performance as Arsene Wenger saw it.

I have to be honest here, I wasn't at all impressed by Mannone's previous outings for Arsenal. He was pretty shaky against Wigan last week with his handling and decision-making on crosses really worried me.

However, he came through for Arsenal yesterday and produced a man of the match performance under constant pressure at times. He showed real character for someone so young and i hope he develops into a world class keeper for Arsenal.

Robin Van Persie, also, produced a moment of real class to secure the points for the gunners. He took his goal with expert skill reminiscent of his compatriot Dutch-man, Dennis Bergkamp. The first touch and execution was just perfect. It deserved to win the game.

THE NEGATIVES

The first thing I noticed about the game yesterday was that the defence was exposed in full-back areas too many times, especially down Clichy's left-back position.

Fulham forwards got in behind Arsenal's left on several occasions to deliver some dangerous crosses, which could've easily turned into goals for the home team.

I'm not really surprised by this because this was also a problem area in the Man City game two weeks ago, in which the defence was exposed from the sides by the pace and guile of the City forwards.

This is happening for three different reasons:

1) Gaël Clichy does not look fully fit to me. He picked up where he left off at he end of last season - in terms of performances -  before he was out injured for the last two months. Furthermore, he looked half a yard slower and very lethargic yesterday.

Andrei Arshavin also looked below par, but this is understandable as he's fresh from injury.

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